How do I teach phonics to struggling readers?

Teaching answer · Phonics

How do I teach phonics to struggling readers?

Short answer: Teach phonics to struggling readers with short, daily, explicit lessons: focus on one sound at a time, model blending and segmenting, and practise with decodable texts so every word is readable. Keep sessions multi-sensory, low-stakes and cumulative, and reteach tricky sounds before moving on.
Explicit phonicsBlending & segmentingDecodable practiceDaily & short

Resources that help

Ready-to-teach resources for this

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XXL Reading Comprehension Worksheets – Grades 1–4

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English Vocabulary Trainer – Grade 2

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Step by step

How to do it in the classroom

  1. Check what each child already knowsA quick phonics baseline shows which sounds are secure so you group and target from day one.
  2. Teach one sound set at a timeIntroduce, model and practise a single grapheme–phoneme link before moving on — little and often beats overload.
  3. Blend to read, segment to spellPupils apply new sounds in decodable words and short texts, then reverse the process to spell.
  4. Review, assess and reteachLow-stakes checks flag gaps early so you loop back before they compound.

Key focus points

What to build in

  • Letter–sound correspondence
  • Blending & segmenting
  • Digraphs & CVC words
  • Decodable reading practice
  • High-frequency / tricky words

Make it work for everyone

Differentiation & assessment

Use the built-in word banks and picture supports to scaffold emerging readers, and the extension prompts to stretch confident decoders — so one lesson serves the whole class. Answer keys make it easy to run these as independent stations or homework.

Quick answers

Related questions

How do I teach phonics to struggling readers?

Teach phonics to struggling readers with short, daily, explicit lessons: focus on one sound at a time, model blending and segmenting, and practise with decodable texts so every word is readable. Keep sessions multi-sensory, low-stakes and cumulative, and reteach tricky sounds before moving on.

How long should a phonics session be?

Short and frequent wins — 10–15 focused minutes daily beats one long weekly lesson, especially for struggling readers.

What if a child keeps forgetting sounds?

Slow down and overlearn: revisit the same sound set with multi-sensory practice and decodable reading until it is automatic before adding new sounds.

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