Phono-fi is a set of fun and engaging videos and activities designed to help teach the basics of reading and writing following the Grade 1 Ontario Curriculum for Phonics instruction.
The lessons and activities include supports to learn the foundation of phonics so that all students may become fluent readers, learn new words, and grow their vocabularies.
These tools work alongside the strands in the Ontario Language Curriculum to make learning about letters and sounds easier and more enjoyable.
Take the time to understand your students’ strengths and interests. For example, if your students love drawing, encourage them to draw pictures of objects that start with the sound they are learning the letter(s) for.
When you build a connection with your students, you can boost their motivation and make the learning experience more enjoyable and effective.
Start from the beginning and follow the lessons in order. This helps to ensure that your students do not miss anything important. Practice each sound-letter concept until your students can read and spell words with only a little help. Once they become confident, you can move on to the next lesson.
Take your time and go at a pace that works for your students. Make sure to pause the videos and practice opportunities and take breaks according to the needs of your students. Some students will learn sound-letter concepts quickly, while others will need a bit more time.
Learning to read and write is a journey and all individuals learn at their own pace.
Students may need lots of practice and repetition to understand each sound-letter concept. Review previous lesson videos and activities to reinforce learning to ensure students retain what they have previously learned.
Encourage your students to practice reading words with the new sound-letter concept in everyday activities. This helps your students understand and remember phonics skills better, making them more meaningful and relevant. Examples include going on walks and writing words of things they see with that sound-letter concept, playing “I spy” and writing down the word they guess with the new sound-letter concept.
Be creative, use visuals and tactile learning aids to help your students understand and make the learning of sound-letter concepts more concrete.
Use flashcards, draw in sand or shaving cream, draw sound-letter concepts outside in the dirt, and practice the patterns taught in the videos.
What can you do when your students need more support to learn a new sound-letter concept?
These Phono-fi videos and lessons have been created in consultation with Speech Language Pathologists, Language Experts, and educators who work directly with Ontario school boards.