Phonics (Ages 3–7)
- • Alphabet & letter sounds
- • Blending & digraphs
- • Early reading fluency
- • Fun games & songs
Cambridge-aligned • Ages 3-15
Tiny Steps Curriculum (Ages 3–12)
Scannable tabs, IB Approaches to Learning call-outs, and immersive week-by-week details so parents know exactly what’s next.
Phonics masteryGrammar confidencePublic speaking courage
Our Programs
Live 1-on-1 classes in phonics, grammar and public speaking—tailored to your child's level.
Grammar (Ages 6–12)
- • Parts of speech & sentence building
- • Tenses & punctuation
- • Creative writing practice
- • School-aligned reinforcement
Public Speaking (Ages 8–12)
- • Storytelling & speech structure
- • Voice, clarity & projection
- • Presentation practice & Q&A
- • Confidence-building activities
Ages 3-12
Phonics pathways
Early, Advanced, and Foundations
- SATPIN → vowel teams → multisyllabic strategies
- Weekly mastery checks + decodable reading
Ages 5-15
Grammar roadmap
Basic + Mastery modules
- Parts of speech → complex tenses
- Paragraphs, editing drills, rubric-based outputs
Ages 4-15
Speaking journey
Confidence to commanding stage
- S.P.E.A.K. habits, debates, visual aids
- Recorded feedback + capstone speeches
IB Primary Years Programme lens
How Tiny Steps aligns with IB English scopes
Every course publishes inquiry questions, ATL focus, and learner-profile outcomes inside the parent dashboard.
Approaches to Learning
Communication · Thinking · Research · Social · Self-Management
- ✦Weekly reflections and voice/video journals nurture communication + self-management.
- ✦Inquiry prompts in every unit connect literacy skills to real-life contexts.
Transdisciplinary Themes
Who we are · How we express ourselves · How we organize ourselves
- ✦Phonics texts and speeches draw from culture, community, nature, and innovation themes.
- ✦Grammar + writing projects map to PYP exhibition style tasks and persuasive writing.
IB Learner Profile
Inquirer · Communicator · Reflective · Principled
- ✦Learners set weekly goals, reflect using “Glow & Grow,” and share evidence with parents.
- ✦Capstone speeches + writing tasks emphasise principled expression and empathy.
EARLY PHONICS (Ages 3-7, 12 weeks)
- Letters & Sounds → Blending → Core Rules
- CVC reading from sound recognition
- Perfect for ages 3-7 with no reading
ADVANCED PHONICS (Ages 6-12, 12 weeks)
- Long vowels → R-controlled → Multisyllabic
- From decoding to fluent novel reading
- Perfect for ages 6-12 with reading base
PHONICS BRUSH-UP (Ages 5-10, 8-12 weeks)
- Customized gap-filling program
- Targets specific phonics weaknesses
- Brush-up / On-ramp track
Early Phonics (12 weeks)
What we learn
- Phonemic awareness: listening, rhyme, oral blending
- Identify sounds (not letter names)
- Sound–motion hooks
- Intro to blending
- CVC words: at, in, sat, pin
Class activities
- Listen & identify each sound
- Make sound‑motions
- Blend sounds into words
- Match letter cards
- Oral blending games without letters
Home practice
- Sound recognition worksheet (5 min)
- Listen & repeat audio (2 min)
What we learn
- 6 new sounds (multimodal)
- CK rule (back, pack)
- Blend word families
Class activities
- CK detective (find CK words)
- Word family ladders
- Build words with letter cards
Home practice
- List 10 words using these sounds
What we learn
- Add new sounds to deck
- Floss rule (ff, ll, ss) with examples
Class activities
- Word sort (ff/ll/ss)
- Tap & blend drill
- Dictation (10 words)
- Mini readers (2–3 lines)
Home practice
- Blend practice (5 min)
- Floss rule worksheet
What we learn
- Onset–rime blending
- Segmenting for spelling
- Introduce remaining consonant sounds: j, v, w, x(/ks/), y(/y/), z
- Read & spell simple consonant blends (st, cl, nd, mp, etc.)
