Year 1 English | Homework Helper

Topic 1 of 5

Phonics and Word Reading

How it’s taught in school

Children learn to decode words by applying their phonics knowledge, focusing on the 40+ phonemes and alternative sounds for some graphemes. They also practise reading words with common suffixes (-s, -es, -ing, -ed) and contractions (e.g., I'm, we'll).

What it looks like in class: Children split words into sounds, then blend them together. Teachers mark single sounds with a dot and two-letter sounds (like sh or ai) with a line, often called “sound buttons”.

Try it at home

Use flashcards with common graphemes and sounds, practising each sound together and combining them into simple words.
Play 'word hunting' games where your child finds words containing specific phonics patterns (like 'sh' or 'th') in books.
Use magnetic letters to practise building and reading words with common suffixes like -ing and -ed.