Glossary
Phonics
Phonics is the relationship between the sounds of spoken language and the letters or letter groups that spell them, and the teaching of that relationship.
Phonics instruction teaches students to read words by mapping letters to sounds and to spell words by mapping sounds to letters. It is one strand of reading instruction alongside phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Example
Teaching that the letters sh together spell the sound at the start of ship.
Why it matters for the record
Phonics skills are discrete, so each one can carry its own rating and review date.
Related terms
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.