Last updated: · 5 min read
What age should my child start English phonics — and what if they missed it?
Ages 4–5 is the ideal window to start English phonics, when children are ready to link letters and sounds. The progression is letter sounds → blending → decodable words → sight words → reading. Children who missed phonics can still catch up quickly at 7, 8 or 9 with 1-to-1 instruction that starts from letter sounds rather than the school syllabus.
Why phonics, not memorising words
English has too many words to memorise by sight alone. Phonics gives a child a tool to read words they have never seen. Children who rely on memory read fluently until Primary 2 or 3, then hit a wall when vocabulary explodes.
The progression we use
In DuoDuo's 1-to-1 English lessons, children move through:
- Letter sounds (not letter names)
- Blending two and three sounds into words
- Decodable readers with high success rate
- High-frequency sight words
- Vocabulary and reading passages
If your child is older and still can't read
Start again from letter sounds — quickly, without embarrassment, 1-to-1. Older children usually cover in weeks what younger children take months to learn, because their attention and memory are stronger. The key is not skipping steps to “catch up to the class”.
Give your child the most precious gift: the ability to learn on their own.
Book a free 60-minute 1-to-1 trial class in a single language subject. You'll see your child's true starting point — and exactly how we'll move forward. No payment, no obligation.