More Practice, Time, and Support: Tailoring Phonics to Individual Needs

​Every child learns at a different pace, and while some may excel in phonics quickly, others need more practice, more time, and additional support to truly grasp the concepts. Tailoring phonics instruction to individual needs is essential for ensuring that every learner makes progress. In this blog, we’ll explore how teachers can adapt their phonics instruction by giving learners exactly what they need to succeed: more practice, more time, or more support.

The Three Pillars of Tailored Phonics Instruction
1. More Practice

• Why it’s important: Learning to read and write, much like learning to play a musical instrument, requires regular practice. For some learners, additional practice is the key to mastering phonics concepts that come more naturally to their peers.
• How to provide it: Teachers can offer extra practice opportunities throughout the day. For instance, use flashcards during transition times, or set up short, focused phonics sessions in the afternoon. Encouraging parents to practice at home with grapheme cards or word lists can also reinforce learning outside the classroom.
• Examples: A learner who struggles with blending can benefit from additional one-on-one sessions where they practice blending sounds into words. Similarly, struggling learners can engage in targeted small-group activities that focus on key phonics skills.
  

2. More Time

• Why it’s important: Some learners simply need more time to process and master phonics skills. Rushing them through a program can lead to frustration and gaps in their understanding. Allowing more time enables learners to progress at their own pace and prevents them from falling behind.
• How to provide it: Schools can adjust their phonics expectations by setting more achievable goals over a longer period. For instance, instead of expecting learners to master four sounds a week, teachers can slow the pace to focus on two sounds, allowing for deeper learning.
• Examples: Rocket Phonics follows a slower pace of two letter-sounds per week, giving learners more time to grasp each concept. For learners who need even more time, teachers can create individualised progression maps that align with their pace of learning, setting realistic and manageable goals.
  

​3. More Support

• Why it’s important: Some learners may need more scaffolding and guidance to succeed in phonics. Whether they need additional help with letter formation, blending, or phonemic awareness, providing extra support ensures that learners don’t fall behind.
• How to provide it: Teachers can use a range of tools to provide more support, such as sound buttons, manipulable letters, or visual aids like flashcards. Additional adult support in the form of teaching assistants can also help guide learners through difficult concepts.
• Examples: Learners who struggle with handwriting might benefit from additional time spent on letter formation using manipulable letters or special writing aids. Those who struggle with phoneme recognition might need extra support from a teaching assistant during practice activities.

Identifying Which Learners Need More
It’s crucial to identify which learners need more practice, time, or support, and in which areas of phonics they need it. Teachers can do this through:

1. Observation: Watching how learners perform during phonics lessons and practice activities can reveal where they are struggling. For example, a learner who consistently mispronounces letter sounds may need more time practicing phonemic awareness.
2. Assessment: Regular phonics assessments can help track learners’ progress and identify specific areas of difficulty. For example, if a learner struggles with blending but excels in phoneme recognition, teachers can tailor support to focus on blending.
3. Parental Involvement: Encouraging parents to provide feedback on their child’s progress at home can offer valuable insights. If a parent notes that their child struggles with phonics homework, teachers can adjust instruction to address these challenges.

The Role of Rocket Phonics in Providing More Practice, Time, and Support
Rocket Phonics is designed with flexibility in mind, offering a range of resources that allow teachers to provide more practice, time, and support as needed:

• Practice Booklets: These provide extra activities for learners who need more practice with specific phonics concepts.
• Flashcards: Teachers can use flashcards to provide additional practice with grapheme recognition and blending.
• Progression Maps: The Rocket Phonics progression maps allow teachers to adjust the pace of phonics instruction and track individual learner progress.

Practical Tips for Teachers

1. Be Flexible: Be prepared to adapt your teaching methods and materials to meet the needs of individual learners. If one strategy isn’t working, try another until you find the right approach.
2. Create Individualised Progression Maps: For learners who need more time, consider creating individualised phonics progression maps that break down learning into smaller, more manageable steps.
3. Use Multisensory Approaches: Incorporate multisensory learning activities, such as using physical manipulatives or engaging in movement-based phonics games, to help learners who need more support.
4. Encourage Parental Involvement: Give parents the tools they need to support their child’s phonics learning at home. Simple activities, such as practicing with flashcards or reading decodable books, can make a big difference.

Tailoring phonics instruction to meet the individual needs of learners is essential for their literacy development. By providing more practice, more time, or more support, teachers can help every learner master the skills they need to become confident readers and writers. With flexible resources like those in the Rocket Phonics programme, educators can ensure that all learners, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to succeed.