Toddlers in the age of 2-3 years start recognizing sounds, letters and words. As they learn to speak, phonics form a fundamental block in their learning. As a new parent, it is important for us to understand how we can introduce phonics to our toddlers so that their learning becomes more meaningful. In this blog, we will touch base on what phonics are and how to make it a part of your day to day interaction with your toddlers..
What is a Phonic Sound?
Phonic sounds is a way through which we can teach kids the basic sounds associated with letters.
For example: The word “Cat” is formed from /c/ /a/ /t/ – All three letters have a unique sound. When spoken together, it becomes Cat
Through phonics, toddlers can learn to sound out letters without having to memorize the words. It is a great way to enable them to read independently
What is the importance of Phonics?
When we see people talking about phonics, we often think – Is it really that important? Well, phonics are incredibly important for several reasons:
- Enhances Reading Skills – Phonics form building blocks to a child’s educational journey. It helps a child in enhancing their reading skills, able to decode unfamiliar words.
- Better Oral Skills – Making phonic sounds yourself is fun and an interesting way to remember the letters for kids. It provides word structure awareness to your child
- Mental Development – Your toddlers mind is growing fast. At this age, they grasp things very very fast. By understanding sounds, there mental development happens in the right way
- Confidence building – Once the kid understands phonics, they will themselves be able to recognize how letters when combined together forms words. This helps in boosting their confidence as they are able to “get the knack” of reading
How can your toddlers master Phonics?
Practice:
The best way to get good at identifying and using phonics is to practice. You can listen to phonic sounds and practice them through the Kinzy App or by clicking here.
Recording and Playback:
Record yourself child’s reading aloud and play it back to see how well you did. It’s a great technique to improve pronunciation.
Model reading:
Kids who see their parents read are more likely to become readers themselves.
Use your environment:
Sound out signs at the grocery store, or practice letter sounds while cooking.
Stay consistent.
Just 10–15 minutes of phonics practice a day is enough to make a big difference.
Quick & Easy Hacks to do Phonics Activities at Home
Try any of the below activities with your child and you will see them mastering phonic sounds in no time !
1. Sound Treasure Hunt
🔍 What you need: A list of sounds (e.g., /b/, /s/, /m/).
📦 How to play: Ask your child to find objects around the house that start with each sound. Example: “Can you find something that starts with /m/?”
2. Phonics Hopscotch
🎯 What you need: Chalk or tape to make a hopscotch grid.
🎵 How to play: Write letters or digraphs (sh, ch, th) in each square. Call out a sound, and have your child hop to the matching letter or blend.
3. Blending Train
🚂 What you need: Paper “train cars” or building blocks.
🔤 How to play: Write one sound on each car (e.g., c-a-t). As your child lines them up, help them blend the sounds into a word.
4. Storytime Sound Out
📚 What you need: Any favorite book.
👂 How to play: As you read aloud, pause at simple words and let your child try sounding them out. Offer help and lots of encouragement!
5. Kinzy App – Screen Time You Can Feel Good About
📱 What you need: The Kinzy app – an educational platform filled with interactive phonics games and story-based learning for young minds.
Kinzy is a fantastic tool for reinforcing phonics in a fun, age-appropriate way. Kids can:
- Play games that match sounds with letters.
- Practice blending and segmenting through animated adventures.
- Explore vocabulary through engaging mini-games.
The best part? It feels like play, but it’s grounded in research-based literacy strategies. Great for busy parents who want quality screen time.
If you use any of these methods, it can help your kid to identify phonics accurately and enhance their child’s reading and pronunciation skills.
Thanks for reading, And also do tell us that what tips you found helpful!
Also do check our Kinzy App to create fun memorable stories through our advanced Ai assistant with your kids.
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