Parents
Information for parents
At Post and Play, we know that every child learns at their own pace — and that’s completely okay! Our boxes are designed to be playful, flexible, and pressure-free. If your little one isn’t ready for an activity or finds something tricky, simply pop it to one side and come back to it later. Or let them explore the materials in their own way — that’s learning too!
Each box includes a friendly guide full of ideas, tips, and suggestions to support you as you go. Everything inside is linked to the EYFS phonics framework and mirrors the kind of learning children do in school, so you can feel confident you’re supporting their development at home.
Most importantly, we want learning to feel happy, positive, and fun. Follow your child’s lead, enjoy the activities together, and watch their confidence grow at a pace that’s right for them.
Why is phase 1 phonics so important…?
Phase 1 phonics is often overlooked or rushed, sometimes because it focuses heavily on listening rather than recognising letters or sounds in print. But these listening skills are essential — they form the foundation for early reading. Children need to develop strong auditory discrimination, sound awareness, and attention before they can successfully blend and segment words.
Strong listening skills don’t just happen — they need to be nurtured through playful, engaging activities. That’s why Phase 1 phonics is so important: it builds the foundation for confident reading later on.
Phase 1 phonics is crucial groundwork for reading and writing, and it’s broken down into 7 key aspects. These aspects help children develop listening skills, sound awareness, and oral language, all of which are essential before letter-sound work begins in Phase 2.
Here’s a clear breakdown:
🌟 Phase 1 Phonics: The 7 Aspects
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Aspect |
Focus |
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1. Environmental Sounds |
Listening to and identifying sounds in the world around them |
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2. Instrumental Sounds |
Exploring and distinguishing sounds made by instruments |
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3. Body Percussion |
Using the body to make and identify sounds |
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4. Rhythm and Rhyme |
Recognising patterns in sound and language |
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5. Alliteration |
Hearing and creating words that start with the same sound |
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6. Voice Sounds |
Exploring how the voice can make different sounds |
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7. Oral Blending and Segmenting |
Practising putting together and splitting spoken sounds in words |
✅ The Progression:
• Aspects 1–6: Help children tune into sounds, discriminate between them, and have fun with sound play.
• Aspect 7: Starts to prepare children for reading by blending (putting sounds together) and segmenting (breaking them apart) — but still all done orally, no written letters yet.
🌱 Why It Matters:
• Helps children tune in to the sounds around them and in spoken words.
• Builds skills they’ll use to blend letter sounds when they learn to read.
• Supports attention and listening, critical school readiness skills.
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