What comes before phonics?
The teaching of phonics is strongly embedded in early literacy teaching in schools and early years settings. It has been shown to be an important part of becoming literate. There is, however, significant concern about the formalising of phonics teaching for very young children.

So what should we be focusing on in the early years?
What comes before this formal teaching?
What do children need to know and experience to enable them to access phonics teaching with success?

This book looks in detail at the knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that children need to enable them to come to phonics teaching ready to learn and with a good chance of success. It explores a range of aspects of young children′s learning that lead into literacy, and includes practical advice on how to translate this into practice.

The Third Edition has been updated throughout and includes new content on reading for pleasure and a new ′Thinking about practice′ feature.

Sally Neaum is a lecturer in Early Childhood, and teaches Primary English in initial teacher training. She has worked as a nursery and primary school teacher, as an advisor in early years and inclusion. She has an M.Ed in Educational Psychology and Special Educational Needs and her doctoral research was in the pedagogy of early literacy.