Jolly Phonics Group One: Sounds, Actions and Words to Read
Group One of Jolly Phonics teaches the sounds s, a, t, i, p, n. Each sound comes with a story, an action and a song to help your child remember it, then gets used straight away for blending into real words.
The 6 Sounds in Group One
snake
Move your hand like a snake
ants
Wiggle your fingers like ants
tennis
Turn your head from side to side like watching a tennis match
mouse
Make tiny mouse whiskers with your fingers at your nose
puff
Blow out the candles like a puff
plane
Stretch your arms out like a plane
These six sounds are taught first because more real words can be built from them than from any other six letters in English. By the end of Group 1, most children are already blending their first simple words.
Words Your Child Can Read After This Group
Using just the six sounds in Group One, your child can already blend and read a surprising number of real words:
Practising Group One at Home
- One sound a day, with two minutes of revision of everything learned so far.
- Say pure sounds, not "suh" or "tuh" — see our full guide to how to say each sound correctly.
- Use the action every time. It's a memory trigger, not just for fun.
- Blend as soon as you have three or four sounds from this group — don't wait until the whole group is finished.
This fits inside our full 15-minute daily phonics routine, part of the complete guide to teaching phonics at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sounds are in Group 1 of Jolly Phonics? +
Group 1 is s, a, t, i, p, n.
What words can my child read after Group 1? +
Words such as sat, pin, tap, nap become readable, along with any words combining these sounds with sounds from earlier groups.
How long should we spend on one group? +
Most children learn about one new sound a day with daily revision, so one group takes roughly a week, followed by ongoing practice while moving on to the next.
Should we move on if my child hasn't mastered every sound yet? +
A little unevenness is normal. If your child is clearly stuck on more than one sound in the group, spend a few extra days revising before moving on, rather than pushing ahead.