Children's reading lists

4 books to make phonics fun

Full of fun characters, rhythm and rhymes and captivating activities – these books are a great way to give pre-schoolers and young children a head-start and gently introduce them to phonics, so they are confident when they hit the classroom.

Ladybird team

Phonics is a widely used way of learning to read and spell words that are taught right from the beginning of school. Learning phonics begins in reception or primary one when children are four or five-years-old, where they start learning the initial sound for each letter of the alphabet.

This method of reading breaks down letters (and groups of letters) into manageable blocks of sounds (or phonemes) that little learners then ‘blend’ to read whole words. Once little minds start to understand this method of learning, they can then use this knowledge to decode new words – all of which forms the building blocks for good literacy.

Sign up to the Ladybird newsletter

The latest books, activities and tips to help you grow little readers