Unit 0 · 1 lesson
Welcome
How reading with phonics works. Every word is made of small sounds: children learn to listen for them, say them and blend them together to read.
Sounds and spellings
- s
- a
- t
Example words
- s-a-t
- sat
Phonics Starter: learning to read, sound by sound
Phonics Starter is the CurioKids reading course for children aged 4–12: 52 live 1-to-1 online lessons in 10 units, taught in order, from letter sounds to reading sentences and a first short story.
At a glance
52 lessons, 10 units, one step at a time
Every lesson is live, 1-to-1 and 25 minutes long. Pick a unit to see what it teaches.
Unit by unit
What each unit teaches
The sounds, spellings and words from the lessons themselves.
Unit 1 · 9 lessons
Letter sounds
The sound each letter makes, a few letters at a time, and blending those sounds to read three-letter words.
Sounds and spellings
- s
- a
- t
- p
- i
- n
- m
- d
- g
- o
- c
- k
- ck
- e
- u
- r
- h
- b
- f
- l
- j
- v
- w
- x
- y
- z
- qu
Example words
- sat
- pin
- dog
- duck
- hat
- sun
- jam
- zip
Unit 2 · 7 lessons
Word families
Groups of words that share an ending, so one pattern unlocks many words, then a review of three-letter words.
Sounds and spellings
- -at
- -og
- -ig
- -un
- -en
- -op
Example words
- cat
- hat
- frog
- pig
- fun
- hen
- hop
Unit 3 · 4 lessons
Digraphs
Two letters that make one sound.
Sounds and spellings
- sh
- ch
- th
- ng
Example words
- ship
- fish
- chip
- thumb
- ring
- king
Unit 4 · 13 lessons
Vowel teams
Vowel sounds written with two or three letters, including the long and short sounds of oo.
Sounds and spellings
- ai
- ee
- igh
- oa
- oo
- ar
- or
- ur
- ow
- oi
- ear
- air
Example words
- rain
- bee
- light
- boat
- moon
- book
- car
- fork
- cow
- coin
- chair
Unit 5 · 3 lessons
Blends
Two consonant sounds said together, at the start or the end of a word.
Sounds and spellings
- st
- sp
- fr
- tr
- gr
- nd
- mp
- nt
Example words
- stop
- spin
- frog
- tree
- grass
- hand
- jump
- tent
Unit 6 · 4 lessons
Magic e
How an e at the end of a word changes the vowel sound before it.
Sounds and spellings
- a_e
- i_e
- o_e
- u_e
Example words
- cake
- bike
- kite
- rose
- home
- cube
Unit 7 · 5 lessons
Tricky words
Common words children learn to read at a glance, practised in short sentences.
Tricky words
- the
- I
- a
- to
- is
- it
- in
- no
- go
- he
- she
- we
- me
- be
- was
- my
- you
- are
- said
- come
- some
- love
Example sentences
- “I can see a dog.”
- “Are you sad?”
- “Come and see!”
Unit 8 · 5 lessons
Sentences and fluency
Reading whole sentences, building sentences from word cards and reading a first short story.
Example sentences
- “The cat sat on the mat.”
- “The frog can hop.”
- “Sam has a red cap.”
Unit 9 · 1 lesson
Graduation
A celebration of everything your child can now read: sounds, blending, tricky words and whole sentences, before the move up to the CEFR-based levels.
Inside a 25-minute lesson
A Phonics Starter lesson
Sound lessons follow the same shape, so children know what comes next.
Part 1: Warm up
A quick warm-up to get ready to say the new sounds.
Part 2: Meet the new sounds
Each new sound with a picture word, such as s for snake.
Part 3: Blend and read
Blending sounds together to read real words, such as s-a-t, sat.
Part 4: Play with the sounds
Flash cards, “which word?”, a mystery word, and dice and spinner games.
Part 5: A challenge for home
A small challenge to try at home, such as finding something that starts with /s/.
Progress
How progress is tracked
You can see where your child is in the course, and what comes next.
Taught in order
Lessons follow a fixed order, so each one builds on the one before.
Progress in your dashboard
While your child is in Phonics Starter, your parent dashboard shows how far through the course they are and which lesson comes next.
Teacher feedback
Your child's teacher gives feedback after lessons.
Moving up to Pre-A1
When your child's teacher assesses them at Pre-A1 or above, they move up to the CEFR-based levels and you get a certificate (PDF).
After Phonics Starter: CEFR and Cambridge levels explained
Founding families
Book a free first lesson. No card needed.
Meet a teacher, see how lessons work, and only choose a plan if your child wants to continue. Plans start from S$16.58 per lesson.
Launch offer: 50% off your first 4 weeks for the first 50 families, until 30 November 2026. Standard prices from the second cycle.
Prices are per 4-week billing period in your local currency. Your first lesson is free, with no card needed until you continue. Change or cancel anytime.
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