What to Expect in Level 1 Phonics Classes

Many parents come to us with questions about what actually happens in phonics classes. What does a session look like? How quickly will my child progress? What will they be able to do by the end? This guide answers all of those questions for Level 1 — our foundation phonics program for children aged 4–7.

1. What is Level 1 Phonics?

Level 1 is the complete foundational phonics program. It follows the Jolly Phonics curriculum and covers all 42 letter sounds of English, blending, segmenting, letter formation, and tricky words. By the end of Level 1, children are reading simple books independently.

Level 1 runs over 20–24 sessions (typically 3 sessions per week, so approximately 7–8 weeks of attendance). Each session is 60 minutes for children aged 5+ and 45 minutes for younger children.

2. The Structure of a Typical Session

Every Level 1 session follows a consistent structure — consistency helps young children feel secure and allows them to focus on the learning rather than the format.

Review (10 min): Quick revision of sounds covered in previous sessions — flashcards, actions, and sounds in sequence
New sound introduction (15 min): The new sound is introduced with its story, action, and song. Children repeat the action and sound together.
Blending practice (15 min): Children blend the new sound with previously learned sounds to read 3-letter words. This is the core reading practice of every session.
Letter formation (10 min): Children practise writing the new letter — correct pencil grip, correct stroke direction, uppercase and lowercase.
Activity (10 min): An interactive activity — sound sorting, picture matching, word building, or a phonics game — to consolidate the session's learning.

3. The 7 Sound Groups of Level 1

Level 1 teaches 42 sounds in 7 groups, in a specific order designed to enable reading as quickly as possible:

Group 1: s, a, t, i, p, n — these 6 sounds allow children to read dozens of 3-letter words immediately
Group 2: ck, e, h, r — expanding the range of readable words significantly
Group 3: m, d, g, o — adding more consonants and the "o" vowel
Group 4: u, l, f, b — completing the common short vowels and more consonants
Group 5: ai, j, oa, ie, ee, or — introducing the first digraphs (two-letter sounds)
Group 6: z, w, ng, v — less common consonants
Group 7: y, x, ch, sh, th, qu — completing the sound set

4. What Can My Child Read After Each Group?

This is what makes Jolly Phonics so satisfying — children can read real words very quickly:

After Group 1: sat, pin, tan, nip, tip, sit, pit, nap, sip, ant...
After Group 2: rack, hen, hip, trek, neck, pen, check, rant...
After Groups 1–4: Most 3-letter CVC words in English — hundreds of words
After all 7 groups: Simple sentences, first books, basic reading independence

5. Milestones — What Progress Looks Like

After 2 weeks: Child knows first 6 sounds and their actions. Can blend simple 3-letter words orally.
After 4 weeks: Knows 18+ sounds. Reading 3-letter words in writing. Letter formation improving.
After 6 weeks: Knows 30+ sounds. Reading simple sentences. Spelling simple words independently.
After 8 weeks (completion): All 42 sounds covered. Reading simple books. Writing short sentences. Tricky words known.

6. What Happens After Level 1?

After completing Level 1, children move to Level 2 — which covers digraphs, alternative spellings, longer tricky word lists, and develops reading fluency with longer texts. Children who complete both levels are typically reading at or above their school's expected standard.

7. What Parents Can Do to Help

Practise the actions and sounds with your child for 5 minutes each day
Ask your child to show you the action for each sound on their flashcards
Listen to your child read simple word lists aloud
Use our digital reading studio for interactive practice at home

Ready to start Level 1? View the current batch schedule or book a free demo class.