Duduza – Aftercare owner Lalla Sekabate has encouraged parents to take an active role in helping their children develop strong reading skills by teaching them phonics and letter recognition from an early age.

Sekabate recently educated parents on practical ways to introduce phonics and reading at home, emphasising that literacy development should not take place only in the classroom.

She explained that phonics helps children understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent, providing them with an important foundation for learning to read and spell.

“Parents do not need expensive resources to help their children learn. They can start with the alphabet, identifying letters, making their sounds and helping children find those letters in words they see every day,” Sekabate said.

South Africa’s Foundation Phase reading guidance places strong emphasis on phonics, including teaching learners to connect letters to sounds and to use these skills to decode words.

The Department of Basic Education’s reading guidance identifies a structured phonics programme as an important component of effective Foundation Phase reading instruction.

Sekabate said parents could make learning enjoyable by turning phonics into everyday activities.

“Parents can ask children to identify letters on food packaging, signs and books, practise individual letter sounds and encourage them to combine sounds to form simple words.

“For example, a parent can teach a child the sounds represented by the letters c, a and t, before helping the child blend the sounds to read the word “cat”.

“Recognising letters is an important first step because children need to identify letters and understand their corresponding sounds before they can confidently decode unfamiliar words,” she cited.

“Do not rush children. Repeat the sounds, practise regularly and celebrate their progress. Reading should be enjoyable rather than something that makes a child feel pressured.”

She further highlighted that research on early literacy supports the use of systematic phonics instruction as an important component of learning to read, particularly because it helps children make connections between spoken sounds and written letters.

Sekabate also encouraged parents to read to their children regularly, even when the children cannot yet read independently.

She said reading stories aloud exposes children to new vocabulary, sentence structures and ideas while helping them develop an interest in books.

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“Parents can read a short story with their children every day and ask them questions about the story.

“Allow the child to point at pictures, identify letters and attempt to read familiar words,” she mentioned.

She added that parents should avoid comparing their children’s reading abilities with those of other children, as children develop literacy skills at different rates.

According to Sekabate, consistency is more important than lengthy lessons.

Spending a few minutes each day practising letter sounds, blending sounds and reading simple words can help children build confidence over time.

She urged parents to work together with teachers and aftercare providers when a child is struggling with reading, saying early support can help identify areas where additional assistance is needed.

“Reading is not only a school responsibility. When parents, teachers and caregivers work together, children receive the support they need to build strong foundations for their education,” Sekabate said.

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