Understanding Phonics Before Teaching It

You can follow a phonics programme. But do you understand what you're teaching?

Phonics is an essential part of teaching children to read, but for many new teachers, the terminology, principles and teaching methods can feel surprisingly complicated.

What's the difference between a phoneme and a grapheme? Why is blending different from segmenting? How does the English alphabetic code actually work? And what should you do when a child knows their sounds but still struggles to read a word?

Understanding Phonics Before Teaching It is the clear, practical introduction to phonics that author and literacy consultant Abigail Steel wishes she'd had as a student teacher.

Written in a warm, accessible and refreshingly straightforward style, this book takes the mystery out of phonics without oversimplifying the subject.

Rather than simply explaining what happens during a phonics lesson, it helps you understand why particular teaching approaches work, what children need to learn and how to recognise when they're experiencing difficulties.

Inside, you'll discover:

• How the English alphabetic code works, including phonemes, graphemes, digraphs and alternative spellings.

• The principles of systematic synthetic phonics and why a structured teaching progression matters.

• How blending and segmenting support children's reading and spelling development.

• How to model phonics accurately and teach new correspondences effectively.

• The role of decodable books in developing early reading skills.

• How to recognise and respond to common phonics difficulties and misconceptions.

• How assessment can help you understand what children know and what they need to learn next.

• How decoding develops towards increasingly fluent, confident reading.

More than just explanations

Across 14 carefully structured chapters, you'll find practical classroom examples, opportunities to check your understanding, reflection questions and activities designed to help you connect your learning with real teaching situations.

The book also includes a helpful glossary, a Phonics Teaching Confidence Checklist, a research map and references for further professional learning.

Who is this book for?

Whether you're a trainee teacher preparing for your first placement, an early-career teacher developing your confidence, a teaching assistant supporting early reading or an experienced teacher refreshing your subject knowledge, this book will help you build a stronger foundation.

You don't need a background in linguistics. You don't need to know all the terminology already. And you certainly don't need another textbook that makes a complicated subject feel even more complicated.

You just need a willingness to understand what you're teaching.

Because following a phonics programme is important. Understanding phonics is what helps you teach it well.

Understanding Phonics Before Teaching It - clear explanations, practical examples and the subject knowledge every phonics teacher deserves.