7 Fun Ways to Supplement Your Child’s Phonics Learning

Learning to read and write is a fundamental milestone in a child's educational journey, and phonics plays a large part in laying the groundwork for these essential skills. Phonics refers to the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent, and mastering it enables young learners to decode words and develop fluency in reading and writing. This forms the foundation upon which a child’s literacy skills will be built.

Parents can play a significant role in supporting their children's phonics learning by supplementing classroom instruction with fun and engaging activities at home. If you can make phonics learning enjoyable for your child, you’ll be able to do a lot to enhance their literacy development and instil in them a love for reading and language from an early age.

Your child may develop great foundational knowledge in phonics upon enrolling at Kinderland, given that Kinderland’s academics programme puts a special emphasis on early literacy and language learning. But before your child even begins working on their CVC words in their Kinderland preschool, it’s a must to adopt fun activities that promote learning phonics in your home in Singapore. At the same time, you can do the following to assist your child in mastering phonics without stressing them out:

1) Read Together

A wonderful way to bond, reading together helps reinforce your child’s basic phonics skills. To make this activity both memorable and fun for your child, choose books with vibrant illustrations and engaging stories that capture the imagination.

As you read, point out letters and sound out words together. Encourage your child to participate by reading aloud, even if it's just a word or two. You can also take turns asking questions about the story to promote their comprehension and critical thinking skills. Making reading a shared activity that the two of you actively look forward to can help your child create positive associations with books and language.

2) Letter Hunts

Turn letter recognition into an exciting treasure hunt by searching for letters around the house or outdoors. Create a list of letters for your child to find, or call out letter sounds and see if they can identify the corresponding letters.

To make it easier for your child to remember the relationship between sounds and letters, use everyday objects that can reinforce letter sounds and names, such as pointing to a "c" for "cup" or a "t" for "tree." Get creative together, and challenge your child to think outside the box when identifying letters to add a sense of adventure to this educational activity.

3) Word Building

Are you fond of board games, and does your child feel the same? If the answer is yes, how about getting hands-on with word-building activities using magnetic letters or letter tiles? Start with word-building games to have fun together and allow your child to take phonics to heart. Simple three-letter words should offer sufficient challenge to someone who’s just learning how to read; gradually increase the difficulty as your child progresses.

Build words together, sound them out, and discuss their meanings. You can even turn this activity into a game by timing how quickly your child can build a certain number of words or challenging them to create silly sentences using the words they've built.

4) Rhyming Games

Make phonics fun with rhyming games that reinforce sound patterns and phonemic awareness. Begin the game by saying a word and asking your child to come up with words that rhyme with it. You can also play rhyming memory games where you take turns saying rhyming words until someone can't think of a new one.

If you want to be creative, try using silly rhymes and nonsense words to keep the game entertaining and engaging. This will help strengthen phonics skills as well as encourage creativity and linguistic exploration.

5) Phonics Apps and Games

It’s also a good idea to harness the power of technology to make phonics learning interactive and entertaining. Look for educational apps and online games that align with your child's learning level and interests. These often offer activities such as letter recognition, phoneme blending, and word building.

Set aside designated screen time for your child to explore these apps to make it a special treat. At the same time, be sure to monitor your child's mobile or tablet usage and choose apps that are age-appropriate.

6) Alphabet Crafts

If your child enjoys arts and crafts, how about unleashing their creativity with alphabet crafts that reinforce letter recognition and formation? Use materials like clay, paper, or play-dough to sculpt letter shapes.

Another option would be to create letter collages using magazine cut-outs or stickers. Encourage your child to decorate each letter with their own unique designs and turn it into a personalised art project. Display the finished creations around the house as a reminder of the letters they've learned and help them look forward to the next phonics games or arts and crafts activities.

7) Sing Songs and Chants

Some preschools in Singapore offer a music-infused programme, so it’s no wonder that their students prefer to practise their phonics with songs and chants that focus on letter sounds, blends, and sight words.

Support this endeavour at home by singing catchy tunes or creating your own rhymes to help your child remember letter sounds and word patterns. Incorporate movement and gestures to make the songs interactive, such as clapping out syllables or acting out the meaning of words. You can even record your own phonics songs and listen to them together during car rides or quiet time, turning learning into a harmonious family activity.

Actively engaging in these fun and interactive phonics activities at home allows you to support your child's literacy development and set them on the path to reading success. Try any of these to advance your young child’s phonics learning and widen their world before they master the skill of reading. 

12 Apr 2024
Singapore Expats