Visual Phonics in the Kindergarten Classroom

You may be wondering what your child is doing with their hands as they are sounding out words.
We have introduced Visual Phonics into our classrooms. Some of you may be familiar with a
strategy called Visual Phonics, or have been hearing about it from your children. This strategy
uses hand shapes to show students the sound a letter makes. These hand shapes, along with a
written symbol, show the sound of a letter. Each teacher uses Visual Phonics to review the letters
and connect them to their sounds. Sometimes, two or more letters combine to make one sound.
Working with your child in learning Visual Phonics will give them another way to remember the
sounds of the letters. It will also be helpful when they begin to decode or sound out new words.
When decoding a word, encourage your child to “keep their voice going” until the end of the word.
Example: “man”-start your voice on the “m” and don’t let it stop until you have reached the “n”
sound…m-a-n.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact a teacher. Thanks for your help!