Class activities
- Sound safari: find pictures for j/v/w/x/y/z
- Tap & blend drill (CVC)
- Read 8 CVC lines
- Quick dictation (5 words)
Home practice
- 5-minute mixed sounds review
- CVC spell (5 words)
What we learn
- 2 letters = 1 sound
- qu = /kw/
Class activities
- Digraph hunt
- Sort & read
- Picture prompts with target words
Home practice
- Digraph worksheet
- Reader: 1 page
What we learn
- ng/nk endings
- Monster le story & rule
Class activities
- Monster le guard game
- Read & mark endings
- Build words from tiles
Home practice
- C+le sort
- ng/nk reader
What we learn
- Long vowel via silent e
- Minimal pairs (cap–cape)
Class activities
- Magic‑e flip cards
- Pairs game
- Mini story with a_e/i_e
Home practice
- Pairs list (10 pairs)
- Reader: magic‑e page
What we learn
- ai/ay positions
- ee/ea contrasts
Class activities
- Word family ladders
- Phrase cards (read & act)
Home practice
- ai/ay worksheet
- ee/ea reader
What we learn
- oa/oe positions
- igh/ie patterns
Class activities
- Sort & read
- Make a mini story using targets
Home practice
- igh/ie practice
- Reader: long‑vowel mix
What we learn
- R changes vowel sound
- ar/or in sentences
Class activities
- Read & mark r‑controlled
- Picture match
Home practice
- ar/or word list (10)
- Reader page
What we learn
- er/ir/ur similar sound
- Spelling exposure
Class activities
- Sort & read (er/ir/ur)
- Dictation (8–10)
Home practice
- er/ir/ur worksheet
- Reader
What we learn
- the, to, do, was, are, said, come
Class activities
- Game‑day review
- Capstone read
Home practice
- Tricky words spaced practice
Advanced Phonics (12 weeks)
What we learn
- Closed, open, magic-e, r-controlled, vowel team, consonant+le
- How syllable type helps you choose vowel sound
- Advanced tricky words (Week 1 set)
Class activities
- Diagnostic passage (decode + fluency)
- Syllable type sort
- Mark vowels + split 2-syllable words
- Tricky word read + use-in-a-sentence (Week 1 set)
Home practice
- 5-min daily syllable split practice (10 words)
- Tricky words Week 1: because, people, again, every, different, even, many, answer, money, busy, any, sure
What we learn
- ai/ay position rule (middle vs end)
- a_e as split digraph
- Alternative spellings eigh/ei (preview + recognition)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 2 set)
Class activities
- Word sort (ai/ay/a_e/eigh/ei)
- Dictation (10–12 words)
- Sentence creation (3–5 sentences using target words)
- Tricky word sort: A-pattern tricky words (Week 2 set)
Home practice
- ai/ay/a_e practice sheet
- Read 1 short passage highlighting A patterns
- Tricky words Week 2: break, great, steak, they, their, there, eight, weight, straight, raise, afraid, maybe
What we learn
- ee vs ea (common vs less common cases)
- i_e vs igh vs ie
- y as long i at word end (try, fly) and y as long e (happy)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 3 set)
Class activities
- Minimal pairs + read aloud
- Dictation (12 words)
- Spot-the-pattern paragraph (circle patterns)
- Tricky word hunt in a short text (Week 3 set)
Home practice
- Reader: E/I/Y mix
- Pattern hunt: find 10 words in a story/book
- Tricky words Week 3: been, pretty, friend, piece, field, chief, believe, climb, behind, country, anyone, hundred
What we learn
- oa/oe/o_e patterns
- oo has 2 sounds (book vs moon)
- u spellings: ue/ui/u_e/ew (clue, fruit, flute, chew)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 4 set)
Class activities
- Word ladders (o patterns)
- oo two-sound sort
- Phrase reading + quick dictation (10)
- Tricky word read + choose the correct word in sentence (Week 4 set)
Home practice
- Practice set + 1 passage
- oo two-sound worksheet
- Tricky words Week 4: could, would, should, through, though, thought, enough, young, rough, cough, built, juice
What we learn
- ar/er/ir/or/ur patterns
- Common confusions: or vs aw/au (preview)
- Spelling exposure for er/ir/ur (same sound)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 5 set)
Class activities
- Sort & read
- Timed read (1 minute) + error check
- Dictation (10–12 words)
- Tricky word contrast: wor/or/ir/ear/war (Week 5 set)
