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Stacey Campbell

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This is a general, introductory course aimed at anyone supporting children to prepare for school, including parents, educators and workers in early childhood education and care (ECEC), centre directors, early primary school teachers, and education leaders. For Australian educators, this course aligns with the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST): For Australian educators in before-school settings, this course aligns with the following National Quality Standard (NQS): You can use the hashtag #FLphonics to talk about this course on social media.

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Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This is a general, introductory course aimed at anyone supporting children to prepare for school, including parents, educators and workers in early childhood education and care (ECEC), centre directors, early primary school teachers, and education leaders. For Australian educators, this course aligns with the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST): For Australian educators in before-school settings, this course aligns with the following National Quality Standard (NQS): You can use the hashtag #FLphonics to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

  • What is code-related literacy?
  • What is phonics?
  • Why is phonics important in early childhood settings?
  • What are some evidence-based strategies for teaching phonics?
  • Know the content and how to teach it
  • Engage in professional learning
  • Engage professionally with colleagues
  • Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice

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Reviews summary

Practical phonics teaching for early learners

According to learners, this course is a largely positive introduction to teaching phonics in early childhood. Many found it provided clear explanations and practical strategies that they could implement immediately, whether as parents or early educators. It offers a solid foundation for those new to the topic. Some more experienced educators, however, felt the course was too basic and could benefit from more advanced content, indicating it is perhaps best suited for beginners or those needing a refresher. Overall, students found the course content engaging and helpful for understanding the importance of phonics.
Excellent for new learners, potentially basic for others.
"Perfect if you're a beginner or a parent wanting to help."
"As an experienced teacher, I didn't find much new information here."
"Great introduction, but I was hoping for more advanced techniques."
Course materials keep you interested.
"I really enjoyed the videos and readings; they kept me engaged."
"The way the information was delivered made it easy to stay focused."
"Course materials were well-presented and interesting."
Provides a strong base in phonics principles.
"This course gave me a good starting point for understanding phonics."
"I feel like I have a solid basic knowledge after completing this."
"It covered the fundamental principles well."
Content is easy to understand for beginners.
"Everything was explained really clearly, even for someone new to this."
"The way the concepts were presented made them very easy to grasp."
"As a parent, I found the explanations simple and not overwhelming."
Get useful methods for teaching phonics.
"I immediately started using the methods taught in my classroom."
"The course gave me practical tools I can use with my child right away."
"I found the strategies simple to understand and apply."

Activities

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Career center

Learners who complete Teaching Phonics in Early Childhood will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

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A comprehensive resource offering practical suggestions and activities for phonics instruction. It delves into recent brain research related to reading and provides instructional routines. is valuable for both gaining a broad understanding and deepening knowledge, serving as a useful reference tool for educators and teacher trainees.
Is an excellent starting point for anyone new to phonics instruction, particularly those working with kindergarten to second-grade students. It clearly outlines key components of effective phonics teaching and highlights common pitfalls to avoid. It's a practical guide that helps solidify foundational understanding and is often recommended for educators.
A gigantic and incredibly comprehensive reference book covering the five pillars of reading, including phonics. It provides the 'why' behind instructional methods, making it a valuable resource for deepening understanding and a must-have reference for educators and administrators.
Helps readers understand the place of phonics in the broader context of reading instruction. It offers insights into helping students decode words and tackle multisyllabic words, making it useful for deepening understanding. The third edition incorporates recent research and provides practical activities and assessments.
Challenges the notion that English is illogical, revealing the patterns and rules that govern its spelling and pronunciation. It's an excellent resource for both educators and learners to gain a deeper understanding of how the English writing system works, which directly supports phonics instruction.
While focusing on phonemic awareness, a critical precursor to phonics, this book provides a strong foundation for understanding how students develop word recognition skills. It offers a step-by-step program and is highly regarded in the field. This is essential background reading for anyone serious about literacy instruction.
This text bridges the gap between research and practice, offering educators a deep understanding of reading difficulties, many of which are rooted in phonics challenges. It's a valuable reference for identifying and addressing reading struggles and is often used in graduate-level programs and by working professionals.
A concise and practical guide focused on the effective use of decodable texts to reinforce phonics instruction. is particularly useful for K-2 teachers and provides research-driven strategies for selecting and implementing decodable readers.
A cognitive scientist explains the science of reading, including the crucial role of phonics, and addresses why reading difficulties occur. is valuable for gaining a broad understanding of the cognitive processes involved in reading and the importance of effective phonics instruction. It's suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
Helps educators integrate the science of reading, including explicit phonics instruction, into existing balanced literacy frameworks. It offers practical strategies for applying research-based practices in the classroom and is relevant for working professionals seeking to refine their teaching methods.
Based on the authors' experience in creating a successful reading model, this book emphasizes the foundational skills of reading, including phonics. It translates research into practical classroom strategies and highlights the importance of explicit instruction.
Focuses on designing and implementing structured literacy interventions for students with reading difficulties, with a strong emphasis on phonics and decoding. It's a valuable resource for reading specialists, interventionists, and special education teachers.
This award-winning book explores the history and neuroscience of reading, offering insights into how the reading brain develops and why some individuals struggle. It provides valuable context for understanding the importance of phonics within the broader scope of reading acquisition. Suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
A deep dive into the cognitive neuroscience of reading, explaining how the brain processes written language. offers a scientific perspective on why phonics is an effective method for teaching reading. It's a challenging but rewarding read for those with a strong interest in the brain and reading.
Written in accessible, jargon-free language, this guide is specifically designed for parents and caregivers supporting children learning to read. It explains what phonics is and how it's taught using a structured approach, providing helpful background knowledge for those new to the topic.
While focused on reading comprehension, this book emphasizes the foundational role of word recognition, which is heavily reliant on phonics skills. It provides a framework for understanding how decoding contributes to comprehension and offers strategies for instruction.
A popular guide for parents teaching their children to read using a phonics-based approach. It offers scripted, easy-to-follow lessons, making phonics instruction accessible for those without formal training.
This handbook provides a complete program for teaching phonics to young children, utilizing a synthetic phonics approach with actions and stories. It's a widely used resource in early childhood education and offers step-by-step guidance for teachers.
These early reader books are designed to introduce phonics in a simple and gradual way, using decodable texts. They are widely used by parents and educators for very young children just starting to learn to read.

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