Online phonics classes for children

The letter-sound groundwork that makes reading feel automatic later rather than effortful — taught one-to-one, at your child’s pace.

Ages 4–16 One-to-one, always Cambridge & Oxford materials from $7 per class Free first class

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What phonics actually is

Phonics teaches a child that letters represent sounds, that those sounds can be blended into words, and that words can be broken back down into sounds. It is a narrow skill and a short phase — most children need it between roughly ages four and eight — but almost everything in reading sits on top of it.

A child who has not been taught to decode is memorising word shapes instead. That works until texts get long and unfamiliar words start appearing, at which point reading slows and comprehension drops. It is frequently mistaken for a comprehension problem when it is a decoding one.

The order we teach it in

1. Letter sounds

The single sounds first — s, a, t, p, i, n — chosen because they combine into real words almost immediately, so a child reads something on day one rather than reciting an alphabet.

2. Blending

Pushing sounds together into a word: c-a-t becomes cat. This is the step that most often needs patient one-to-one repetition, and the step group classes rush.

3. Segmenting

The reverse — hearing cat and splitting it back into sounds. This is what makes spelling possible rather than guessed.

4. Digraphs and blends

Two letters, one sound: sh, ch, th, ck, then consonant clusters like st and bl.

5. Long vowels and silent e

Where English stops being tidy. Mat becomes mate. Needs far more practice than its one-line explanation suggests.

6. Tricky words

The high-frequency words that refuse to decode — said, the, one, come. Learned on sight because there is nothing else to be done with them.

What a phonics lesson looks like

Twenty-five minutes is deliberate for this age. The teacher shares the page on screen, your child says the sounds aloud, blends them, then reads short words and sentences built only from sounds they have already met — so they succeed rather than guess. Most lessons end with a short game that reuses the same sounds, because repetition is the whole mechanism and a bored five-year-old stops producing sound at all.

Your child talks for most of the lesson. Phonics cannot be learned by listening to someone else do it.

Which materials we use

Mainly Oxford Phonics World, with the phonics strand of Family and Friends as children move into reading sentences. Both are published courses with a proper sequence, which matters more than it sounds: phonics taught out of order leaves gaps that surface two years later as spelling trouble.

We are not an accredited provider of any named phonics scheme — we are not a Read Write Inc, Jolly Phonics or Letters and Sounds licensed centre. We teach from published Oxford materials, in their published order.

When phonics is the wrong answer

If your child already decodes unfamiliar words accurately and the problem is understanding what they have read, phonics is not what they need — reading comprehension or vocabulary is. If they read fine but will not speak, that is speaking confidence. We will tell you which after the free first class rather than selling you the lesson you asked for.

Free guide for parents

You do not need to book anything to start helping at home. Our guide on reading activities for primary students is free to read and written for parents rather than teachers: read the guide, or browse all our learning resources.

Pricing

Plan	Classes per week	Price per class
Weekly plan	1–3	$8
Monthly package	4–7	$7

A 50-minute lesson costs exactly double a 25-minute one. No registration fee, no materials fee, no platform fee. The first class is free and no card is required. See the full pricing page.

Questions parents ask

What age should a child start phonics?

Usually between four and six, once they can hear and repeat individual sounds. Some children are ready earlier and some later; the free first class is where we find out rather than guessing from age.

Do you teach phonics one-to-one?

Yes, every phonics lesson is one-to-one. Blending in particular needs a teacher listening to one child and correcting immediately, which is the step most often rushed in a group.

Which phonics scheme do you use?

We teach from Oxford Phonics World and the phonics strand of Family and Friends, in their published order. We are not a licensed centre for any named scheme such as Read Write Inc or Jolly Phonics.

How long does phonics take?

Most children work through the main sequence over several months to about a year, depending on starting point and how often they have lessons. It is a phase, not a permanent subject.

My child reads but spells badly. Is that phonics?

Often yes. Reading uses blending; spelling uses segmenting, and a child can be fluent at one and weak at the other. Segmenting practice usually helps.

How much do phonics classes cost?

$8 per 25-minute lesson for 1–3 a week, or $7 each for 4 or more a week. The first class is free and no card is needed.

Start with a free class

Every new family gets one free lesson before choosing a plan. No card, no obligation.

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Last reviewed: 22 September 2026