Phonics is how most children in the UK learn to read, and it works. But not every child picks it up at the same pace. Parents in Aberystwyth often come to us when their child is falling behind in Reception or Year 1 phonics, or when the Year 1 phonics screening check is approaching and they're worried. Our phonics tutors work with young children using systematic, structured methods that build confidence alongside skill.
Phonics in Wales
Schools in Aberystwyth use systematic phonics programmes as part of early literacy teaching under the Curriculum for Wales. Our tutors are familiar with the approaches used locally and reinforce the same methods your child encounters in school, ensuring consistency between classroom and tutoring sessions.
Blending and Segmenting
Blending (pushing sounds together to read a word) and segmenting (breaking a word into its individual sounds to spell it) are the two core phonics skills. Children in Aberystwyth who struggle with these need lots of practice with immediate feedback — exactly what a one-to-one session provides. Our tutors use magnetic letters, sound cards, and phonics games to make this practice engaging.
Building Reading Fluency
Once a child can decode individual words, the next step is reading sentences and then stories fluently. Children in Aberystwyth who can sound out words but read very slowly often lose track of meaning. Our tutors work on building reading speed and expression through repeated reading of decodable books matched to your child's current phonics stage.
Our phonics tutors in Aberystwyth are experienced with early years education and understand how to work with young children — keeping sessions short, positive, and focused. Most families start with two 30-minute sessions per week. Contact us to discuss your child's needs.