Teaching Phonics

In the UK, our main way of teaching children to read, write and pronounce words is phonics.

During teacher exchange visits to their link schools in Devon and Cornwall, Ugandan teachers became very interested in phonics and one head teacher returned to his school and started to introduce the system, but without knowing the full method and without resources and support.

Then we heard about a Ugandan non-governmental organisation (NGO), based in Gulu, northern Uganda, whose remit is to train teachers in using phonics to teach children.

So, on our next visit to Uganda in 2019, Jean and Sue visited the NGO called ‘READ for Life’ (RfL) and were thrilled to meet the staff, visit their centre and see the resources which they have created. These include the RfL Teacher’s Manual with a step by step guide to the system and readers, created for Ugandans.

Sadly, the pandemic delayed further progress on phonics, until 2022 when a head teacher and two teachers went from Tororo to Gulu to train with ‘READ for Life’ for 4 weeks. This in-depth training inspired our three trainers and since then they have been training teachers in all 46 Food For Thought Schools in Tororo. The training is designed for teachers of years 1, 2 and 3 but in some schools, all teachers have been trained.

Bernadette Olokojo, Catherine Nyaweri and Sylivia visit all 46 schools termly to train and monitor progress.

In November 2025, Bernadette and Catherine were invited to visit the FFT schools in Mubende and Kassanda, to explore how reading is being implemented in the 46 FFT schools there. They found little evidence of phonics being used, so discussed the principles of phonics and how to introduce it, with the District Education Officers and members of the Head teachers’ Executive for both districts. So, now we are fund-raising to train a team of Phonics Trainers for Mubende and Kassanda.

Bernadette, as leader of the Tororo Phonics Trainers, reported the impact of their work, after three years.

-I am pleased to report that the programme has made a significant and positive difference in both teaching and learning outcomes. 

-I have observed a great improvement in literacy and learning outcomes. More children can now correctly sound, spell, read and use a wide range of words compared to previous years.

-More schools asked for more readers to support the growing interest in reading and expressed interest to join FFT School Programme as a result the visible impact.

-Due to Phonics training, support and supervision, some schools have been given grants by the District Education Office, in the form of desks and face-lift to the classrooms, creating more child-friendly learning spaces.

-FFT supported schools have registered improved performance in PLE mock examinations, especially in English.

-More teachers are now willing and motivated to teach reading using Phonics approaches, especially as Phonics lessons are being integrated into school timetables.

-Positive feedback from parents and teachers. Teachers report improved leaner engagement and confidence in reading lessons. Parents have also shared positive comments about their children’s ability to read at home, with some even willing to enrol in adult literary to support their children.

–There has been noticeable improvement in learners’ overall reading fluency and comprehension. Improved attendance has been observed as pupils are more motivated to come to school and participate in reading activities.

-Teachers continue to benefit from regular support and supervision by trainers and Headteachers, improving lesson delivery and consistency.

-Increased collaboration among schools has strengthened the network of Phonics implementation.

The above outcomes demonstrate that investing in Phonics teaching is a highly effective way to strengthen literacy and overall education quality in our schools.

One difficult issue is the shortage of reading books in Ugandan schools. Sometimes books end up locked away in the school or headteacher’s office – sometimes they become a tasty feast for termites and gradually dissolve.

So, another initiative is to encourage teachers to write story books for their pupils. In October 2024, FFT invited Ugandan author Cathy Kreutter to run a workshop about her books and how to write stories.

In 2025, we saw some results. Teachers came to the workshop and had used written some books. At Kisoko Boys, the teachers worked with pupils to write stories and created Big Books suitable to use in a class. It was amazing! In several schools, pupils lined up to read to us the books they had written.