How to Practise Phonics at Home

Discover how to use the new Actiphons series to help little readers on their first steps in phonics through to fluent, independent reading.

Phonics are the building blocks of language. Learning and practising phonics is the very first step young learners will take towards reading. Ladybird’s new Actiphons series is an energetic phonics programme that is perfect for use at home or in the classroom.

The collection of 70 books guides children through the entire phonics journey, from simple sounds to complex sentences. Here are five reasons to get excited about Actiphons.

1. Actiphons is active

Each book practices a key sound, pairing it with a movement. This is hugely important for young learners who often prefer a more tactile and kinaesthetic learning approach, where learning occurs in the process of doing. Movement can help with engagement, interest, and motivation.

2. Actiphons is fun

Each book has an ‘Actiphon Star’, a fun character representing the phonics sound. Meet Yoga Yasmin, Cycling Ching, Speedy Faheem, Leaping Livia, Violet Volleyball, Walking Wendy and many more! The Actiphons Stars help bring the sounds to life and keep little readers engaged along the way.

3. Actiphons is helpful

Actiphons is brilliant if you don’t know where to start with phonics and need a helping hand. With online resources such as the parents’ guide and pronunciation videos (available in the resources section), Actiphons makes it easy to practise phonics at home. You won’t need any background knowledge: the Actiphons series resources will guide you, step by step.

4. Actiphons is engaging

The free printable activity sheets, flashcards, songbooks, reward charts are designed to help you on your reading journey. The printables are bright, colourful and eye-catching for young learners. You’ll have plenty of fun activities to accompany your reading.

5. Actiphons is digital

As well as printables, each book has free eBooks and an audiobook too. This caters to both auditory and visual learners and helps make phonics fun for all learners. If your child finds e-readers or tablets more engaging than books, the ebook could be a great solution. If they enjoy being read to, why not try out the audiobook?

Find out more about using Actiphons at Home or Actiphons in the Classroom.