Phonics

Crayonbird Phonics

Crayonbird Phonics is a systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme: children learn the sounds of spoken English and the letters that write them, one step at a time, in a fixed order.

Start the programme

Ages 3–76 levels · 165 lessonsAbout 12 minutes a lessonFree to start

Level 1 · Unit 1

The first steps on the path

Lessons unlock one after another. Done lessons stay open for extra practice.

Try a sample lesson

This is how the first lesson starts. Sign in to play it and save stars.

Let’s practise

What’s inside

6 levels · 40 units · 165 lessons. Each unit ends with a check-up that unlocks the next one.

Level 1 · Listening and sound play

Listening walk: sounds all around · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk
Beat and rhythm: clap, tap and march · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk
Rhyme time · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk
Same first sound (alliteration) · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk
Robot talk: blending spoken sounds · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk
Sound buttons: segmenting spoken words · 2 lessons
- Sound play
- Robot talk

Level 2 · First sounds

a t n s · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · a
- Day 2 · t
- Day 3 · n
- Day 4 · s
- Review and read
i p m d · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · i
- Day 2 · p
- Day 3 · m
- Day 4 · d
- Review and read
o g c k · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · o
- Day 2 · g
- Day 3 · c
- Day 4 · k
- Read the book
e r h b · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · e
- Day 2 · r
- Day 3 · h
- Day 4 · b
- Read the book
u l f ck · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · u
- Day 2 · l
- Day 3 · f
- Day 4 · ck
- Read the book
ss ff ll and s saying /z/ · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · ss
- Day 2 · ff
- Day 3 · ll
- Day 4 · s
- Read the book
j v w x · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · j
- Day 2 · v
- Day 3 · w
- Day 4 · x
- Read the book
y z zz qu · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · y
- Day 2 · z
- Day 3 · zz
- Day 4 · qu
- Read the book

Level 3 · Digraphs and trigraphs

sh ch th · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · sh
- Day 2 · ch
- Day 3 · th
- Day 4 · th
- Read the book
ng nk ai ee · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · ng
- Day 2 · nk
- Day 3 · ai
- Day 4 · ee
- Read the book
igh oa oo · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · igh
- Day 2 · oa
- Day 3 · oo
- Day 4 · oo
- Read the book
ar or ur ow · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · ar
- Day 2 · or
- Day 3 · ur
- Day 4 · ow
- Read the book
oi air ear · 4 lessons
- Day 1 · oi
- Day 2 · air
- Day 3 · ear
- Read the book
er ure · 4 lessons
- Day 1 · er
- Day 2 · er
- Day 3 · ure
- Read the book
tch ve · 3 lessons
- Day 1 · tch
- Day 2 · ve
- Read the book

Level 4 · Adjacent consonants and longer words

Clusters at the end (CVCC) · 3 lessons
- Practise reading
- Read and spell
- Read the book
Clusters at the start (CCVC) · 3 lessons
- Practise reading
- Read and spell
- Read the book
Three-letter clusters and clusters with digraphs · 3 lessons
- Practise reading
- Read and spell
- Read the book
Two-syllable words, y and le · 3 lessons
- Day 1 · y
- Day 2 · le
- Read the book
Longer words and compound words · 3 lessons
- Practise reading
- Read and spell
- Read the book

Level 5 · Alternative spellings and pronunciations

ay ou ie ea · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · ay
- Day 2 · ou
- Day 3 · ie
- Day 4 · ea
- Read the book
oy ir ue aw · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · oy
- Day 2 · ir
- Day 3 · ue
- Day 4 · aw
- Read the book
wh ph ew oe · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · wh
- Day 2 · ph
- Day 3 · ew
- Day 4 · oe
- Read the book
au ey a_e e_e · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · au
- Day 2 · ey
- Day 3 · a–e
- Day 4 · e–e
- Read the book
i_e o_e u_e ore · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · i–e
- Day 2 · o–e
- Day 3 · u–e
- Day 4 · ore
- Read the book
a e i o saying their names · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · a
- Day 2 · e
- Day 3 · i
- Day 4 · o
- Read the book
u y ow — more sounds · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · u
- Day 2 · u
- Day 3 · y
- Day 4 · ow
- Read the book
soft c and g, ea and ie · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · c
- Day 2 · g
- Day 3 · ea
- Day 4 · ie
- Read the book

Level 6 · Spelling patterns

Plurals: -s and -es; ch as /k/ and /sh/ · 4 lessons
- Day 1 · es
- Day 2 · ch
- Day 3 · ch
- Read the book
Past tense -ed and -ing · 4 lessons
- Day 1 · ed
- Day 2 · ed
- Day 3 · ed
- Read the book
-er and -est; are and ear · 4 lessons
- Day 1 · are
- Day 2 · ear
- Day 3 · ear
- Read the book
-ful and -ly; o and ou saying /u/; ou saying /oo/; -ture · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · o
- Day 2 · ou
- Day 3 · ou
- Day 4 · ture
- Read the book
un- and re-; silent letters kn wr mb; dge · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · kn
- Day 2 · wr
- Day 3 · mb
- Day 4 · dge
- Read the book
-tion; al and a saying /or/, a saying /o/ · 5 lessons
- Day 1 · tion
- Day 2 · al
- Day 3 · a
- Day 4 · a
- Read the book

Questions grown-ups ask

How long is a lesson?

Most lessons take 5 to 10 minutes: a short learn card, practice that is marked as you go, and often a quick game. Little and often works best.

Do children need an account?

A grown-up signs up and adds a child profile; children never need an email or password. Class students sign in with their class code and PIN.

Is the practice the same every time?

No. Every practice step is generated fresh, so a child can repeat a lesson as often as they like and still get new questions.

Can I see how my child is doing?

Yes. The parent dashboard shows each programme, the level, stars, when your child last practised, and the skills that are going well or need more work.

Can I print the lessons?

Lessons are made for the screen, but every practice sheet can also be printed from the worksheet maker.

Crayonbird Phonics

The first steps on the path

Try a sample lesson

What’s inside

Questions grown-ups ask

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