Curriculum

Beyond Preliminary Phonics- Curriculum

Beyond Preliminary Phonics offers the sequential, systematic phonetic instruction recommended by International and Australian research. The program focuses on the explicit teaching of the 252 phonic skills necessary for reading and spelling competence.

Whole School Approach
Beyond Preliminary Phonics was designed as a whole-school sequential primary phonics program introduced across all year levels. Over the Primary years of schooling students are explicitly taught the 252 phonetic sounds. A new sound is taught each week.

Students are pretested on the phonetic words each week and have individual spelling words assigned for focus. The Student sound books are used to support sound acquisition during lessons and for homework. Teacher Wordbooks supply word lists for each weekly phonetic sound and Student Workbooks have weekly literary tasks. Sound grids are used for games. The manual provides further detailed information.

Single Classroom Approach
If a school-based decision has not been reached, the program can successfully be implemented in the classroom by individual teachers. Teachers introduce 40 new phonetic sounds over the school year. Students are taught to listen for the sounds in words and colour- code the words into their sounds. The focus is on the sounds rather than single letters.
Teacher Wordbooks, Student Workbooks and Student Sound books have a year level focus.

Intervention Program
Beyond Preliminary Phonics is also suitable as an intervention program for students experiencing difficulties.
Students are pretested, unknown phonetic sounds and words are highlighted and explicitly taught. Playing cards are available in the manual to support sound acquisition. Student sound books are used and literary tasks and word lists are available in the Teacher Wordbooks and Student Workbooks. Through games the vocabulary is explicitly taught and practised.