Phonics and Grammar teaching in bilingual contexts

Language learning is one of the most transformative experiences in education, as it shapes communication, identity, confidence, and access to knowledge. In bilingual and international contexts, effective literacy instruction becomes even more essential, requiring structured, engaging, and evidence-based approaches that support learners with different linguistic backgrounds and developmental needs.

Phonics and grammar instruction provide the foundations upon which reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension progressively develop. When taught systematically and meaningfully, they enable children to become confident communicators while fostering independence, curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation for language.

Within English language acquisition, synthetic phonics has proven to be one of the most effective methods for early literacy development. In particular, Jolly Phonics® and Jolly Literacy® offer a multisensory and child-centred approach that supports learners through visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic strategies, making language learning accessible, inclusive, and engaging.

In international and IB® school settings, phonics and grammar teaching should not be understood as isolated technical skills, rather as integral components of inquiry-based learning, communication, multilingualism, and conceptual understanding. Structured literacy instruction can therefore coexist harmoniously with student agency, transdisciplinary learning, and differentiated teaching practices.

Bilingual Literacy and Grammar: my experience and choices

As an IB® educator and bilingual specialist (English–Italian), I have worked extensively with students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds across early years and primary education. My experience includes supporting literacy development in multilingual classrooms, designing language-learning pathways, and implementing systematic phonics and grammar programmes aligned with international educational frameworks.

Throughout my experience in international and bilingual schools, I have introduced and implemented the Jolly Phonics® and Jolly Literacy® programmes, consistently witnessing their remarkable impact on young learners’ literacy development. Validated by the UK Department for Education as comprehensive and systematic approaches to literacy instruction, these programmes are widely regarded as among the most effective methods for teaching children to read and write in English.

My practice combines structured literacy instruction with differentiated learning experiences that value inclusion, learner variability, and intercultural understanding. Through this approach, students are encouraged not only to decodeand produce language accurately, but also to use language meaningfully, confidently, and creatively.

Additionally, my bilingual perspective enables me to support schools and families navigating English language acquisition as the language of instruction while simultaneously fostering strong competencies in Italian, both for native speakers and for students learning Italian as an additional language.

Bilingualism English- Italian: areas of support

My support for schools, educators, and families may include:

• phonics and grammar programme implementation
• bilingual literacy development
• Jolly Phonics® and Jolly Literacy® guidance
• teacher mentoring and professional development
• literacy curriculum enhancement
• differentiated literacy instruction
• support for multilingual learners
• early years and primary language education consultancy

Bilingual teaching Alignment: explore further

To provide more focused guidance and resources, the following sections explore the implementation and educational value of each programme in greater detail:

• Phonics Presentation (PDF)
• Grammar Presentation (PDF)

These dedicated pages further examine methodology, teaching practices, classroom applications, and, most importantly, the alignment of timelines between the teaching processes in English and Italian.

Jolly Phonics® and Jolly Literacy® Disclaimer: This work/product/service has been developed independently and not endorsed by Jolly Learning®. Jolly Phonics® and Jolly Literacy®  are registered trademarks of Jolly Learning®