Jolly Phonics
Not evaluated for Primary reading
Not evaluated for Primary writing
Intervention description
Jolly Phonics is a year-long synthetic phonics programme for beginning readers. It uses a multi-sensory approach to teach children the key skills which underpin reading and writing. It was initially developed in the 1970s as an alternative to the ‘whole-word’ approach for teaching reading which was then dominant in UK schools, and became a commercial programme in the 1990s.
The programme focuses on five key skills which children should master. Firstly, they learn letter sounds, all of which are taught along with a corresponding action. Secondly, they learn letter formation, drawing the letter shapes first in the air and then with a pencil. Thirdly, they learn how to blend the sounds together to form words. Fourthly, they learn to identify the sounds in words (also known as segmenting) in order to aid spelling. Lastly, they learn ‘tricky words’, which are irregular or non-phonetic words which are memorised by heart. Schools can purchase Jolly Phonics materials at various cost levels, from a handbook costing around £25 to interactive whiteboard software at £315, or classroom kits which range between £180 and £960. Jolly Learning also offer a follow-on writing programme called Jolly Grammar.
Professional development/training
Training is delivered by experienced Jolly Phonics teachers, who are accredited by Jolly Learning but work independently. An online training course is also available, a minimum of 20 hours learning.
Evidence Summary
The Best Evidence Encyclopaedia (2009) judged that there were no studies into the effectiveness of Jolly Phonics which met its criteria for inclusion.
Key research
http://www.bestevidence.org.uk/programmes/jolly-phonics/
FAQs
The evidence base suggests that systematic phonics is an effective method of phonics instruction compared with non-systematic phonics or whole-language approaches for developing word recognition skills. There is limited evidence to suggest that synthetic phonics over an analytic approach is more effective.
What sounds are in Jolly Phonics Level 4? ›
Level 4 provides revision of the alternative sound of /y/ used for the /ee/ sound at the end of words like funny and happy, the 'hop-over /e/' spellings of the long vowel sounds and introduces spellings of the long vowel sounds, /ay/ as in day, /ea/ as in seat, /y/ and /igh/ as in fly and high, /ow/ as in low and now, ...
Does Montessori follow Jolly Phonics? ›
In Daisy Montessori we follow Jolly Phonics which is a fun and child centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. With actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, the multi-sensory method is very motivating for children. The letter sounds are split into seven groups.
Is Jolly Phonics synthetic or analytic? ›
Our flagship programme, Jolly Phonics, teaches children to read and write using synthetic phonics, which is widely recognised as the most effective way to teach children to read and write in English. That was over 25 years ago.
What age is phonics Level 4? ›
Most children will progress to Phase 4 of the Letters and Sounds phonics programme towards the end of their reception year and into year 1.
What are the hardest phonics sounds? ›
That the hardest sounds for children to learn are often the l, r, s, th, and z is probably not surprising to many parents, who regularly observe their children mispronouncing these sounds or avoiding words that use these letters.
Is Jolly Phonics approved? ›
High-quality SSP programme
Trusted by teachers and loved by children, Jolly Phonics is an effective SSP programme validated by the Department for Education.
Does Jolly Phonics align with the Science of reading? ›
Jolly Phonics is aligned with Science of Reading
Phonemes – the smallest units of sound – are taught from the start, and the students practice blending and segmenting, as well as letter formation, to connect the phonemes to their corresponding graphemes (the letters that represent sounds).
Which is better phonics or Jolly Phonics? ›
What we do at Regular phonics being the conventional method of teaching offers a structured approach to learning. On the other hand, Jolly Phonics provides an alluring way of learning that entices kids towards it. Jolly Phonics is an innovative and holistic teaching methodology.
Is Jolly Phonics evidence-based? ›
With its comprehensive teaching guidance, multi-sensory lessons and strategies for teaching irregular high-frequency words, Jolly Phonics stands out as a program that is fully aligned with the evidence-based principles of the Science of Reading, providing students with a competitive advantage in mastering their reading ...
Jolly Phonics is a proven method of teaching children the English language in the proper manner. Jolly Phonics helps children learn new words, their meaning, and pronunciation for best results. It is advised that teachers opt for an online course for Jolly Phonics if they are looking forward to teaching children.
Is Jolly Phonics British or American? ›
Jolly Phonics is a reading programme based on systematic synthetic phonics approach and developed by Sue Lloyd and Sara Wernham, who were practising classroom teachers at Woods Loke Primary School in Lowestoft, England and is published by Jolly Learning, UK that is owned by Christopher Jolly.
Is Jolly Phonics validated? ›
Trusted by teachers and loved by children, the fantastic Jolly Phonics programme is fully validated by the Department for Education as an effective systematic synthetic phonics programme. This means that it meets the 16 essential core criteria for systematic, synthetic phonics programmes required by the DfE in England.
What is the Science of reading Jolly Phonics? ›
Jolly Phonics is aligned with Science of Reading
Phonemes – the smallest units of sound – are taught from the start, and the students practice blending and segmenting, as well as letter formation, to connect the phonemes to their corresponding graphemes (the letters that represent sounds).
Is phonics evidence based? ›
These facts and findings provide converging evidence that explicit, systematic phonics. instruction is a valuable and essential part of a successful classroom reading program.
What are the evidence based strategies for phonemic awareness? ›
Ask your students to repeat words with specific sounds, identify rhyming words, or generate other words that belong to the same word family. This interactive approach fosters phonemic awareness by highlighting specific phonemes and encouraging learners to play with sounds and words.
Not evaluated for Primary reading 