2.5y–4.2y12 minDevelopmental playReadingFree play
Sound & Sense Mini-Phonics Session
A short, systematic, multi-sensory phonics routine using voice, movement, touch, and a few household objects to keep your child motivated while practicing hearing sounds, linking sounds to letters, and trying simple blending.
What you'll need
Essentials
- paper
- a marker or pen
- 3 small objects from home (e.g., sock, spoon, cup, toy car)
Nice to have
- a shallow tray with a thin layer of salt/flour (for finger tracing)
- sticky notes or small scraps of paper
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Enjoys rhyming and rhythmic activities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of rhyme and alliteration.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Continues a rhyming string.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Hears and says the initial sound in words.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “When children are ready (usually, but not always, by the age of five) provide regular systematic synthetic phonics sessions. These should be multisensory in order to capture their interests, sustain motivation and reinforce learning.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)