UGANDA | KINDERGARTENS | PUPILS | PHONICS

These days, nursery children learn words and letter construction through jolly phonics (sounds) before introducing them to the alphabet as it was in the past. 

Jolly Phonics is a fun and child-centered approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. It was birthed in 1987 by American educationist, Chris Jolly. He came up with 42 sounds, each with an action. 

Sarah Legamoi a kindergarten teacher and director of Safe Steps nursery and primary school in Seeta, Mukono district says, the multi-sensory method is very motivating for children. The letter sounds are split into seven groups.

"We begin with single sounds and work our way up through rhymes." They sing the sounds as they grasp the names of things like fruits. "We bring those items to class, learn their names, and then we eat them,” she expounds.

Through The Sounds Kids Learn Letter Construction

Meanwhile, every sound has a rhyme and picture that corresponds with it. 
They also explore the vowels and use simple things the children can remember. They learn to differentiate the vowels that ‘talk’ and those that are silent or ‘do not talk’.
They recite them while singing. For example, they can say; “A consonant and vowel give a syllable.” 

From the vowels, the children learn to blend words using jolly phonics. 

However, Beatrice Lando, director of Ocean Fields preparatory school, highlights that these sounds and words are grouped and taught according to age groups to avoid congesting the child’s brain. 

“We have a starting blend and an ending blend. Kids learn to put words together and pronounce them,” she says. 

For example, in baby class, they simply learn to form letters, numbers, and sounds using writing symbols like standing and sleeping sticks, curves, and rounds.

“It is never too much if you engage them in rhymes and stories. They also learn best with love and care,” she stresses.