Early Literacy Made Easy
Frequently Asked Questions
We've created this page to provide information on frequently asked questions and concerns that we receive. If you do not find the answer to your question here, please contact us and we'll be glad to help.
1) What is Phonics?
Phonics (emergent literacy) is the method of teaching children how to read and write and to help them listen, recognize and apply different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. There are 26 letters in English and over 40 sounds. However, many sounds have more than one spelling. For example, the long 'a' sound can be spelled by the letter combinations like 'ai' as in 'pain' and 'ay' as in 'clay'. The aim of all phonics instruction is teaching the most common sound-spelling relationships so that children can decode and sound out words. In summary, it is the most effective method at learning to read, write and speak—as it simplifies the English language down into just over 40 sounds rather than having to memorize thousands of individual words.
2) Why is Phonics essential for children?
The ability to read and write is the most important underlying element of education. Research shows that children that begin working on the foundational skills of reading, writing and speaking early in childhood, eventually become more confident in all other academic areas, have greater social skills and harness more creativity in self-expression. Developing early literacy skills through a credible phonics programme plays an integral role in the ability to read, spell, write creatively and express competently when required.
3) When should children be introduced to Phonics?
Children should be introduced to phonics during the early childhood years. In retrospect, it is suggested that children start developing the concept of phonics from the age of 3 onwards, as this permits them to sharpen their pre-reading skills. Phonics instruction should continue for a few more years thereafter, as they become stronger readers and writers who can comprehend more complex material. As they become more adept in their ability to read, they eventually become more accomplished speakers and writers.
4) What is the difference between Phonics and Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic Awareness is the understanding that words are made up of stringing sounds. Phonemic Awareness is not the same as Phonics. Phonemic Awareness deals with sounds in spoken words, whereas phonics involves the relationship between sounds and written symbols. As such, phonics is learning sound-spelling relationships and involves the ability to write. Most Phonemic Awareness tasks are intended for the benefit of Oral English development.
5) What Phonics programme does EZY Phonics use?
We use a combination of different methodologies to cater to the requirements of our students. Based on the designated age group of our Explorers, we introduce a unique variety of research-proven methods at an individualized rate. At the Starlings level for instance, we rely on the reknowned Jolly Phonics Programme for the base phonological skills development in combination with Jolly Grammar, while at the same time introducing additional custom elements into the programme curriculum. For example, to improve cognitive functions we use speed flash cards to stimulate creative and photographic memory along with Sound Books to guide our Starlings to learn and reinforce the sounds and formations. Learn more of what we offer at each individual level by visiting our Programmes page.
Our Starlings Programme
Curated for children from age 3 to 5
Our Cosmonauts Programme
Curated for children from age 5 to 6
Our Planetarians Programme
Curated for children from age 6 to 7
Our Galaxians Programme
Curated for children from age 7 to 8
6) How does the EZY Phonics System address the unique needs of my child?
All our lessons are specially curated—through carefully designed lesson plans—to be easy-to-grasp, immersive and well-balanced. They are intentionally developed for one-to-one and small class settings, so that children requiring more support or those who need to be stretched can benefit. Our lesson design allows for personal discovery with a multitude of inherent opportunities for children to move from known to new seamlessly.
7) Does the EZY Phonics System work with children with learning disabilities?
The EZY Phonics Programmes were not designed for children with complex learning disabilities. We do however enrol students with mild development conditions. For those children, the repetition, songs and our individualized pattern of teaching are a great fit. Nonetheless we often hear from many families and parents, that children with more complicated developmental conditions have made some progress through various specialized programmes that teach children with a wide range of learning challenges; including severe autism, severe dyslexia, sensory processing disorders and other complex developmental conditions. If you're unsure, please get in touch with us—so we can redirect you to a possible learning provider that could benefit your child.
8) Does my child need to know the alphabet to join the Starlings programme?
Our Starlings Programme commence at the pre-reading level, where we introduce letter names and letter sounds as a foundation for reading, so your child does not need to know the letter names or letter sounds to begin. Our Starlings are exposed to fun songs, interactive stories and immersive practice activities that will solidify their skills around recognizing letters and their sounds as they master the alphabet. As they achieve their milestones, we foster greater competency by introducing techniques such as Sight Words and Introductory Blending.
9) What if my child is struggling to read?
