For Parents

A Game That Teaches Reading

iPlay Phonics was founded by Aileen McSorley, a language teacher who invented the game to help her own daughter learn how to vocalise written words. There are 40+ sounds in English. When these phonics are used fluently — saying the sounds that go with the letters — a learner's ability at word attack skills, fluency and confidence are all increased.

The phonic skill is to be able to look at the letters, say the sounds and hear the word being read. It is the ability to blend these sounds together that provides the ability to read unknown words. The skill of being able to blend letters together places the reader in a better position to master irregular unknown words.

That is the pedagogy dealt with. Theory is one thing, practice is another. Above all this is a game and games are fun.

The Fun Factor

Why Children Love Playing

Children are fascinated with something new. The fascination lies in the challenge.

It's a Game First

Children are fascinated with something new. The fascination lies in the challenge: what is this? How does it work? What can I do with it? In games there is always a challenge of sorts.

In this game the challenge is to get to the top of the board and win. That is exactly how this should be introduced — a bit of fun and "I'll bet I'll beat you to the top".

Based on the board game Snakes and Ladders, iPlay Phonics is a fun-based, interactive computer board game with 14 different levels of difficulty, so your child can reach their full potential at their own pace.

What You'll Notice as a Parent

The feedback for parents is really being able to track the usage of the game — the more it is used, the more fluent the reader becomes.

The voice interactive technology ensures correct pronunciation of the written word, thus aiding fluency
Words incorrectly pronounced are flagged for guidance and revision
The repetitive play encourages over-learning — putting information into long-term memory
The clear layout reinforces language development and phonic skills
14 different levels promote and extend language skill development
If your child's school has signed up to iPlay Phonics they will need to provide you with an invite code to register your child
It is also parent-friendly, as it follows a traditional game format
If you sign up directly you will receive a code directly to your email

Getting Started

How to Use iPlay Phonics at Home

Simple guidance based on established phonics teaching methods.

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One Sound Per Day

It is recommended that one letter sound is introduced each day. Little and often builds lasting knowledge without overwhelming your child. The faster the letter and sound is recognised, the easier it is for reading and writing to take place.

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Sounds, Not Names

It is important that the letters are introduced by their SOUND and not their names. Say "sss" not "ess", "mmm" not "em". Lower case letters are first to be taught, as educators recommend.

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Reinforcement is Key

Reinforcement of letter sounds is very important. The more the game is played, the more fluent the reader becomes. Fluency in blending ensures few, if any, problems with reading. As a result the focus then becomes comprehension of the text.

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Follow Their Pace

With 14 levels of difficulty, your child can reach their full potential at their own pace. There's no rush — confidence comes before speed. Each level is directly linked to a particular phoneme or grapheme.

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Make It a Challenge

Introduce it as "I'll bet I'll beat you to the top!" The game format naturally motivates — children love the challenge of getting to the top of the board. In games there is always a challenge of sorts, and that's what drives engagement.

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Track Progress

The feedback for parents is really being able to track the usage of the game. Words incorrectly pronounced are there for guidance and perhaps revision. The more it is used, the clearer the progress becomes.

The Method

Understanding Phonics

A simple explanation of how phonics works and why it matters for your child.

What Are Phonics?

There are 40+ sounds in English. When these phonics are used fluently — saying the sounds that go with the letters — a learner's word attack skills, fluency and confidence are all increased.

The phonic skill is to be able to look at the letters, say the sounds and hear the word being read. It is the ability to blend these sounds together that provides the ability to read unknown words.

In order to read a language it is necessary to decode the letters. This means an understanding of phonics is essential. It is for this reason that the government and the Inspectorate insist on the use of phonics in teaching for language acquisition — so by law teachers must use phonics programmes.

Why Immediate Feedback Matters

The immediacy of feedback to students is important for two reasons:

Fluency and confidence — instant feedback builds reading speed
It prevents an emotional response — the main cause of barriers to learning

The voice interactive technology provides this immediate feedback automatically, so your child never has to wait or feel uncertain.

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Founder Aileen McSorley's Design Principles

iPlay Phonics was specifically designed to:

Increase self-confidence in literacy
Improve recognition of vocabulary
Make learning fun
Encourage pronunciation of words
Allow minor mispronunciations
Make sure there is no perceived failure in a game

Dyslexia Support

Designed for All Learners

iPlay Phonics was specifically designed to support children with varying degrees of dyslexia.

How It Helps Children with Dyslexia

Designed for all children with varying degrees of dyslexia, the game reinforces the phonics taught in school. The repetitive play encourages over-learning — putting information into the long-term memory — which especially benefits individuals with dyslexic tendencies.

The clear layout reinforces language development and phonic skills, while the 14 different levels promote and extend language skill development.

The skill of being able to blend letters together places the reader in a better position to master irregular unknown words. Every aspect is designed to build confidence, not create barriers.

Repetitive play builds long-term memory pathways
Clear, uncluttered layout reduces visual overwhelm
Voice feedback prevents emotional barriers to learning
No time pressure — practice at your own speed
No perceived failure — only encouragement
Progressive difficulty prevents frustration
Has aided remediation into the mainstream

Used Successfully in Schools

iPlay Phonics has been used successfully in classrooms at both primary and secondary level and has aided remediation into the mainstream.

It is suitable for use on an individual basis — perfect for one-to-one support at home — group work in a classroom setting.

Starting with a revision of 100 key words, the game is applicable to all phonic schemes taught in all schools. Because each level is directly linked to a particular phoneme or grapheme, you can target the specific areas your child needs.

For example, level 7c deals with the sounds ow/oa making the "oh" sound — so if your child struggles with a particular phoneme, you can go straight to the relevant level.