"Phonics" is one of those words that gets thrown around constantly at school gates and parent information evenings — but when parents ask us what it actually is, and how it fits into early reading, the answers can be surprisingly fuzzy. This article is about where phonics sits in the bigger picture of learning to read, and why it's such a non-negotiable part of early instruction.
What Is Phonics?
Phonics is how we teach children the relationship between the sounds of spoken English and the spellings used to write them down. Children learn, for example, that the sound /m/ is written with the letter "m," that /sh/ is spelled with the two letters "sh," and that /ie/ (as in "night") can be spelled with the three letters "igh."
An important nuance: in evidence-based approaches, we start with the sound and teach the spelling that represents it — not the other way around. Sounds come first; spellings are how we write them down. (For more on why this matters, see our article on why linguistic phonics works.)
Phonics is, fundamentally, about print. It's the bridge between what children already know about the sounds of their language and the marks on the page.
Where Phonics Fits With Phonological Awareness
Phonics and phonological awareness are often muddled together, but they're distinct. Phonological awareness is entirely about listening and speaking — no print involved. Phonics is the step where we connect those sounds to the spellings that represent them. Phonological awareness is the foundation; phonics is the building that sits on top.
For the full explanation of phonological awareness and its developmental progression, see our companion article: What Is Phonological Awareness?
Why Systematic Phonics Instruction Matters
Not all phonics teaching is equal. Research strongly supports systematic phonics instruction — where letter-sound relationships are taught in a planned, sequential order, from simple to complex.
This is different from incidental or embedded phonics, where letter-sound relationships are taught as they happen to come up in texts. While incidental approaches can play a supporting role, the evidence is clear that a systematic approach produces better outcomes for most children — particularly for those who find reading challenging.
Castles, Rastle, and Nation (2018), in their comprehensive review published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, concluded that systematic phonics instruction is more effective than non-systematic or no-phonics approaches for teaching word reading. They also noted that phonics works best when it's part of a broader literacy programme that includes vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency — phonics alone isn't enough, but it's an essential component.
In Australia, the Australian Government's National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy (Rowe, 2005) concluded that systematic, explicit phonics instruction provides the essential foundation for reading success — a conclusion that has only been strengthened by subsequent reviews of the reading research.
How Phonics Fits in the Australian Curriculum
The Australian Curriculum: English explicitly includes phonics knowledge as part of the Foundation to Year 2 literacy strand. Children are expected to:
- Learn single letter-sound correspondences in Foundation year
- Progress to common digraphs (two letters representing one sound, like "sh," "ch," "th") and vowel combinations
- Apply their phonics knowledge to read and spell increasingly complex words through Years 1 and 2
- Develop automatic word recognition as they practise
The curriculum recognises that phonics is one component of a comprehensive approach to literacy. Alongside phonics, children also develop phonological awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills. These all work together.
What Does Good Phonics Teaching Look Like?
Whether phonics is being taught at school or supported in therapy, effective phonics instruction generally has these features:
It's Explicit
The teacher or therapist directly teaches the relationship between letters and sounds. Children aren't left to figure it out on their own — they're shown the connection clearly and given opportunities to practise.
It's Systematic
Letter-sound relationships are taught in a logical sequence, building from the most common and simple to the more complex. Children master the basics before moving on.
It Starts With Sounds
Good phonics programmes begin with the sounds of English and then introduce the letters that represent those sounds — rather than starting with letter names. This approach (sometimes called "linguistic phonics") aligns with how children naturally process language: they know sounds before they know letters. Working alongside classroom teachers over the years, I've seen how much traction children get once instruction flips to "sounds first, spellings second."
It Includes Blending and Segmenting
Children practise blending (pushing sounds together to read words: /s/ /a/ /t/ → "sat") and segmenting (pulling words apart to spell them: "sat" → /s/ /a/ /t/). These two skills are the engine of phonics.
It Uses Real Reading and Writing
Children apply their phonics knowledge to actual reading and writing tasks — not just worksheets. They read sentences and short texts that contain the letter-sound relationships they've learned, and they write words and sentences using those same relationships.
Phonics Is One Half of the Picture
Phonics teaches children how to decode the words on the page — but decoding alone isn't reading. To understand what they've decoded, children also need rich vocabulary, grammar, and language comprehension. That relationship is the subject of a separate piece: The Simple View of Reading. The short version: phonics is essential, but it's one half of the equation. Good early instruction attends to both.
How Speech Pathologists Support Phonics
Speech pathologists have a unique role in supporting phonics and early literacy, particularly for children who:
- Have speech sound difficulties that affect their phonological awareness
- Are showing early signs of reading difficulty
- Have language difficulties that affect vocabulary and comprehension
- Need more explicit and intensive instruction than the classroom provides
At Speaking Speech Pathology, we use evidence-based linguistic phonics approaches to support children's reading and spelling development. We work closely with families and schools to make sure the support we provide in therapy connects with what's happening in the classroom.
What Can Parents Do?
You don't need to teach phonics at home — that's what school is for. But a few everyday things tend to help:
- Keep the sound games going. All those playful rhyming, syllable-clapping, first-sound moments continue to matter alongside the phonics instruction happening at school.
- Read together every day. Shared reading builds vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of books — all critical for reading success.
- Be relaxed about invented spelling. When your child writes "kat" for "cat" or "sed" for "said," they're applying their phonics knowledge. That's a good thing, even when the spelling isn't quite right yet.
The Key Takeaway
Phonics is how children learn to crack the code of written English — by connecting the sounds they already know with the letters on the page. Systematic, explicit phonics instruction is well-supported by research and is a core part of the Australian Curriculum. When combined with strong phonological awareness, rich vocabulary, and plenty of reading experience, phonics gives children the tools they need to become confident, capable readers.
If your child is finding phonics or early reading challenging, a speech pathologist with literacy expertise can provide the targeted, structured support they need. get in touch — Speaking Speech Pathology offers mobile speech pathology in your home across Brisbane's south side and Logan. Any actual clinical work — assessment, diagnosis, or therapy — happens through a proper consultation tailored to your child.
Ready for practical strategies? Read our companion article: Why Linguistic Phonics Works: Structured Literacy for Brisbane Children
Alexandra Bouwmeester is a Senior Speech Pathologist (MSPA, CPSP) and certified Sounds-Write Clinician with over 14 years' experience. She has a particular interest in helping children who need more explicit reading instruction than the classroom alone can provide.
References
- Queensland Department of Education. (n.d.). Reading and Writing Centre.
- Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(1), 5–51.
- Rowe, K. (2005). Teaching Reading: National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy. Department of Education, Science and Training, Australian Government.
