How do children gain literacy? In Phonics, Susan Hill provides a clear theoretical background to the principles of phonics teaching, and shows how this can be applied in a constructive and relevant way in the classroom. Even though English is not a regular phonetic language, it is important for young readers and writers to understand that there is a relationship between letters and sounds. Understanding the alphabetic principle - the idea that spoken language is made up of sounds and that these sounds can be mapped to written letters - can help make learning to read and write easier to achieve for children in their early years of schooling. The book discusses the alphabetic principle and phonological awareness and looks at the different approaches to teaching phonics. It includes practical ideas for phonics instruction such as using everyday print and jingles, raps and rhymes. It also provides methods of assessing children's use of phonics within real literacy activities. In Phonics, and its companion volume, Guiding Literacy Learners, best-selling author, teacher, and researcher Susan Hill brings perspective and practical solutions to the teaching of early literacy. She discusses the contributions to literacy provided by a range of strategies, and explains the theories behind the practice.