Phonics
Mastering reading and writing skills is a journey filled with excitement and growth.
At Merry Minds, our Phonics Programme is designed to support and guide your child every step of the way. Our programme lays a strong foundation for your child’s reading and writing journey, starting with basic letter sounds and progressing to simple blends and more complex phonetic patterns.
Interactive activities, games and songs are incorporated into the lessons to make it more fun and engaging for the children. Colourful visuals and readers are used to reinforce the learning of phonetic sounds.
Check out the phonics stages outlined below.
Stage 1
Introduction to Letters and Sounds
In Stage 1 of our phonics programme, children will identify and name individual letters while associating each one with its corresponding sounds through engaging multi-sensory activities and delightful stories.
Recommended age group:
Playgroup
Stage 2
Understanding Lowercase and Uppercase Letters
Stage 2 helps children understand the relationship between lowercase and uppercase letters and learn the proper usage of uppercase letters. They will also explore different long vowel sounds.
Additionally, children will learn to write by tracing letters and develop the fine motor skills needed to strengthen their pencil grasp.
Recommended age group:
Nursery
Stage 3
Exploring Word Families and Basic Blending
In Stage 3, children explore word families, learn to read sentences, and identify sight words within them. They are introduced to basic blending and segmenting skills, paving the way for phonetic reading proficiency.
By this stage, children will independently read simple CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words with confidence.
Recommended age group:
Nursery/ Kindergarten
Stage 4
Excelling Consonant Blends and Digraphs
In Stage 4, children excel consonant blends and digraphs, linking them with word families. They independently decode CCVC (Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words and write them using phonetic sounds. They develop understanding of word meanings and progress to reading sentences within paragraphs.
Additionally, they learn to construct simple sentences using new vocabulary and expand their sight word recognition. This stage builds confidence in spelling.
Recommended age group:
Kindergarten
Stage 5
Advancing with Silent 'e' and Vowel Teams
In Stage 5, children grasp the concept of silent 'e' and its impact on spelling. They also delve into vowel digraphs (combinations of vowels producing specific sounds) and vowel diphthongs (complex vowel combinations producing single gliding sounds).
In addition to phonetic reading, they learn to construct simple sentences using their expanding vocabulary and sight words. This stage build confidence in reading comprehension and sentence writing.
Recommended age group:
Kindergarten
Stage 6
Mastering R-Controlled Vowels, Silent Letter Digraphs, and Closed Syllable Exceptions
In Stage 6, children explore r-controlled vowels, silent letter digraphs (e.g., 'kn,' 'wr'), and closed syllable exceptions. By mastering these advanced phonetic concepts, they gain confidence and proficiency in both reading and writing.
Following Stage 6, children can progress to our reading and listening comprehension programme or creative writing programme.
Recommended age group:
Kindergarten