Phonics Scope and Sequence: The 5-Stage Roadmap (Step by Step)
For children aged 3–7 learning to read in English — at home or in class. Every phonics program teaches sounds in roughly the same order — this is that order, laid out as 5 stages. Find where your child fits, see what comes next, and jump straight to the sounds, word lists, and printables for that stage.
Stage 0 — Getting Ready
Rhyming, syllables, and hearing sounds in words — before a single letter is taught.
SATPIN
s, a, t, p, i, n — taught first because they build the most three-letter words fastest.
See sounds, word lists & printables →Stage 2 of 5Letter Sounds
The remaining 19 letters, finishing the full alphabet by sound (not by name).
See sounds, word lists & printables →Stage 3 of 5Blending & Segmenting
The bridge skill: pushing sounds together to read, and pulling words apart to spell — practiced from the first week, alongside Stages 1–2.
See sounds, word lists & printables →Stage 4 of 5Digraphs & Blends
Consonant blends like st, fr and nd, then qu, ch, sh, th, ng, nk — two letters, one sound.
See sounds, word lists & printables →Stage 5 of 5Vowel Teams & Tricky Words
ai, ee, oa, oo, ar, or and more — plus the words that can't be sounded out at all.
See sounds, word lists & printables →Turn this into a dated schedule
Pick a start date and a pace, and get all 44 sounds laid out as dated sessions — free to preview, downloadable as a calendar.
Where this comes from
This sequence follows the same principles as Letters and Sounds, Jolly Phonics, and Read Write Inc — the three most widely used UK synthetic phonics programs: high-frequency sounds first, blending from the first week, then digraphs and vowel teams. It isn’t a copy of any one of them. Every child moves at a different pace, so treat the timeframes on each stage as a rough guide, not a deadline. For the full picture of every English sound, see the 44-letter-sound map, or browse the free printables library.
Teach phonics online — one short lesson a day
Sign in free and follow a plan that remembers where you are. Right here in your browser, on phone, tablet or computer — nothing to download.
- 92 step-by-step lessons, SATPIN first
- Big flashcards to show your child
- Games, checkpoints and progress for every sound
For little ones (2–6) there’s also our sound-play game on iPhone & iPad and Android.