Welcome to
Before Phonics
The only program out there made specifically for parents, not nurseries.
A voice note sesh (and a heap of realistic activities) with a former EYFS teacher, SENCo, and mum who is doing this exact thing with her own three year old!
Research consistently shows that 70-80% of struggling readers have a weakness in phonological awareness.
That's a problem that is easily fixed...
Reception doesn't teach this.
By the time your child starts Reception, they're straight into Phase 2 phonics and learning letter sounds.
And let me tell you, they hit the ground running - I taught it for over a decade, I speak from experience!
Once Reception starts, there's no time to go back and learn Phase 1...
And if you're thinking 'my child has been to nursery, they've already learnt this'... let me tell you a secret!
Phase 1 training isn't a guaranteed part of early years qualifications 👀
It's something individual nurseries choose to invest in as additional CPD, so how much Phase 1 work your child does before Reception can vary a lot from setting to setting.
It just means you can't assume it's happening, or happening consistently, if your child is in nursery.
Phase 1 is when children actually learn the skill of blending and segmenting. Phase 2 is when they apply that skill to letters.
If a child reaches Phase 2 without those skills already in place, they're learning them from scratch while also learning what each letter looks like.
That's A LOT for a little brain, and one of the most common reasons children get stuck on blending early on.
Max, Mum to Eddie
"Having Del explain phase 1 phonics is like having a cuppa with your friend. Completely non-judgmental and super friendly.
It's a relief to finally find a parenting resource that doesn't portray parenting as a walk in the park and talks about parenting warts and all.
Thanks, Del, for being a friendly voice on the other end of the podcast."
I saw this every single year I taught.
In every class, there'd be a group of children (not including my little beauties with SEND) who weren't ready to learn letter sounds yet because the foundations weren't in place.
They needed to go back to Phase 1 before any of Phase 2 would stick.
Once they'd had that intervention, letters started to make sense, but that took time...
In early reading, this is the stage that matters most. It's the one everything else is built on top of.
If you've already started looking at letters with your child, don't worry!
There is very little advice aimed at parents for phase 1 phonics, so letter sounds seems like the first step...
When you picture your child learning to read, you picture them learning letters.
But none of that means much if the foundation isn't there yet.
You may have bought the phonics activity books, the letter sound puzzles, the flashcards, because that's all there is for parents to buy (the clock app shop, I'm looking at you 👀), until now...
There's never been a phase 1 programme made for parents to do at home with their child.
Before Phonics is your missing piece.
So, what exactly am I buying?
Before Phonics is the only programme out there made specifically for parents who want to help their child master the most important part of learning to read.
Think of it as an in depth voice note sesh with an expert who is currently helping her three year old with this exact thing!
Episode 1: Welcome to Before Phonics - the only programme out there specifically designed for parents, not nursery settings
Episode 2: The explanation of phonological awareness you've been doom-scrolling for
The Activity Toolkit
60+ activities (not including the ones mentioned in each episode) that cover every aspect of phase 1 phonics, no prep or nipping to B&M for supplies required!
Episode 4: Sounds in the world around us - yes, even the sound of you locking yourself in the bathroom counts!
Episode 5: Those lovely rhythmic bangs on your best pot
Episode 6: "Kind hands with mummy please!" no more!
Episode 7: Just one more round of Twinkle twinkle 🫠
Episode 8: The skill most children struggle with made simple
Episode 9: Get that inside voice working in the right way!
Episode 10, Part 1: One half of the most important reading skill explained.
Episode 10, Part 2: The other half 😉
Episode 11: The next steps for your child and how you can help them at home
The voice behind Before Phonics...
Del Southall
Early Literacy Specialist, SENCo, and mum to a three year old tornado
As a former early years teacher and SENCo of over a decade, Del has seen some things 👀
Now, as a mum, she understands just how little time there is in the day, and how the resources out there for parents don't explain this important part of learning to read.
As the founder of The Little Reading Nest, she focuses on helping busy mums fit the right kind of learning into everyday routines, so when there's time for bigger activities, they are building on learning that is already happening.
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All parents of preschool children need this! I'm shocked at how easy all of the activities are to fit in every day life without any setup or cost. I was a little unsure on what to do, but now I feel more confident in approaching phase 1 phonics!
