PhonicsPlay Phase 5: 7 Powerful Tricks To Boost Reading Speed And Confidence Fast – Most Parents Miss These Simple Daily Habits

Phase 5 Phonics Doesn’t Have To Be Confusing

Phase 5 is where a lot of kids suddenly go from “I can sound out cat” to “Wait… why does ‘ea’ sound different in ‘head’ and ‘seat’?”

This is the stage where reading either clicks… or kids start to wobble.

That’s exactly why Phase 5 needs:

• tons of exposure
• quick, fun repetition
• and a way to actually remember all those new graphemes and tricky words

This is where using a flashcard app like Flashrecall makes life way easier. Instead of printing, cutting, laminating, losing cards under the sofa… you can just throw everything into an app and let spaced repetition do the heavy lifting.

You can grab Flashrecall here (it’s free to start):

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Let’s break Phase 5 down in simple terms, then I’ll show you how to supercharge it with flashcards and some easy daily routines.

What Actually Happens In Phonics Phase 5?

If you’ve used things like PhonicsPlay before, you probably know the basics, but here’s Phase 5 in plain English.

Phase 5 is all about:

1. New Graphemes (Different Spellings For Sounds They Already Know)

Kids already know sounds like /ai/, /ee/, /igh/ from earlier phases.

Now they meet new spellings for them, like:

• ai – rain
• ay – play
• a-e – cake

Same sound, different spelling. That’s a lot to remember.

2. New Sounds Altogether

They also meet new phonemes like:

• wh, ph, ay, ou, ir, ue, aw, ew, oe, au, ey
• Plus more vowel teams and split digraphs: a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e, u-e

3. Alternative Pronunciations

This is where English gets spicy.

Same letters, different sounds:

• ea in seat vs head
• ow in snow vs cow
• g in goat vs giant

4. Tricky Words

Words that just don’t play fair and can’t be fully sounded out in a regular way, like:

• oh, their, people, Mr, Mrs, looked, called, asked

Kids need to recognise these quickly, not spend 10 seconds decoding each one.

So Phase 5 is basically:

> “Here are a ton of new spellings, new sounds, and rule-breaker words. Please remember them all.”

No wonder it’s a lot.

Why Phase 5 Feels Overwhelming (For Kids And Adults)

Common problems:

• Kids mix up similar graphemes: ay, ai, a-e all blur together
• They can read a word one day and totally forget it the next
• They get stuck on the same tricky words in every book
• Parents/teachers are constantly re-teaching the same sounds

The thing is: this is normal.

Our brains forget new info fast unless we review it at the right time.

That’s exactly what spaced repetition is designed for. And that’s exactly what Flashrecall automates for you.

How Flashcards Can Turbocharge Phase 5 Learning

Flashcards work perfectly for Phase 5 because it’s mostly:

• “Do you remember this grapheme?”
• “Can you read this word?”
• “Can you spot the sound in this word?”

Instead of hoping the sounds just “stick” from reading books, you can train them directly.

Why Use An App Instead Of Paper Cards?

Paper flashcards are great, but:

• They get lost
• They’re slow to make
• You have to remember when to review them

With Flashrecall:

• You can make flashcards from text, images, audio, PDFs, YouTube links, or just typing
• It has built-in spaced repetition and active recall, so it schedules reviews for you
• You get study reminders, so you and your child don’t forget to practise
• It works offline on iPhone and iPad
• It’s fast, modern, and easy to use, even if you’re not techy

Link again if you want to try while you read:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

7 Powerful Ways To Use Flashrecall For PhonicsPlay Phase 5

1. Make A Deck For Each Phase 5 Sound

Create one main deck like:

> “Phase 5 – Sounds & Spellings”

Then add cards like:

> What sound do these letters make?

> ay

> /ai/ as in play

Or:

> Read this grapheme: wh

> /w/ as in when

You can even add an image of a word (like a picture of “play”) or audio of you saying the sound so they hear it too.

Flashrecall makes it easy to mix text + images + audio on your cards.

2. Create Word-Level Cards For Each Grapheme

Once your child knows the sound, you want them to recognise it in real words.

Make cards like:

> Read this word: snow

> snow – the ow says /oa/

Or even:

> Which letters make the /ai/ sound in this word?

> train

> ai makes the /ai/ sound in train

This helps them:

• Read the word
• Notice which letters are doing the sound job

3. Tackle Tricky Words With Quick Daily Reviews

Phase 5 tricky words are perfect flashcard material.

