Umedi has been using the Jolly Phonics method with its students of 1,2,3,4 and 5 years old. The students’ first steps are to use their listening skills to be aware of the sounds around them.
Listening skills are very important because they help children learn how to develop language skills. Studies have shown that babies can hear from as early as inside the womb. When they are born, it’s important to help infants continue to develop listening skills for them to continue learning and developing.
Listening skills are the ability of children to hear and interpret information delivered orally. It requires children to understand, retain information and respond to it.
The next step is to learn the sounds of the alphabet using a fun and multisensory method, with stories, songs, gestures, drama, dancing, images and pictures.
From the age of four the students start blending, which is when they realize they can join individual sounds together and, as if magic, they start to form words which have a significance.