If your child (K2 and above) is reading below their attending grade level, it’s crucial to ensure that they have the foundational literacy skills in order to catch up. As such, we sometimes suggest parents of older children to commence our programme one level below their attending age level for a period, to fill in any gaps in their foundational skills, while also building the child’s confidence along the way. Our content runs through to the end of the Primary 2 level if your child requires it.
No parent wants their child to struggle with their literacy development. In addition, we also provide for a personalized Intervention Programme for struggling children after a formative and non-intrusive assessment. Our Intervention Programme thoroughly covers all early English language development areas which include; Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension.
10) Is the EZY Phonics System compatible with MOE's primary school curriculum?
It’s always a great idea to talk with your child’s teacher to determine how your child is progressing with their English language development. Most teachers are pleased to hear students are getting a dedicated source of literacy instruction to fill in any gaps and they are equipping themselves with tools to move ahead. Our latter-level programmes (Planetarians) prepare our Explorers for formal primary school ahead of time by greatly enhancing their reading, spelling, writing and expressive fluency. This significantly helps them read and understand with speed, accuracy and expression in all other academic areas. We've also designed the Galaxians programme with personalized content to guide our students achieve mastery levels in reading, spelling, writing and verbal expression—all vital elements in primary school.
The EZY Phonics System is based on a systematic, progressive and multi-sensory approach—through carefully designed lesson plans—to holistically help children learn to read, write, spell and speak. The instructional approach and techniques are based on proven research about how children acquire the skills of reading, writing, speaking and expression. Our progressive levels build skills from mastering letters and sounds, forming words and sentences, forward role-playing for confidence building and ultimately achieving fluency. We have almost two decades of experience in early childhood development.
11) What is the research behind the EZY Phonics System?
12) Can EZY Phonics really teach my child online?
Literacy development is one of the most cognitively demanding challenges children take on. For successfully teaching children online, a two-pronged approach is required. The first approach mandates that an element of creativity and ingenuity come alive on the part of the teaching instruction, to compel students to remain engaged. We all know that children need a lot of movement and exploration. The common misperception is that since these are things that children can’t really do remotely, especially having to sit and look at a screen, the teaching instruction would inevitably fail as well. At EZY Phonics, we understand these concerns from parents. Our online classes are explicitly designed to keep children engaged and immersed, through curious visual themes and specially curated lesson content. No two lessons are the same, both visually and in terms of delivery, and our online classes are capped to a maximum of 4 students—allowing us to prescribe the ideal level of attention to each child in the group.
The second key approach for successful online learning is: we encourage parents or caregivers to help their children assimilate with the online facilitation, at least in the beginning—by simply being there and helping them participate. Children with this type of support are more likely to do well with remote instruction, while those without it are more likely to struggle. This makes a profound difference and most children become visibly more independent from the third to fourth lesson onward in our experience. Thereafter, parents or caregivers can allow their children to participate by themselves with decreased oversight. In summary, online learning can be achieved through a combination of creative teaching instruction and the initial coordination with parents to provide the opportunity for children to learn online.
13) What is the pricing model for EZY Phonics?
Our pricing model for enrolment into our programmes varies based on the learning levels and intensity. At present, we offer home-based one-to-one or small group-based online classes. Our group-based online classes do not exceed 4 children at a time, enabling us to provide the desired level of attention for each child. During the course of our group-based online classes, you may notice more than one EZY Phonics administrator present; the reason for this is that we often have another member present to assist with the administrative activities—allowing the main educator to facilitate the session without unintended interruption. Occasionally, we may invite another EZY Phonics educator into our classes to observe for upskilling purposes. Our home-based one-to-one classes are provided at the comfort of your home, with a dedicated EZY Phonics educator arriving physically to the venue and coaching your child.
The session times for our lessons differ at different levels. For example, our Starlings (our youngest learners) have sessions that are capped at 1hr each—at a maximum delivery intensity of two sessions a week to ensure they are provided sufficient time to assimilate what they learn. The session times gradually increase with advancement to the higher levels—plateauing at 80 minutes for the Galaxians (our most senior cohort). Our prices are market competitive and we offer further discounts with term based (3-month) enrolments. All up-to-date pricing information of our programmes is available through our Pricing page. For a limited period, we're offering a flat 15% discount on all learning levels (monthly and termly enrolments) and 50% off our one-time initial registration fee. Feel free to contact us via WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or through this site directly to know the discount and pricing applicable for your child.