SonicPhonics: Explained
How do we work?
Kia Ora!
We understand that as educators and adults, it’s important to grasp things clearly so we can guide our tamariki with confidence. That’s why Sonic Phonics is built around the trusted New Zealand Kākano Seed Phase framework for teaching phonics.
1. Download our app
2. Go through our easy log-in procedure
We talk you through the few-step log in procedure, where you can choose your setup style. For optimal app usage, please enable both camera and mic access. Sonicphonics relies heavily on voice activities for your children, so please do view our privacy statements and documents if needed:
3. Choose your setup
A home setup allows you, as a caregiver, to control different accounts for your kid(s) and access the app without re-scanning the QR, as all progress is pre-saved.
A school setup is made with a classroom in mind, where the app supports multiple students using shared devices, having to scan each child’s personal QR when opening the app.
4. Scan in through QR Code
To organise students and create an easy effective experience, we use QR Codes for scanning. Home users can create their own account without a code, but other users will have to use the provided QR Code on the teacher tool page.
5. QR Tip
You can access each child’s QR Code under their individual page on the teacher portal. We recommend you print these out in a pdf and onto your students’ table, wall or projector, for efficient everyday use!
6. You’re all set!
Hand over the device to the child, as the rest of the app is now designed to be child-intuitive! They can choose their sidekick and begin their journey below.
7. Our activities
Our activities are built around the trusted New Zealand Kākano Seed Phase framework for teaching phonics. We’ve designed the activities where we consider annual time frames, repetiion and attention spans of children to form engaging, interactive activities.
Let’s go through them below!
soundIntro
In Kakako 1, we start with the set ‘MAD, POT, and NIS’. Introducing the child to their first letter each time will allow them to become familiar with letter pronunciation and form. Here, the child is introduced to the letter via 3 objects.
modelWriting – HandwritingIndep
This lengthy 4 part activity introduces the child to writing the letter. We teach, then guide them through, then provide them with the opportunity to write it themselves.
soundBubbles
To introduce a sense of play, we allow the child to play a 2-minute ‘game’ in which they are incentivised to identify letters based on the last phonics. The sound on success and error will help the child match the right letter to audio, with repetition.
SoundPictures
Identifying the sound at the beginning of words is the main purpose of this activity. As we repeat the phonics, the child is prompted to identify the object that matches the letter sounded out. To make it more efficient, the objects will also be voiced aloud.
Cumulative Practice
After a set of phonics [e.g. MAD], the child is introduced to cumulative practice. This is a set of selectable activities that the child has to complete to move on to the next set. Each activity requires 3 stars [80% or more accuracy] to move on.
The child will get rewarded for each star as they play on. After all activities have 3 stars, they can continue to the next set and so on!
Cumulative Approach
Some activities are repetitions of the ones above, otherwise, we have new activities it is slightly more advanced but guided. The child is engaged to link phonemes to words, sounds, and writing via audio and clues. These new activities are below:
letterSelector
This new cumulative activity prompts the child to select letters based of how it’s sounded out. The ‘narrator’ will repeat a phoneme out loud and incentivises the child to select the respective letter.
SoundVoicingProg
Quite a step from the last activity, the child in SoundVoicing must repeat to the app what phoneme the object starts with. With plenty of practice from object repetition, the child should be able to identify the object and say the starting letter sound for that object.
soundLetterProg
Similar to sound pictures, we flip the narrative. This time the child has to identify the appropriate letter that matches to the object image provided. All activities is to be repeated in sets of 3 until the child can progress to the next set!
To be continued…
Once we have our demo out to the world, we can show you our next progressions! Thank you for your support.
Download The App!
Available on all devices, iOS Apple Store & Google Play.