Make a deck:

> “Phase 5 Tricky Words”

Cards like:

> Read this word: people

> people – remember the eo sounds like /ee/

You can:

• Add a sentence on the back: “There are many people in the park.”
• Add an audio recording of you reading the word and sentence

A quick 3–5 minute review daily with Flashrecall will massively cut down on those “We’ve done this word 100 times!” moments.

4. Use Spaced Repetition To Stop Constant Re-Teaching

This is the magic bit.

Flashrecall has built-in spaced repetition:

• When your child gets a card right, Flashrecall will show it less often
• When they struggle, it’ll show it more often

You don’t have to track anything. The app just quietly manages it in the background.

This means:

• No more “We keep going over the same sounds and nothing sticks”
• The hard bits get more attention
• The easy bits don’t waste time

5. Turn Reading Practice Into A Quick Game

You can use Flashrecall before or after reading a book.

• Review the graphemes and tricky words you know will appear in the book
• For example, if the book has lots of ay, a-e, ou, ir, review those first

• Add any new tricky words or graphemes they struggled with into Flashrecall
• Next time, the app will bring those up automatically

This way, reading time + flashcard time work together instead of feeling like separate jobs.

6. Let Kids “Chat” With Their Cards When They’re Stuck

One cool thing about Flashrecall is you can chat with the flashcard if you’re unsure.

So if you (or your child) don’t understand a word or need an extra example, you can:

• Open the card
• Ask a question like:

> “Give me more words that use ow like in snow.”

> “Explain why ea sounds different in head and seat.”

This is super handy if you’re not always sure how to explain a rule on the spot.

7. Keep It Short, Daily, And Fun

You don’t need hour-long sessions.

In fact, short and consistent works best.

Try this routine:

• 5 minutes of Phase 5 flashcards in Flashrecall
• 10–15 minutes of reading a phonics book or school book
• Done

Because Flashrecall has study reminders, you can set a daily nudge at, say, 5pm, and just quickly run through that day’s cards.

Over a few weeks, you’ll notice:

• Faster reading
• Fewer “I don’t remember that sound” moments
• More confidence with longer words

How Flashrecall Compares To Traditional Phonics Resources (Like PhonicsPlay)

Tools like PhonicsPlay are brilliant for:

• Interactive games
• Whole-class or group teaching
• Introducing sounds in a structured way

But they don’t always solve the memory problem on their own.

This is where Flashrecall comes in as the perfect sidekick:

• PhonicsPlay = fun introduction and practice
• Flashrecall = long-term memory and daily review

Why Flashrecall is especially useful for Phase 5:

• You can instantly create flashcards from:
• screenshots of phonics worksheets
• word lists from school
• PDF resources
• even YouTube phonics videos (turn key words from the video into cards)
• It uses active recall (kids have to think of the answer, not just recognise it)
• It uses spaced repetition with automatic reminders
• Works offline, so perfect for car rides, waiting rooms, or travel
• Great not just for phonics, but also:
• School subjects
• Languages
• Exams
• Even parents’ or older siblings’ study needs

One app can support the whole family’s learning.

Step-By-Step: Setting Up Phase 5 In Flashrecall

Here’s a simple way to get started today:

1. Download Flashrecall

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

2. Create 2–3 decks:

• “Phase 5 Sounds & Graphemes”
• “Phase 5 Tricky Words”
• Optional: “Phase 5 Example Words”

3. Add 5–10 cards per deck to start

Don’t go crazy. You can always add more.

4. Do one short session together

• Sit with your child
• Read the cards out loud
• Let them try to answer first

5. Use it daily for 5 minutes

• Let the app handle which cards to show
• Add new cards whenever school introduces new sounds

In a few weeks, you’ll have a personalised Phase 5 system that just… runs.

Final Thoughts: Make Phase 5 Easier On Yourself

Phase 5 doesn’t have to be this stressful, endless “Why won’t it stick?” phase.

With:

• a good phonics resource (like PhonicsPlay or school materials) to teach the sounds
• and Flashrecall to lock them into memory

…you cover both sides: understanding and remembering.

If you’re helping a child through Phase 5, seriously, try setting up a few decks and see how much smoother things feel after a couple of weeks:

👉 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/flashrecall-study-flashcards/id6746757085

Short, daily, smart practice beats long, exhausting sessions every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the fastest way to create flashcards?

Manually typing cards works but takes time. Many students now use AI generators that turn notes into flashcards instantly. Flashrecall does this automatically from text, images, or PDFs.

Is there a free flashcard app?

Yes. Flashrecall is free and lets you create flashcards from images, text, prompts, audio, PDFs, and YouTube videos.

How do I start spaced repetition?

You can manually schedule your reviews, but most people use apps that automate this. Flashrecall uses built-in spaced repetition so you review cards at the perfect time.

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