Sounds Right Phonics Classes have commenced in venues around Geelong, Lara and the Bellarine peninsula.
The brainchild of sisters Charlie Day and Alex Burnside, Sounds Right Phonics Classes for Kids is designed for children aged three months to five years and aims for pre-schoolers to learn new things without realising they are attending an educational class.
Both sisters are primary school teachers with extensive experience in early years education. All activities in Sounds Right Phonics Classes are planned to promote speech and language, physical development, social skills and introduce children to a world of literacy to ensure that they are ready as they begin their reading and writing journey at school.
“We wanted to create a class that taught these early phonics skills in a fun and high energy way,” Alex says.
“As a reception (prep) teacher I sometimes felt that there was a slight gap in the children’s early phonics knowledge as they entered school, and that these needed to be taught prior to them learning reading.”
Children learn about the world around them through all their senses: seeing (visual), hearing (auditory) and movement (kinesthetics). All the classes are carefully planned by a qualified early years teacher and the different elements within the fast-paced sessions are designed to promote key areas of development, as well as providing tips and ideas for parents to continue the early literacy learning at home.
Shae Callahan, a mother-of-four and former nurse, is delivering Sounds Right Phonics Classes to Geelong, Lara and the Bellarine Peninsula. Shae’s two older children have dyslexia, and through assisting them and learning with them Shae discovered the wonderful world of phonics, making her the perfect person to come on board.
“The classes are guaranteed to provide fun, giggles and quality time for parents and children,” Shae says. “Kids will have so much fun, they won’t even know they are learning. They’re also a fantastic aid for families with English as a second language.
“It’s so great to see many of the children from our pre-school class now heading off to school this year with a new-found confidence when it comes to phonics and early reading skills.”
To attend a free Sounds Right Phonics class, please email Shae via shae@soundsrightphonicsclasses.com.au and mention ‘GC Kids’.
