How do we learn to read?

By Ava Jones

Phonics can be a key early building block in a child's reading journey. Here we look at how they take those steps towards recognising words and consider ideas for how we might help children practise their reading.

Learning to read is an exciting process for children and phonics plays a crucial role in this process.

Phonics focuses on sound and its relationship to the written word. The different techniques covered by any phonics scheme will better help children understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they make.

Once they have this understanding and start to recognise patterns, they are on their way to be able to read, because they have the ability to ‘piece’ together the words they are seeing.

Once they are able to read the words, they need to be able to work out what they mean. Sometimes they’ll already know the word, but other times they need to take cues from the words around it, or even might try to work out its meaning by thinking about what other words it is similar to.

It’s one thing to know what a word sounds like phonetically when we read it and another to comprehend it’s meaning and how it fits in the wider sentence or text in which it features.

Think about the word ‘phonics’.

If we are able to remember that the root ‘phon-‘ relates to sound, we have a clue as to what ‘phonics’ might be. When we then see that string of letters in words like ‘phone’, ‘xylophone’ or even ‘symphony’, we also know that they have some relation to sound.

Here’s a simple explanation of how a child starts to learn to read using phonics:

Letter Recognition

At the start, children learn to recognise and name letters of the alphabet. They understand that each letter represents a unique sound.

Phoneme Awareness

Phonemes are the individual sounds that make up words. Children learn to identify and manipulate these sounds. For example, they learn that the word “cat” has three phonemes: /c/ – /a/ – /t/.

Sound-Letter Correspondence

Children begin to associate letters with their corresponding sounds. They learn that certain letters or combinations of letters make specific sounds. For instance, the letter “c” can make the /k/ sound as in “cat”, or the /s/ sound as in “circle”.

Blending

This is when children start combining individual letter sounds to read whole words. They learn to smoothly blend sounds together to form words. For instance, they blend /c/ – /a/ – /t/ to read “cat”.

Segmenting

In reverse, children learn to break down words into individual sounds. This skill helps them with spelling. For example, they segment “sun” into /s/ – /u/ – /n/.

Decoding

As their phonics skills improve, children can decode unfamiliar words by sounding them out using their sound-letter knowledge. They can read words they’ve never heard of before by applying their understanding of phonics rules.

Sight Words

Some words don’t follow regular phonics rules and need to be memorised by sight. Children do not need to sound these words out as they instantly recognise them. They include common words like “the”, “and” and “is”. These words play a vital role in building fluency.

Practise and Exposure

Consistent practise is key. Children benefit from reading books that match their phonics level, gradually progressing to more complex texts. Exposure to a variety of words helps expand their vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Phonics helps children to become independent readers by giving them the skills to decode and understand words on their own. It is important to keep the learning process moving along at home too! Read your child’s favourite books with them, play some word games like ‘I spy’, do some quizzes online or ones you have made up.

What is orthographic mapping?

Orthographic mapping is the process where children build a strong connection between the visual representation of words (the way they look on the page) and their phonological representation (the sound they make). It is like a memory link in the brain between how words look and how they sound. This mapping allows children to recognise words quickly and accurately, even if they haven’t seen those specific words before.

How to encourage your child to read

Encouraging your child to read is a wonderful adventure you can embark on together.
Create a cosy reading nook with comfy cushions and their favourite books that spark their curiosity.
Choose stories that match their interests, whether it’s dinosaurs, princesses or space. Make reading time a special bonding experience by taking turns to read aloud, using funny voices for different characters. Celebrate their reading achievements, no matter how small, with high-fives and cheers.
And don’t forget to explore libraries and bookstores together, letting them choose books that tickle their imagination.
With your support and enthusiasm, you’re lighting up a lifelong love for reading in your child’s heart, one page at a time!
Celebrate reading moments wherever you can find them – reading can be done:
1. On the school run
2. In a café
3. In the supermarket
4. When watching TV
5. Looking at the back of a shampoo bottle!
Give them choices by allowing them to lead the reading. Let them pick which pages they want to read and which ones you should read.
Don’t make it a pressure situation. If they’re tired, aren’t getting it or don’t want to read, don’t force them!