In today’s episode, Kristy chats with Del from The Little Reading Nest, an early literacy specialist based in the UK, about what parents can do at home to set their kids up for success with reading and spelling, right from the start.
With over 10 years of experience and a background as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo), Del & Kristy share practical and realistic advice for parents, including:
What We Cover in This Episode:
- What is phonological vs. phonemic awareness, and why it matters
- When and how to start phonics instruction at home
- Why structured, progressive phonics is so important
- The role of oral blending and segmenting in early literacy
- How to make phonics fun and embedded in daily life
- The truth about tricky words, high-frequency words, and sight words
- Multisensory activities that actually work (like movement, music and magnifying glass word hunts!)
- How to avoid common mistakes parents make when teaching phonics
- Encouragement for parents who feel unsure or overwhelmed
Resources Mentioned:
- Del’s curriculum: Phonics at Home (The Little Reading Nest)
Connect with Dell:
- Instagram: @thelittlereadingnest
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with a fellow parent or educator who’d find it helpful. And don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations just like this one. ❤️
Does you child need literacy support?
Our Phonics Club is for families who want to access high quality structured phonics lessons at home in their own time, with additional 1:1 email support and live monthly online kids classes.
Enrolments are by application only so that we can make sure that this is the right fit for your family. 💖
Click below if you'd like to learn more.
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