Home practice
- R-controlled worksheet
- Read short paragraph and underline r-controlled
- Tricky words Week 5: world, work, worm, word, worse, worth, learn, early, heard, heart, warm, quarter
What we learn
- oi/oy positions
- ou/ow patterns
- au/aw and other /aw/ spellings: all, alk, al (ball, talk, calm)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 6 set)
Class activities
- Picture prompts with words
- Diphthong + /aw/ spelling sort
- Dictation (12 words)
- Tricky word sort: ow/ou vs aw/au vs oa (Week 6 set)
Home practice
- Diphthong deck practice (5 min/day)
- Aw/Au/All/Alk/Al mini passage
- Tricky words Week 6: know, show, grow, boat, road, bought, daughter, caught, talk, walk, calm, always
What we learn
- Soft c/g before e, i, y
- j/dge/ge (three j spellings)
- Silent letters: kn, wr, mb, gn, lk
- Advanced tricky words (Week 7 set)
Class activities
- Rule chart + examples
- Edit & fix sheet (apply rules)
- Silent-letter word sort & read
- Tricky word practice: highlight the rule (Week 7 set)
Home practice
- Soft/Hard c-g practice sheet
- Silent-letter word list + 5 sentences
- Tricky words Week 7: city, cycle, giant, gym, guess, guide, juice, edge, knee, write, thumb, sign
What we learn
- Schwa = unstressed vowel sound
- Schwa in common endings: -tion/-sion/-ture/-age/-able (intro)
- Spelling strategies: base word + chunking
- Advanced tricky words (Week 8 set)
Class activities
- Spot the schwa (mark weak vowels)
- Chunking practice (break long words)
- Dictation (10 schwa words)
- Ending sort: -tion/-sion/-ture (Week 8 set)
Home practice
- Schwa hunt: find 10 schwa words in reading
- Short worksheet (mark schwa vowels)
- Tricky words Week 8: action, station, fiction, mission, vision, measure, picture, nature, animal, family, second, chocolate
What we learn
- Consonant+le syllable (ta-ble, bub-ble)
- Doubling (rabbit) rule for adding suffixes
- Suffix basics: -ing/-ed/-es (spelling changes)
- Advanced tricky words (Week 9 set)
Class activities
- Split & read (c+le words)
- Add-suffix game
- Dictation (10 mixed suffix words)
- Tricky word build: base word → changed word (Week 9 set)
Home practice
- c+le sort
- Suffix add worksheet
- Tricky words Week 9: little, middle, table, bottle, trouble, doubled, running, hopped, making, having, cried, carried
What we learn
- Prefixes: un-, re-, pre-, mis-, dis-
- Suffixes: -ful/-less/-ment/-ness/-able
- How meaning supports decoding + spelling
- Advanced tricky words (Week 10 set)
Class activities
- Build-a-word (prefix/root/suffix)
- Morphology sort (meaning groups)
- Write 6 sentences using new words
- Tricky word meaning match (Week 10 set)
Home practice
- Affix notebook: 5 new words/day for 3 days
- Tricky words Week 10: unhappy, reread, preview, mistake, dishonest, careful, fearless, movement, kindness, readable, useless, hopeful
What we learn
- Chunking + stress patterns (where to stress)
- Phrasing + expression for meaning
- Advanced tricky words (Week 11 set)
Class activities
- Timed passages (150–300w)
- Prosody practice (pause, emphasis)
- Error-correction strategy (self-fix)
- Fluency challenge: tricky words in a passage (Week 11 set)
Home practice
- Daily 2-min reread of same passage (fluency)
- Tricky words Week 11: important, interest, favorite, remember, probably, actually, immediately, usually, business, comfortable, vegetable, government
What we learn
- Comprehensive review of patterns
- Advanced tricky words (Week 12 capstone list)
Class activities
- Capstone passage (150–300w) + comprehension (5 Qs)
- Write a paragraph (8–10 sentences) using 8 target words
- Tricky words review game (Weeks 1–11) + Week 12 list
Home practice
- Capstone corrections + final clean copy
- Tricky words Week 12 (Capstone list): because, their, there, friend, enough, could, should, world, know, write, picture, important
Phonics Brush-Up (8–12 weeks)
What we learn
- Quick diagnostic of sounds, blending, and reading stamina
- Identify exactly what the child misses (sounds / blending / rules / fluency)
- Personalized weekly goal (1–2 priorities only)
Class activities
