Phase 3 phonics

Welcome to our collection of Phase 3 phonics teaching resources! Whether you're a seasoned teacher or just starting your phonics journey, you'll find plenty of practical ideas, activities and resources to support your teaching.

Phase 3 phonics and the National Curriculum

Phase 3 phonics builds on children's knowledge of single letter sounds as they learn digraphs and trigraphs. During this crucial stage, children should be able to read and write these letter combinations in simple sentences. The National Curriculum stresses systematic synthetic phonics teaching through engaging, multisensory activities.

Check out our 15 creative ideas for teaching phonics in reception, for practical and engaging strategies you can try with your class.

What are the phase 3 phonic sounds?

Phase 3 introduces 25 new graphemes: j, v, w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch, sh, th, ng, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ar, or, ur, ow, oi, ear, air, and ure. These join the previously learned single-letter sounds from Phases 1 and 2.

What age is phase 3 phonics usually taught?

Phase 3 typically begins in the spring term of Reception (ages 4-5), though it's important to remember that children progress at different rates and that children should be secure in their Phase 2 knowledge before moving on.

Try these 31 phonics ideas for fun games and activities that reinforce phonics knowledge across Reception and Year 1.

What is the sequence of teaching in phase 3?

The sequence typically starts with the remaining single letters (j, v, w, x, y, z), moves onto consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, ng), and then introduces vowel digraphs and trigraphs. However, make sure you feel confident adapting the pace and sequence to meet children’s needs.

Digraphs and trigraphs

Phase 3 phonics marks children's first encounter with digraphs (two letters making one sound) and trigraphs (three letters making one sound). This can be a challenging concept for some children, so it's essential to make the learning concrete through multisensory activities and clear visual supports.

Check out our top digraph and trigraph resources:

• Digraphs (ay, ea, ow and wh) – pictures and words
• Bingo ch sh th and ng!
• ear - phonics football game
• ure - phonics read and roll
• air - aliens phonics activities

Blending and segmenting

Children continue developing their blending and segmenting skills, now incorporating the new digraphs and trigraphs. They should be encouraged to spot these letter combinations in words and treat them as one sound when reading and spelling.

Here are some engaging resources that help children with blending and segmenting for phase 3 phonics:

• Making word cakes – blending digraphs
• air – phonics cut and stick
• ear - phonics games
• Consonant blends challenge pack

Tricky words

Phase 3 introduces several new tricky words including 'he', 'she', 'we', 'me', 'be', 'was', 'my', 'you', 'they', 'her', 'all' and 'are'. These words need regular practice as they can't be decoded using phonics alone. These handy phonics phase 3 spelling lists include two tricky words per list to help introduce them gradually.

Focus on reading and writing

By this phase, children should be reading and writing simple captions and sentences. They'll need plenty of opportunities to apply their growing phonics knowledge in meaningful contexts, from simple reading books to writing activities that capture their imagination.