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Introducing Sounds & Letters (phonemes & graphemes)

What are phonemes, and why are they important?

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in spoken English. There are about 44 of them, though the exact number depends on your accent. The challenge is that the English alphabet only has 26 letters, which means we’re working with too few symbols to represent all the sounds we use. That’s what makes written English so hard to learn.

To make up for this, we combine letters in different ways to represent the full set of sounds. But for students who struggle, especially those living with dyslexia or dysgraphia, this doesn’t happen naturally. For some learners, the brain starts to recognise these sound/letter patterns automatically. For others, particularly those who’ve had a history of difficulty, it doesn’t. They need to be taught explicitly, step by step, with no gaps and no assumptions.

This kind of learning often requires lots and lots of repetition before it sticks. But it’s essential. Phonemes are the foundation of reading. Before we even worry about spelling, students need to know which letters represent which sounds. This is the basic code behind the written language, and if we don’t teach it thoroughly and deliberately, students can’t build the fluency they need to become confident readers.

What are graphemes and why are they important?

Graphemes are the written symbols we use to represent phonemes. Sometimes they’re just one letter, like t or m. Other times, they’re combinations, like sh, ea, or igh. The tricky part is that the same sound can be spelled in many different ways. That’s especially true with vowels.

Take the long A sound, for example. It can be spelled a (in an open syllable), a-e (as in make), ai (as in rain), ay (as in play), ea (as in steak), or ei (as in eight). That’s six different spellings for just one sound.

We obviously can’t introduce all these options at once. We need to go slowly and systematically. In most phonics programs, there are around 70 to 90 common grapheme/phoneme correspondences that students need to learn. That’s a lot to remember, and it’s one of the reasons English is such a complex language to read. Students who find reading hard are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of ways a single sound can be written. That’s why we need to approach this with patience and clarity.

This is the heart of structured and explicit phonics instruction

Structured phonics means explicitly teaching these sound/letter correspondences one at a time, in a planned sequence, with lots of practice and review. It also means watching the student closely and adjusting the pace so they’re not overwhelmed.

When a student is just beginning, I usually introduce one correspondence per session. If they’re coping well, you might increase that to maybe three to five in the first few lessons. So that they have enough sounds to start reading simple words, but be careful. You don’t want their first experience of intervention to be one of difficulty or failure. I always begin cautiously until I get a sense of what they can hold in working memory and how easily they’re able to learn new sounds and spelling patterns.

Remember, many of these students are carrying years of failure. Early wins matter. Even being able to read a single CVC word like pat or recall the sound a letter makes is a step forward.

To support that in the Literacy Support Kit, we stick with simple, one-syllable words at first. Students with weak working memory can only hold a few pieces of information at a time. Two-syllable words require holding the first syllable in mind while decoding the second, and then blending both parts. For a student still working hard on each individual sound, that’s often too much. We build fluency first. When letter/sound links become automatic, then we can move into longer words and blends. But not before.

The need for deliberate, thorough and explicit instruction

One of the most significant difficulties for students living with reading-based learning difficulties is phonemic awareness. The ability to break spoken words down into individual sounds.

If I say the word cat, I say it as a single chunk of sound. The three sounds (phonemes) /k/, /a/, and /t/  are blended as a complex combination of continuous sounds. For a struggling reader, breaking words into their parts is a complicated task that requires many hours of repetition and practice to master.

What helps is extremely clear, explicit teaching. Each sound needs to be taught in a way that the student can feel, hear, and understand. We explore each sound in depth. What does it sound like? Where is it made in the mouth? Is it voiced or unvoiced? Is it a vowel or a consonant? We give the student multiple ways to access it by providing explicit and deliberate attention and repetition to sound recognition, mouth position, voicing, sound categorisation (vowel/consonant), deletion, substitution and spelling.

We don’t rush. We don’t assume. And we don’t move on until we’re confident the student can recognise the sound, produce it, manipulate it, and connect it to its spelling. Because once it sticks, it becomes part of the foundation they can build on.