- Sound check: 20 mixed sounds (incl. sh/ch/th, ai/ee, ar/or)
- Blending check: 10 CVC + 5 CCVC (stop, flag)
- Reading check: 1 short decodable (accuracy + speed)
- Spelling check: 8 words (CVC + 2 digraph + 2 long vowel)
- Create the 'Focus Ladder' (Top 3 weak areas)
Home practice
- 2-minute daily sound review (flash/audio)
- 1 short decodable reread (same page for 3 days)
What we learn
- Slow → smooth blending (no guessing)
- Segmenting to spell (stretch the word)
- Common blends: st, sp, sk, sl, cl, bl, fl, gl, cr, fr, gr, tr
- End blends: nd, nt, mp, ft, lk
Class activities
- Tap-and-blend drill (10 CVC → 10 CCVC/CVCC)
- Minimal pairs game (pin/pan, cap/cab)
- Build-a-word tiles (change 1 sound at a time)
- Quick dictation (8 words + 2 sentences)
Home practice
- Daily 5-min blending (10 words)
- Spell 5 words (say → tap → write)
What we learn
- 2 letters = 1 sound (digraph)
- th can be voiced/unvoiced (simple exposure)
- qu = /kw/
- ng/nk endings (optional extension for stronger kids)
Class activities
- Digraph detective (hunt in words + highlight)
- Sort & read: sh/ch/th/wh/qu
- Read a short digraph passage
- Dictation (10 words) + 'fix the mistake' sheet
Home practice
- Worksheet + 1-page reader
- Make 5 sentences using digraph words (choose from word bank)
What we learn
- Magic-e changes short vowel to long vowel
- Reads minimal pairs without confusion (cap/cape)
- Spells magic-e words (made vs mad)
Class activities
- Flip-cards: short → long (10 pairs)
- Minimal pair sorting + speed read
- Sentence read + underline magic-e
- Dictation (8 words + 2 sentences)
Home practice
- Pairs list (10 pairs)
- Mini reader page (magic-e)
What we learn
- ai usually in middle; ay often at end (simple rule)
- ee vs ea (common words practice)
- Stop guessing: scan for vowel team first
Class activities
- Word ladders (rain→train; see→tree)
- Team sort (ai/ay + ee/ea)
- Phrase cards (read & act)
- Dictation (10 team words) + 1 short paragraph read
Home practice
- ai/ay worksheet + ee/ea worksheet (short)
- Read 1 paragraph and circle vowel teams
What we learn
- R changes the vowel sound
- er/ir/ur often sound similar (spelling exposure)
- Common tricky set practice: her/here, for/four (exposure)
Class activities
- Sort & read (ar/or/er/ir/ur)
- Timed read: short r-controlled passage
- Dictation (10 words) + 2 sentences
- Picture match: choose correct r-word
Home practice
- r-controlled worksheet
- Read 1 page and underline r-controlled
What we learn
- Syllable basics: closed/open/magic-e/consonant+le (intro)
- Split 2-syllable words and read smoothly
- Simple suffixes: -s, -es, -ing, -ed (intro)
Class activities
- Chunk & read: 12 two-syllable words
- Syllable type spot (quick marking)
- Add suffix game (play→playing, jump→jumped)
- Short passage read (2-syllable focus)
Home practice
- 2-syllable list (10): split with a line and read
- Suffix mini practice (8 words)
What we learn
- Spiral review of weak areas (from Week 1 ladder)
- Fluency routine: accuracy → smoothness → expression
- Tricky words (bridge set) with spaced practice
Class activities
- Game Day: mixed skills stations (blends, digraphs, magic-e, teams, r-controlled)
- Fluency: repeated reading (same passage 3 times)
- Tricky words: read → clap syllables (if long) → use in sentence
- Mini assessment + celebrate growth
Home practice
- Bridge tricky words (15) spaced practice: once daily for 5 days
- Personal reader 20–60 words (reread x3 across the week)
Curriculum Breakdown
- Phonics (3–7): Letter recognition, phonemic awareness, blends & digraphs, early decoding.
- Grammar (6–12): Parts of speech, tenses, sentence structure, punctuation, creative writing.
- Public Speaking (8–12): Story structure, voice control, audience engagement, presentation skills.
Aligned to foundational literacy goals and supporting school curricula.
Frequently asked questions
Do you offer a free trial class?
Yes — book one free 1-on-1 trial to evaluate fit and teacher interaction.
What age groups do you teach?
We teach ages 3–12, with program tracks tuned to developmental milestones in each range.