Playing with phonics - Teaching letters and sounds

Phonics in Australia Children in Australian early childhood settings are experiencing different types of phonics instruction. Research investigating views of 283 early childhood educators in Sydney about alphabetic literacy found nearly all educators believed phonics was important in preschool-aged children’s literacy development. Over one-third of educators reported preference for explicit formal skills instruction and used commercial programs (e.g. Letterland, Jolly Phonics). Other educators reported a preference for a more holistic, child-centred approach to learning alphabetic literacy (Campbell, 2015; Campbell, Torr & Cologon, 2012). What was missing from the responses of many early childhood educators was an in-depth understanding of phonics development.