Don’t be tempted to rush students through these

It’s natural to want progress. We all want our students to move forward and out of that painful space of not being able to read. When we finally see some success, it’s tempting to push on and go faster. But that can backfire.

Students need time to absorb, practise, and automate what they’re learning. If we move too quickly, they might keep up for a while, but it won’t stick. That’s when confusion sets in, and we risk them losing confidence again.

Instead, give them time. Let them internalise each sound and spelling pattern. Build confidence deliberately. If you want to stretch them, make it clear that you’re doing so. Tell them, “This is a challenge, I don’t expect you to get it yet.” That way, they don’t misinterpret struggle as failure.

And if the student is too young or not able to talk about how the lesson feels, look at their behaviour. Watch for signs of overload. Often, it’s not the student who needs to alter their behaviour, it’s us who needs to slow down. We’re keen for progress. But most of these students have never been given enough time to really process these foundational skills.

This early phoneme work is core to reading success. If we skip or rush it, we set students up to struggle later.

Using the phoneme introduction cards

This activity should be highly personalised to the student’s needs. Consider their strengths, difficulties, and comfort levels when deciding how to introduce the phoneme. This process is just one way to introduce new phonemes. We encourage you to vary how you introduce phonemes when and if you feel confident in doing so.

The demonstration below is just one example of how this sequence might be delivered, rather than a template or script to copy.

  • You don’t need to use the entire sequence if it feels overwhelming for the student. Please focus on the parts that are most beneficial to their learning and progress.
  • The guessing phase may be stressful for some students, especially those who live with anxiety or difficulties in auditory processing. In these cases, the phoneme can be introduced explicitly rather than through guessing.
  • Remember, the purpose of ‘guessing the sound’ is to encourage deep thinking and active engagement, which can be more effective than passive learning. If guessing is skipped, ensure the student still participates actively in the manipulation and identification exercises, as this builds phonemic awareness and strengthens learning.

