Phonics
Empowering Struggling Readers with Foundational Skills
Reading is a gateway to learning, but for many children, mastering the basics can be a challenge. Phonics—the relationship between letters and sounds is the cornerstone of reading; yet, gaps in phonics knowledge often leave children frustrated and behind. At The Literacy Corner, we offer personalized online phonics tutoring designed to build strong, lasting reading skills through expert guidance and engaging, multisensory instruction.
What Is Phonics and Why Does It Matter?
Learning to read through a phonics-based approach teaches young readers the relationship between letter symbols and sounds. While the English alphabet has only 26 letters, there are 44 unique sounds (phonemes) and over 200 ways to spell these sounds.
At The Literacy Corner, we use symbols, visual aids, kinesthetic activities, and engaging, interactive exercises to help students decode all the sounds of English and blend them to read and create words.
We customize phonics programs to fit each child’s unique needs. For reading intervention, designed for children reading below their grade level, we use the Orton Gillingham approach. This comprehensive and highly effective program draws on the proven methods and principles of Orton-Gillingham, Barton, Lindamood-Bell, and other respected phonics programs.
How Does It Work?
Our engaging methods teach children to decode—meaning they learn to read words by converting written symbols into speech sounds. Letters are symbols representing sounds called phonemes. For example, the letter “s” can represent two sounds: /s/ in “sing” and /z/ in “nose.”
A phoneme is the smallest unit of speech sound. Research shows that strong readers can identify the individual phonemes in words. Similarly, good spellers understand how to translate these sounds into the correct written symbols.
For example, a young child may initially think the word “cat” is one sound. As they progress, they learn it’s made up of three phonemes: /k/ /a/ /t/. They also discover that rearranging these sounds creates different words—like /a/ /k/ /t/, which spells “act.” This skill is called phonemic awareness: the ability to identify and manipulate sounds within words.
Why Is Decoding Important?
A skilled decoder unconsciously understands the sound structure of words. For instance, they know “cat” is /k/ /a/ /t/, and if the /k/ sound changes to /b/, the word becomes “bat.”
For struggling readers, decoding isn’t automatic. They might see the letter “c” but not connect it with the /k/ sound, creating an immediate barrier to reading and spelling.
Even when a child can struggle through reading, spelling poses a challenge. The /k/ sound can be spelled in several ways: “c” as in “cat,” “k” as in “kitten,” “ck” as in “quick,” and “ch” as in “Christmas.” Some children learn these rules intuitively, while others need explicit instruction.
What Our Phonics Program Covers
Our comprehensive phonics curriculum includes:
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Letter sounds (grapheme-phoneme correspondence)
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Consonant blends and digraphs
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Short and long vowel sounds
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Vowel teams and R-controlled vowels
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Syllabication rules
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Decoding and encoding (reading and spelling) strategies
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Fluency development
Each element is carefully taught to build confidence and competence in reading.
Our Evidence-Based Phonics Approach
At The Literacy Corner, we use a systematic, explicit, and multisensory phonics program tailored to your child’s unique learning needs. Here’s what makes our approach stand out:
Systematic & Explicit: Lessons follow a clear, sequential order, building skills step-by-step to ensure mastery.
Multisensory Techniques: We engage visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning pathways to help children retain and apply phonics concepts.
Personalized Instruction: Whether one-on-one or in small groups, each program is customized to address your child’s strengths and challenges.
Expert Tutors: Our educators are trained in structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham principles, bringing research-backed methods right to your home.
Ready for your kid's Breakthrough in Reading?
Book your free phonics consultation today and discover how personalized online tutoring from The Literacy Corner can transform your child’s reading skills. With proven methods, engaging lessons, and expert support, we’re here to help your child thrive.