Jolly Phonics at
O’Brien’s Montessori Centre

Building Strong Foundations for Literacy

At O’Brien’s Montessori Centre, Jolly Phonics complements our Montessori approach to provide children with strong foundations for early reading and writing.

Jolly Phonics is a systematic, multi-sensory phonics program that introduces children to the sounds of the English language and supports them in understanding how those sounds come together to form words.

Through engaging, age-appropriate experiences, children develop their phonological awareness, confidence and emerging literacy skills while continuing to learn at their own individual pace.

Two young children with blonde hair sitting at a table playing with wooden letter and shape puzzles. The girl in the foreground is wearing a dark shirt with a pony print, and the boy in the background is wearing a blue shirt. The table has trays with different puzzle pieces.

Learning Through Sound, Movement and Experience

Jolly Phonics introduces letter sounds through a combination of stories, actions, songs and visual experiences, helping children make meaningful connections between what they hear, see and do.

Children progressively develop five key early literacy skills:

Learning letter sounds
Learning letter formation
Blending sounds for reading
Identifying sounds within words
Learning common tricky words

These skills are introduced intentionally and reinforced through everyday learning experiences within our prepared environments.

Two young girls standing outside, one sitting on a wicker chair, both with hands clasped near their mouths, and a large book or poster with words and illustrations in front of them.

Two young children, a girl and a boy, playing outdoors. The girl is sitting in a wicker chair, looking at the boy, who is standing beside her. The girl has dark hair and is wearing a long-sleeve top with animal and nature patterns. The boy is wearing a blue hoodie and pink pants, raising his arm toward the girl. There is a sign with the letters 'ng' in front of the girl. The background features a building with windows and a grassy area.

A young girl with light brown hair tied in two ponytails with pink hair ties, wearing a pink sweatshirt, sitting at a desk writing on a clipboard with a red pen. The clipboard holds a sheet with the alphabet printed on it and some handwritten notes.

Preparing Children for School & Beyond

Developing early literacy is about more than learning letters and sounds. It is about building confidence, communication, independence and a genuine interest in language.

By combining authentic Montessori learning with Jolly Phonics, we support children to develop the foundational skills they need as they progress towards preschool, school and their next stage of learning.