Unlock Full Access
Log in
What phonics phase is Reception?
Across the Reception year, most children work through Phases 2, 3 and 4 of phonics. Every child learns at their own pace, so it's completely normal for children in the same class to be at slightly different points.
Before Reception, Phase 1 helps children tune into sounds through listening, talking and playing with words. Phase 5 usually begins in Year 1. Reception is the year in between, where children move on from spotting and saying sounds to blending them together, reading simple sentences and enjoying their first books. Pick the phase your child or class is working on below - lots of them are free to play.
For Reception teachers
Every game runs full-screen on your interactive whiteboard - ideal for whole-class teaching, small groups or a quick starter. There are free games to play with no pupil logins needed to get going, so you can drop them straight into a phonics lesson.
The games fit neatly into the shape of a lesson. A short game works well as a lesson starter or plenary, or as whole-class teaching on the board. You could also use one with an intervention group who need a little extra practice, or set it up for children to work on independently once they are familiar with how it plays.
Working across the class? Jump to Phase 2, Phase 3 or Phase 4 games.
For parents, at home
Reception children are usually 4-5 years old. These games make practising phonics at home feel like play - short, colourful and encouraging - helping your child build reading confidence between school sessions.
There's no need for long sessions at home. Little and often tends to work best, and even five or ten minutes of playing together can make a difference. Games like these are a friendly way to reinforce the sounds and words your child is learning at school, and the aim is always to build confidence and enjoyment rather than pressure.
Not sure which phase your child is on? Start with Phase 2 and move on when they're ready, or read the phonics phases explained.
What happens in Reception phonics?
In Reception, phonics is taught in a clear, planned order, with new sounds introduced a few at a time. Children learn to say each new sound and recognise the letter or letters that represent it, then practise it until it feels familiar before moving on.
Once they know some sounds, children put them to work. They blend sounds together to read words - saying each sound and pushing them into a whole word - and they segment words the other way, breaking them back into sounds to spell. These two skills sit at the heart of early reading and writing, and children keep practising them throughout the year.
As their bank of sounds grows, children begin to read simple sentences and their first books, often ones that use only the sounds they have been taught so far. Plenty of gentle, regular practice helps it all fall into place, and children grow steadily in confidence right across the Reception year.
Reception phonics: quick questions
What phonics phase is Reception?
Reception children usually cover Phases 2, 3 and 4 during the year. Phase 1 begins in Nursery and Phase 5 starts in Year 1. Every child moves at their own pace, so it's fine to be at a slightly different point from others in the class.
What sounds do Reception children learn?
Phase 2 introduces the first single-letter sounds, Phase 3 adds the remaining letters plus digraphs and trigraphs (such as ch, sh and ai), and Phase 4 consolidates them by blending longer words.
What is blending?
Blending is putting individual sounds together to read a word. A child says each sound in turn, such as c-a-t, and then runs them together to hear the whole word, 'cat'. It's one of the first and most important reading skills in Reception.
What is a CVC word?
CVC stands for consonant-vowel-consonant. These are simple three-sound words like cat, dog, pin and sun, and they are often the first words children learn to read and spell by blending and segmenting.
How often should Reception children practise phonics?
At home, little and often works well. Short, regular sessions of around five to ten minutes tend to be more helpful than one long session, and they are easier to fit into a busy day. In school, children usually have a short phonics lesson each day, and keeping it relaxed and enjoyable is what helps most.
Should my child know all their sounds before Year 1?
There's no need to worry if they don't. Children learn at their own pace, and it is very normal to still be securing some sounds at the end of Reception. Teachers keep revisiting sounds in Year 1, so anything not yet secure is followed up as children carry on with their reading.