All Aboard Phonics Introduction - Phonics Phase 2 - Resource

The 'All Aboard Phonics' programme for Phase 2 is an educational resource designed to teach young learners the fundamentals of phonics using the synthetic phonics method. This approach involves teaching individual phonemes first, followed by blending them to form words. The programme is meticulously structured, introducing phonemes in a specific order to optimise learning. To aid memory and phonemic awareness, each sound is associated with a character, known as a pictophone. For example, the sound /t/ is represented by a character called 'Toad About to Explode'. Initially, children are taught to identify letters by their sounds rather than names, which lays a strong foundation for blending sounds into words. As the programme progresses, letter names and more complex sounds are introduced.

Alongside phoneme recognition, the programme emphasises correct letter formation, encouraging children to adopt a tripod grip for holding pencils and to start letters at the correct point. Decodable books are provided to practice reading skills, with words that are appropriate for the learner's current phase and week within the programme. These books are designed to be user-friendly for teachers, parents, and children, with a discrete colour-coded system on the back cover indicating the appropriate reading level, avoiding overt level indicators that might affect children's confidence. The manual also includes guidance on segmenting and blending, critical skills for reading. Segmenting involves breaking down words into individual sounds, while blending merges sounds to form a word. To support learning at home, the 'All Aboard Home Reading App' offers daily lessons and an e-library of decodable books, reinforcing classroom teaching.