In Phase 5 Phonics, your child continues their reading and writing journey by exploring new sounds and spellings. This phase builds on what they’ve already learned in Phases 2–4 and helps them become more fluent and confident readers and writers.
They’ll discover that the same sound can be spelled in different ways, and that some letters or letter groups can sound different in different words. It’s all about expanding their skills and becoming flexible, fluent readers. Your child will learn the new sounds introduced through fun stories and memorable actions as they did on phonics phases 2 and 3..
Children learn that sounds they already know can be spelled in different ways. For example:
This helps them understand how the same sound can appear in many different words!
A split digraph is when two letters work together to make a sound, but they’re split by another letter. For example:
These help children spell longer, more complex words.
Some letters or graphemes (letter combinations) can sound different in different words. For example:
Children learn to spot these and choose the right sound when reading.
Children are also introduced to more advanced graphemes like:
These build on their phonics knowledge and help with spelling accuracy.
In Phase 5, children continue learning tricky and common exception words—these are words that can’t always be sounded out and need to be learned by sight.
Some examples include:
There’s lots you can do to help make this phase fun and successful:
Helpful tip: Use the Phase 5 sound mats and action cards (see attached) to reinforce learning at home.
Our “Phase 5 Phonics – A Guide for Parents” is full of tips, word lists, and activity ideas to support you. We’re here every step of the way, so don’t hesitate to ask if you’d like more guidance!