Example phoneme introduction sequence

  1. Introduce the Activity
    1. Say: “Today, we’re going to learn a new phoneme (letter sound). Let’s see if you can guess what it is! This sound is in all these words. Don’t think about the letters or spelling. Just listen to the sound.”
    2. If guessing might be overwhelming, explicitly introduce the sound: “We are learning the sound /ĭ/. It’s the sound you hear in words like ink, spin, and nip. Let’s practice listening for it!”
  2. Present the Clue Words Gradually
    1. Place the first card (e.g., ink) and say the word clearly and slowly, slightly emphasising the target sound. Example: “iiiink.”
    2. Add more cards one by one (e.g., spin, nip), giving the student time to process each new word. Repeat the words slowly if needed.
  3. Encourage them to have a go (if appropriate)
    1. After a few cards, ask: “Can you hear the sound that’s the same in all these words?”
    2. If they guess correctly, respond with: “Yes, well done! The sound is /ĭ/.”
    3. If they don’t guess or if guessing is skipped, explicitly state: “The sound we are learning is /ĭ/. Let’s listen carefully and find it in words.”
  4. Identifying the Sound in Words
    1. For each remaining card, ask: “Where do you hear the /ĭ/sound in this word—at the beginning, middle, or end?”
    2. Examples: “Ink—where do you hear the /ĭ/sound?” (Answer: Beginning)
    3. “Spin—where do you hear the /ĭ/sound?” (Answer: Middle)
  5. Supporting a Struggling Student
    1. If the student struggles to find the sound:
      1. Compare two cards and emphasise the target phoneme in both words. Example: “iiiink, spiiiin.”
      2. Guide them explicitly: “The /ĭ/sound is in the middle of spin and at the beginning of ink.”
      3. Get them to watch your mouth while you say the word; our brains use mouth positions to help sound recognition (McGurk effect).
      4. Go through all the cards again, asking: “Where do you hear the sound in this word, at the beginning, middle, or end?”
  6. Practising Sound Deletion
    1. Teachers should carefully select words that are appropriate for the student’s level when practising sound deletion. Words like “ink” may be suitable for beginners, but more complex words like “spin” may not be appropriate.
    2. Say: “Let’s play a game. I’ll say a word, and you’ll say it without one sound.”
    3. Example (vowel deletion): “Say ‘ink.’ Now say ‘ink’ without the /ĭ/ sound.” (Answer: “nk”)
    4. Example (consonant deletion): “Say ‘spin.’ Now say ‘spin’ without the /s/ sound.” (Answer: “pin”)
    5. Note: Deleting vowels, especially in simple VCV words, can be challenging as the word’s structure often relies on the vowel for cohesion. Consonants are typically easier to delete. For vowels like /ĭ/, it may be more effective to focus on substitution exercises instead.
  7. Practising Sound Substitution
    1. Practice substituting the target sound while keeping the rest of the word unchanged:
    2. Example: “Say ‘pin.’ Now say ‘pin,’ but instead of /ĭ/, say /e/.” (Answer: “pen”)
    3. Example: “Say ‘sip.’ Now say ‘sip,’ but instead of /ĭ/, say /a/.” (Answer: “sap”)
    4. Substitution is particularly effective for vowels, as it reinforces their role in changing word meanings without requiring structural deletion.
  8. Repeat Manipulations
    1. Continue until the student can confidently recognise, isolate, delete, and substitute the sound.
  9. Categorising the Sound
    1. Ask: “Do you think this is a consonant or a vowel? Why?”
    2. Explain that /ĭ/ is a vowel because the mouth is open, and the voice is on.
  10. Exploring Voicing
    1. Ask: “Is this sound voiced or unvoiced? Place your hand on your throat to feel if your voice is on or off.”
    2. Explain that /ĭ/ is a voiced sound because the vocal cords vibrate when you say it.
  11. Pronunciation Check
    1. Ensure the student can pronounce the sound accurately without adding a schwa (e.g., saying an unvoiced /h/ for the letter h rather than a voiced /huh/). It is essential to build recognition of schwa not just for spelling but for scaffolding subsequent suffixing rules.
    2. Provide guidance and practice until they produce it clearly.
  12. Connecting the Sound to Letters
    1. Ask: “Do you know which letter spells this sound?”
    2. If they don’t know, tell them and show the letter i.
  13. Matching Words and Letters
    1. Bring out word cards (e.g., ink, pin, spin) and match them to the pictures.
    2. Ask the student to identify the letter i in each word that makes the /ĭ/ sound, pointing to it on the card.
    3. For advanced students, say: “Can you try spelling this word before I show it to you?” Only do this for letters or spellings they have already learned.
  14. Introducing Letter Formation
    1. Transition to handwriting by showing the letter i and demonstrating how to write it.
    2. Use letter formation sheets to guide the student in writing the letter.

Further activities

Chunky Pig
Repetition is the key to automaticity, but repetition alone can become tedious. Games add the variety and motivation that struggling readers need to persist.

Games like Chunky Pig use blending and chunk recognition in a fun, fast-paced context. Students spin for a chunk or blend, find it on the board, and read it aloud as they move. Each round provides dozens of successful, accurate repetitions. The essential ingredient for fluency, without the frustration of traditional drills. Read more about Chunky Pig

Make a Chunk
These sheets are part of our handwriting resources but are also excellent for the dual purpose of identifying and practising chunks. Read more about Make a Chunk

Tips for Success

Success with the Literacy Support Kit comes from consistency, patience, and encouragement. Here are some key tips to help students feel confident, stay motivated, and make steady progress on their literacy journey.

  • Stay Consistent and Patient: Consistent practice and patience are crucial, particularly with students living with significant learning difficulties.
  • Celebrate Small Wins: Recognise each achievement, no matter how small, to build student confidence and motivation.
  • Personalise the Approach: Adjust activities based on the student’s needs, using games and alternative materials to keep learning fun and accessible.

Contact Us

For more details on the Literacy Support Kit or how it can complement other literacy programs, please contact us with your questions.

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