It makes sense to be guided on the pace at which each child wants to go. If there is a phase when interest is being lost, it is better to leave the work for a while than to use undue pressure. Below we explain the principles behind Jolly Phonics, so that your understanding of the teaching, and your ability to help a child, is much greater. Learning the Letter Sounds Jolly Phonics teaches the 42 main sounds of English, not just the alphabet sounds. These 42 sounds are listed on the back cover of each of the Jolly Phonics Videos, Finger Phonics Books and Jolly Phonics Workbooks and are introduced in seven groups of six sounds.
Some sounds have to be written with two letters, such as 'ee', 'sh', 'ai'.
As the learning progresses you will be able to point to the letters and see how quickly a child can do the action and say the sound. As the child becomes more confident, the actions are no longer necessary. At first a child should learn each letter by its sound, not its name. This will help in blending. Later the names of each letter can be introduced.