Jolly Phonics: A fun way to help children read better and faster  

At a time when schools are trying to do away with rote learning, many of them have introduced an innovative way of teaching the alphabet and its usage to children—Jolly Phonics. It is a comprehensive phonics exercise that aims to teach children to read and write through a multi-sensory approach. It has gained popularity in early childhood education for its effectiveness in teaching children of different abilities and backgrounds to read and write fluently.

Yukti Malhotra, a certified Jolly Phonics facilitator and a teacher at Apeejay Rhythms Kinderworld, Delhi, says, “Jolly Phonics is a fun way of introducing the sounds of the letters to children, which keep children engaged in the learning process.” Apeejay schools, for instance, has been teaching Jolly Phonics to kindergarten students.

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Jolly Phonics provides children with a strong foundation in phonics. When children know how a letter sounds, it becomes helpful in decoding a word and remembering spellings. Jolly Phonics is different from rote learning, and it helps children read better and faster. Malhotra points out, “It also helps them read words on their own since they are already familiar with the sounds of the letters that make up the word.”

The module begins with introducing children to the basic sounds of the English language, and then gradually building on this knowledge to help them read and write more complex words. This means that children can progress at their own pace, without feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.

Wondering how it works? Let’s say we want to introduce the sound of the letter “a” to a child using Jolly Phonics. We might start by showing them a picture of an apple and explaining that “a” is the sound that an apple makes. Then, we would use a Jolly Phonics song that emphasises the “a” sound.

To reinforce the learning, the child can be asked to read words that contain the “a” sound, such as “cat” or “hat.” By using a variety of fun and engaging activities, the child can remember the sound and shape of the letter “a” and how it is used to form words.

The multi-sensory approach helps engage children through sight, sound, touch, and movement. Malhotra emphasises, “This can be done through various formats like stories, games, sensory activities, and so on, which keep children engaged in the learning process.” This approach makes learning more enjoyable and memorable for children and helps them retain the information they have learned.