What Is Phase 1 Phonics?

Phase 4 Phonics is all about helping children become more confident readers and writers. At this stage, we don’t introduce any new sounds, but instead focus on practicing and applying everything they’ve learned so far in Phases 2 and 3.

Children learn how to read and spell longer words, work with consonant blends (like br or spl), and begin reading short sentences with greater fluency. It’s an exciting time as they put their phonics knowledge into action!

What Will My Child Learn in Phase 4?

• Review and Practice

No new letter sounds are introduced in this phase. Instead, your child will build confidence by practicing the sounds they already know.

• Consonant blends:

Children will start reading and spelling words with two or more consonants together—these are called adjacent consonants or consonant blends. Examples include:

• tr in trip
• br in bricks
• cl in clap
• spl in splash

They’ll begin to recognize these combinations quickly, which helps improve fluency and spelling.

• Polysyllabic words:

Children are introduced to longer words with multiple syllables, such as:

• windmill
• lunchbox
• helicopter
• telephone

They learn to break these words down into manageable parts to read and spell them with ease.

• Tricky words:

Some words just don’t follow the usual phonics rules—these are called tricky words or sight words. Children are taught to recognise and spell them by sight.

Examples include:

• said, have, like, come, were, some, little

• Blending and segmenting:

This continues to be a key focus. Your child will:

• Blend sounds together to read more complex words
   s-t-r-e-e-t = street
• Segment words into individual sounds to spell
  clap = c-l-a-p

Examples of What They’ll Be Reading and Writing:

• Words with blends: trip, grab, strong, slip, crunch
• Longer words: sandpit, children, printer, desktop
• Short sentences using familiar sounds and tricky words

How You Can Support at Home

here are lots of simple and fun ways to support your child through Phase 4:

• Practice regularly: Short, daily phonics sessions can make a big difference.
• Make it playful: Use games, puzzles, and songs to keep things fun.
• Blend and segment together: Sound out words as you read and write with your child.
• Read aloud daily: This builds vocabulary, models fluency, and shows how sentences work.
•  Create a print-rich home: Keep books, labels, and child-friendly magazines within reach.
• Try “nonsense words” games: These help children strengthen their decoding skills in a playful way.

Need More Help?

Take a look at our “Phase 4 Phonics – A Guide for Parents” for extra tips, activity ideas, and explanations of key terms. We’re always here if you have questions!