★★★★★
Blending became natural
"My child now blends CVC words without hesitation. Digraph practice was handled very nicely. Reading confidence in school has improved."
— Priya
Parent of a 7-year-old learner
Noida
Early Phonics
📘 Tiny Steps • Early course
Early Phonics Course for Kids | Digraphs, Long Vowels & Decoding
Live 1:1 Early Phonics course for developing readers covering digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, Magic E, core phonics rules, decoding, and spelling.
Ages 4–840 lessonsFlexible pace₹400/class
Premium 1:1 pricing starts at ₹400/class, with the 12-class starter plan at ₹4,800 when that format fits your child.
Students guided
5000+
Structured programs across phonics, grammar, reading, and speaking
Countries reached
15+
Families learning with Tiny Steps in India and around the world
Course level
Early
Assessment-led placement before enrollment
Program format
Live 1:1
Pacing adjusts to the child rather than a group average
A clear decision path
Follow the page in order, then use the free assessment only if you still need placement help.
Step 1 · Course fit
First, check what this course is designed to improve
Match these outcomes to what you are seeing now. If several points fit your child, continue to the lesson path below.
Quick overview
- • Sound sets
- • Phonics rules
- • Digraphs
- • Vowel teams + Magic E
- • Controlling R + diphthongs
Learning outcomes
- • Read patterned words
- • Apply core phonics rules
- • Build decoding confidence
Course fit · Phonics stage
When should a child move from Foundation to Early Phonics?
Early Phonics is the next stage for children who can already handle basic sounds and simple word blending but are not yet secure with broader spelling patterns such as digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, and other common phonics rules.
Signs this may be the right starting stage
- • Recognises the core letter sounds with reasonable consistency.
- • Can blend and decode simple CVC words but struggles as patterns become more complex.
- • Needs explicit teaching for digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, and rule-based spelling.
- • Reads simple words but still guesses unfamiliar patterned words.
Skills this stage builds
- • Decode common digraphs and broader grapheme patterns.
- • Read and spell long-vowel patterns and vowel teams.
- • Apply Magic E and other core phonics rules to unfamiliar words.
- • Use pattern knowledge for both reading and spelling rather than memorising word lists.
- • Build greater accuracy and confidence in phrases and connected reading.
Readiness to move forward
- • Applies the main Early Phonics patterns across unfamiliar words with less prompting.
- • Uses sound-pattern knowledge more consistently when spelling.
- • Reads patterned words and short connected text with improving automaticity.
- • Is ready for advanced sound families, longer words, and more demanding fluency work.
Tiny Steps phonics progression
Foundation, Early, and Advanced are readiness-based stages. The assessment helps identify the most useful starting point, and children move forward when the underlying skills are secure rather than simply because of age.
- Stage 1 • FoundationPhonics Foundations
Build letter-sound knowledge, oral blending, CVC decoding, early spelling, and reading readiness.
- Stage 2 • EarlyCurrent stageEarly Phonics
Extend decoding through digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, core phonics rules, and more systematic spelling.
- Stage 3 • AdvancedAdvanced Phonics
Apply advanced sound patterns to longer words, spelling, connected reading, and smoother fluency.
Step 2 · Learning path
Then, see how the course unfolds lesson by lesson
The first stage is open as a sample. Expand only the stages you want to inspect, or open all stages for a complete curriculum view.
See the detailed lesson sequence for this level below. For the relationship between Phonics, Grammar, and Speaking, see the complete Tiny Steps curriculum roadmap.
Open a stage to compare its goal, lessons, and learning outcomes.
Lessons in this stage
- Lesson 1 — Letters S, A, T
- Lesson 2 — Letters I, P, N
- Lesson 3 — Letters M, D, G
- Lesson 4 — Letters O, C, K
- Lesson 5 — CK Rule
- Lesson 6 — Letters E, U, R
- Lesson 7 — Letters H, B, F
- Lesson 8 — Floss Rule
- Lesson 9 — Letters J, V, W
- Lesson 10 — Letters X, Y, Z
- Lesson 11 — QU Sound
- Lesson 12 — Short Vowels
Step 3 · Parent feedback
Parent feedback for Early Phonics
Approved feedback from families in this exact course level, shown after the curriculum so you can compare the learning plan with the outcomes parents noticed.
★★★★★
Good transition to sentences
"We saw clear progress from words to short sentence reading. The class activities keep children engaged. Teacher feedback is always actionable."
— Aparna
Parent of a 7-year-old learner
Gurugram
Early Phonics
★★★★★
Consistent progress
"The weekly progression is very systematic. My son reads with fewer pauses now. His pronunciation has also become cleaner."
— Pooja
Parent of a 6-year-old learner
Ahmedabad
Early Phonics
Step 4 · Before you decide
Questions parents usually ask before enrolling
Use these answers to clear placement, progression, and course-expectation questions before choosing a starting level.
Who is the Early Phonics course for?
Early Phonics fits children who know basic sounds and can blend simple words but still need explicit support with digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, Magic E, broader phonics rules, and more consistent spelling.
How is Early Phonics different from Phonics Foundations?
Phonics Foundations builds the first decoding system: sound awareness, letter-sound links, blending, CVC reading, and early spelling. Early Phonics assumes those basics are developing and extends them into more complex grapheme patterns and phonics rules.
What does a child learn in Early Phonics?
The stage develops digraphs, long vowels, vowel teams, Magic E, additional phonics rules, stronger word decoding, spelling through sound patterns, and more confident connected reading.
Will Early Phonics help with spelling as well as reading?
Yes. Children practise using the same sound-pattern knowledge in both directions: decoding graphemes while reading and segmenting sounds to choose plausible spellings when writing.
Should my child start here just because they are older?
No. Age is only a guide. A child who is older but still cannot blend or decode simple CVC words may need Foundation work first, while a younger child with secure foundations may be ready for Early Phonics after assessment.
What comes after Early Phonics?
Children who can apply the main early patterns with growing independence can move into Advanced Phonics for more complex sound families, longer patterned words, multisyllabic decoding, spelling, and smoother reading fluency.
Not sure this is the right starting level?
The free 35-minute 1:1 demo is an assessment, not a commitment. We’ll check your child’s current skills, confirm the most useful starting level, and suggest the first learning focus.