Jolly Phonics

Jolly Phonics is a systematic synthetic phonics programme designed to teach children to read and write. Children learn the 42 letter sounds of the English language, rather than the alphabet. They are then taken through the stages of blending and segmenting words to develop reading and writing skills.

There are two main approaches to teaching phonics: analytic and synthetic. Both approaches require the learner to develop the ability to hear and discriminate sounds in spoken words. Jolly Phonics is a scheme which comes under the Synthetic phonics method.

The Jolly Phonics characters Inky Mouse, Snake and Bee are used throughout the materials. They often reflect the different speeds at which children learn to read and write. Inky Mouse teaches Snake and Bee the letter sounds and reading techniques. Snake picks up the literacy skills quickly, while Bee has more difficulty, but eventually understands.