Please note that this sequence aims to break down sounds (phonemes), spellings (graphemes) and word parts (morphemes) to the smallest possible steps, since at Spelfabet we work with learners who are struggling to read and spell, who often need smaller steps and more repetition than mainstream learners. Mainstream children and more able catch-up learners do not need to do all these steps, many will be able to jump from (for example) Level 2 to Level 6. Click here for examples of systematic, synthetic phonics teaching sequences suitable for mainstream beginners.
Level 1: words with “short” vowels and up to seven sounds, including plurals and past tense.
Level 2: consonant digraphs, basic suffixes, and up to three-syllable words with varied stress
Level 3: ‘Short/long’ vowel contrasts, ‘soft’ C and G, extra suffixes and some prefixes
Level 4: Introducing vowel digraphs, one at a time.
Level 5: Vowel digraphs, two at a time (revising level 4 sounds and adding a spelling for each)
The rest of the workbooks in this teaching sequence are still in development, apologies! Like Books 1-5 they will follow approximately the same teaching sequence as the Phonic Books, Sounds-Write program and books and Forward With Phonics resources.
Level 8: A few more vowels, some consonants with several spellings, and words with Latin suffixes.
Level 9: Extra work on bases, prefixes and suffixes.
The Spelfabet shop has affordable, downloadable spelling teaching resources.
