When Year One teacher Kathy Ferguson at Regents Park State School in Australia realised too many of her students were finishing the year still struggling to read, she knew something had to change. After introducing Phonics Hero’s Child Accounts, every single child finished the year reading and spelling beyond the expected level — a complete turnaround in confidence and achievement.
“I am so proud to say that my Year One class average is now the level for the middle of a Year Two class!”
PH: Tell us about your class before you implemented Phonics Hero.
KF: At the start of the year, only a few children could read. I had four complete non-readers, and most of the others struggled to spell even simple words. They needed something engaging, structured, and repetitive to help those phonics skills stick.
PH: How did you use Phonics Hero?
KF: We set up a Child Account for every student and aimed for around 60 minutes of play each week. We did a 30-minute session as part of reading rotations and added three 10–15-minute sessions as morning tasks. We also used it in our computer lab and encouraged children to practise from home.
I used my Teacher Account for whole-class games and to monitor progress. The children loved seeing their growth and were motivated to reach the next level.
PH: Did you change anything else about your teaching?
KF: No — the only change was adding Phonics Hero. We used the same texts, covered the same content, and my teaching style stayed the same. The difference in results can only be explained by Phonics Hero.
PH: What results did you see?
KF: The transformation was incredible. Every student finished the year reading confidently. My lower-level readers are now writing substantial pieces of text and tackling tricky words independently. The average child improved 10 reading levels in the last semester and 15 levels across the year — far exceeding any previous group.
“My results this year were way above those last year.”
Another experienced teacher moderated the end-of-year testing and was astonished. She asked how I’d achieved such huge progress. My answer was simple — Phonics Hero.
My class is now well above the expected standard, and I can’t wait to teach them again next year and see how far they’ll go!
PH: What do you like most about Phonics Hero?
KF: It’s fun, and it works. The children can move at their own pace, and it’s the most personalised phonics resource I’ve ever used. It focuses exactly on the sounds and letters each child needs to master. I’ve never seen anything as effective at connecting fun with foundational skills.
Even other Year One teachers have commented on how confidently my students write and how much more they produce compared to previous years. Thank you, Phonics Hero!
See how Phonics Hero could transform your class too.