Phonics for Beginners: A Parent's Guide
New to phonics? This parent-friendly guide explains what phonics is, key terms you will hear, and simple ways to support your child at home.
By Best Group Coaching · · 6 min read
If your child is starting to read, you have probably heard the word phonics. This guide explains what it means and how you can support your child at home – no teaching experience needed.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a method of teaching reading by connecting sounds with the letters or groups of letters that represent them. Instead of memorising whole words, children learn to decode words by sounding out each part.
For example, the word cat is read by saying the sounds /c/ /a/ /t/ and blending them together.
Key terms parents will hear
- Phoneme: the smallest unit of sound, like /m/ or /sh/.
- Grapheme: the letter or letters that represent a sound, like m or sh.
- Blending: joining sounds together to read a word (/s/ /u/ /n/ → sun).
- Segmenting: breaking a word into sounds to spell it (dog → /d/ /o/ /g/).
- Digraph: two letters making one sound, like ch, sh, th.
- Tricky words: common words that don't follow regular patterns, like the or said.
How to support your child at home
Say sounds correctly
Use short, pure sounds: say /m/ rather than "muh". This makes blending much easier. Learn more in letter sounds vs letter names.
Play sound games
- I spy something beginning with /b/.
- Clap the sounds in a word.
- Find objects at home that start with the same sound.
Read together every day
Choose simple books that match the sounds your child is learning, and also read richer stories aloud for enjoyment.
Practise little and often
Ten minutes a day is better than one long session a week.
Celebrate effort
Praise your child for trying to sound out words, even when they get them wrong.
What to avoid
- Pushing too fast – every child learns at their own pace.
- Turning practice into a test.
- Comparing your child with siblings or classmates.
When to look for extra help
If your child struggles to remember sounds or blend them after consistent practice, read signs your child may need extra reading support.
Phonics courses at Best Group Coaching
- Phonics Course – Offline – 4 months in Althan, Surat, ₹16,000.
- Phonics Course (Online) – 10+ chapters, ₹699.
Not sure which is best? Read how to choose the right phonics course for your child.