Learning the Letter Sounds — Volunteer Training

The most effective way to help children learn letter sounds is through a fun, multi-sensory approach that brings each sound to life through stories and actions. For example, when teaching the letter 's', you might weave your hand like a snake in an 's' shape while making the sound "ssssssss!" Simple, memorable actions like these help children connect the sound to something they can see, hear, and do — making it far easier to remember.

How to use this section

Work through each letter sound using the interactive flashcards below. For each letter, listen to the sound, repeat it aloud yourself, and flip the card to see the Jolly Phonics action. Practise each sound until you feel confident modelling it naturally — the more comfortable you are, the more at ease the children will feel too.

🃏 Letter Sound Flashcards

Click each card to flip it and hear the sound. Click 🔊 to replay.

Letter Sound /s/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

🐍 Weave hand in an S shape, like a snake, and say ssssss.

Letter Sound /a/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

🐜 Wiggle fingers as if ants are crawling on you and say a, a, a.

Letter Sound /t/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

🎾 Turn head from side to side as if watching a tennis match and say t, t, t.

Letter Sound /i/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

🐭 Pretend to be a mouse by wriggling fingers at the end of your nose and squeak i, i, i.

Letter Sound /p/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

🕯️ Hold up your finger, as if it is a candle, and try to puff it out.

Letter Sound /n/ 👆 Tap to flip & hear

✈️ Make a noise, as if you are a plane — hold arms out and say nnnnnnnn.

Reference: Jolly Phonics Learning Resources — Curious Thoughts Academy

🎬 Optional

Jolly Phonics brings each sound to life through stories, songs, and actions. If you'd like to explore further, watch this short introduction: Learning the Letter Sounds in Jolly Phonics ↗

💡 Tips for Teaching Letter Sounds

Once children have been introduced to letter sounds, regular revision through games is one of the best ways to build speed and confidence. Fun activities include letter sound smack, letter hide-and-seek, and beginning sound objects in a mystery bag.

🌟 Reflection Be creative! What other fun ways can you think of to help children practise and remember their letter sounds? There are no wrong answers here — the best activities are often the ones you come up with yourself!

🧠 Quiz Time

Answer all three questions correctly to complete this module and unlock the next one.

Question 1 of 3

Which of the following statements is true?

Question 2 of 3

During a kidsREAD session, a child encounters the word "net" for the first time and freezes. A volunteer says, "Don't worry, just try to remember what it looks like! Repeat after me, say net, net, net!" Is this the best approach, and why?

Question 3 of 3

A volunteer is introducing the letter 'n' to a group of children. She says, "This letter is called 'en'." What is the concern with this approach, and what should she do instead?

🎉

Quiz Complete!

Excellent work — you have completed Module 1.

🔓 Module 2 is now unlocked