ANT to Zip (a Synthetic Phonic Programme)

ANT to ZIP is a highly structured phonic programme based on up-to-date research for teaching reading, spelling and handwriting simultaneously, with one skill reinforcing others.

There are two sets of flash cards and a series of ten colourful and attractive workbooks. These take the child from the earliest stages of learning letter sounds through to blending simple phonically regular words based on the cvc (consonant-vowel-consonant) structure, to more complex letter patterns and up to an adult standard of basic literacy. Ant to Zip caters for left-handed children and is also especially appropriate for those who are experiencing a degree of specific learning difficulty/dyslexia. By the end of the first book the child is able to spell and read his/her first sentences which is what basic literacy is all about. The structured Synthetic Phonic approach involves multi-sensory methods, where nothing is assumed to have been learnt or is left to chance.

Apart from the ten workbooks, the pack contains a Dictionary of Homophones (words which sound the same but have a different origin, spelling and meaning). Each homophone has its own definition together with a sentence to illustrate its meaning. There is also a book devoted to mnemonics or memory aids or props, to help the pupil recall spelling of irregular or unusual word structures. Look Up Left is a booklet outlining a useful strategy for helping a child to visualise the spelling of words. Finally, there are two handwriting tutorials.

The Ant to Zip programme is now being used throughout the world in English speaking countries, and also in countries where English is being taught as a second language.

Please go to the Examples page for more details on this unique course of learning.