Parent Support

Explain that SSP is a teaching method that helps children hear the sounds in words and connect them to letters. Children are taught to blend the sounds together to read words and listen for the sounds and know which letter/s to write to spell words. This approach develops confident and independent readers and writers. We initially teach letter sounds, not names, as it is the sounds that are used in words. For example, the sounds /c-a-t/ can be blended together to make the word ‘cat’ but the letter names /cee-ai-tee/ cannot.

Explain that SSP teaches the alphabetic code of the English language in a simple and logical way. It enables children to understand how words work for both reading and writing, and provides the foundation for lifelong reading and writing success. Learning whole words by sight is extremely difficult and time consuming and fails many children. Jolly Phonics was developed by teachers and has proven highly effective in helping children succeed early.

Show parents a small selection of letter sounds so they can see how each one is introduced, along with its corresponding action and song. Demonstrate how these can be practised at home using the videos on the Jolly Learning YouTube channel. (For parents who want support with how to say the sounds correctly, they can watch the 'Learn the 42 letter sounds' video while the children can watch the songs videos).

Demonstrate how blending helps children read unfamiliar words and how segmenting enables them to spell and write independently. Explain that words should only be sent home for practice once these skills have been taught in class - blending for reading and segmenting for spelling - to ensure success and build confidence. Once pupils can segment words in class, short word lists can be sent home for simple dictation practice.

Explain that short daily practice will greatly benefit their child, helping them learn and remember the letter–sound correspondences and actions. After a while, the children should say only the sound without doing the action. Emphasise that quick and accurate recognition of the letter sounds is vital for reading and writing success, and encourage parents to revisit these regularly at home.

Show parents the home sound books that will be used to reinforce learning. These can go home for daily review and are a simple yet powerful way to help children practice the letter sounds taught in class.

Encourage children to ‘teach’ their parents the letter sounds and actions they’ve learned in class - this builds confidence, strengthens memory, and creates a positive home–school connection.

Help parents understand that some children have weaker memories and need more practice to retain the letter sounds. Explain that around 25% of children fall into this group and simply require extra repetition and reinforcement. With consistent support at home and in school, these children can learn perfectly well and make excellent progress.

The first Parent Letter below can be given out at the beginning of Step one. This letter will help parents to understand how children are learning phonics at school and how families can help at home.