Videos and picture books are often helpful, especially for younger kids. For adults, charts and puzzles can be useful tools. You can find phonics learning resources for all ages online, as well as in many bookstores.
Just as with learning letter names, learning letter sounds is generally easiest when you have examples. Videos and read-along book with press-and-play buttons are useful for learning letter sounds.
Go through the word letter by letter and make the sound each letter makes, then put them all together. Don’t use the letter names, as these won’t give you real words. For example, the letter name for the word “cat” are “C (cee) – A (ay) – T (tee). ” Putting those names together doesn’t make a word, though. Instead, use the letter sounds, “C (cuh) – A (ah) – T (tuh). ” When you put those together, you can hear the word “cat. ”
Make a cardstock cutout of each letter to turn making words into a game. Rearrange the letters and add or subtract them as necessary to create different combinations and sound out new words.
If 2 vowels sit next to each other in a word, the second vowel makes the first one say its name. For example, the word “flea” sounds like “flee” because the ‘a’ makes the ‘e’ before it says its name. Long vowel sounds also occur when the vowel is at the end of a word or syllable. “Go,” for example, has a long ‘o’ at the end.
In “pen,” for example, the ‘e’ makes an “eh” sound because it’s the only vowel. Vowels are also generally short when they are the only vowel in the word, so long as they don’t come at the end of that word. For example, in “bug,” the ‘u’ makes the short “uh” sound.
Ow – as in low, bow, show Ou – as in loud, proud Ie – as in lied, tied, fried Oi – as in loin, groin Oo – as in moon, spoon, soon Ea – as in lean, mean Ee – as in sleep, deep, leer Ai – as in lair, flair, stair
If you don’t want to read with another person, try following along with audiobooks. You can also get book/audio packages meant specifically for phonics learners. These pair easy-to-read words with audio so that you can follow along and learn different sounds.
You can make this part of your daily routine, such as reading your parents a news article in the morning or reading a bedtime story to your child at night. If you’re uncomfortable reading in front of others, read to yourself in the mirror. You won’t have someone else to help if you get stuck, but it is still helpful to hear the words out loud.
If you ride the bus to school or take public transportation to work, play word games during your commute.
Apps like The Joy of Reading and Montessori Letter Sounds are good for kids, as they make easy, interactive games for phonics learners. Apps like Phonics Genius and abc Pocket Phonics may be helpful for adult learners.
Bedtime stories are a great way to incorporate reading into your daily routine. Bedtime stories are common for kids, but they can be useful for adult learners, too. Just tailor what you read to your learner’s interests. You can also read news articles, recipes, or any other daily content out loud. This not only helps with phonics, it shows your learner how important reading is to daily life.
Frame your help in a positive context. Let your learner know, “That’s can be a tricky word. Let’s sound it out together. ”
Talk to the course instructor in advance if you plan to attend a course with someone. They may have their own rules or restrictions regarding outside attendance and how much you can help during class. If you know an adult learner who is intimidated by a classroom environment, you can also help them sign up for online literacy courses. This may help manage some of their perceived fear and embarrassment.
