User guide: How to use the Phonemes app in your classroom

Applies To
Phonemes App on: Classic V3, Classic S4, S5, Atom

Step 1

Open the Phonemes app from your CommBox screen.

This will launch the interactive teaching interface, ready for use at the front of the class.

Step 2

Choose what you want to focus on:

• Use the centre dial to switch between Phonemes and Syllables

• Use the number dials to set how many phonemes or syllables to display

Step 3

Tap Go to display your selection.

A series of lines will appear in the white space, representing the number of phonemes or syllables selected. These help students visualise word structure.

Step 4

Model or co-construct words with your students:

• Invite students to the touchscreen to drag and drop grapheme cards into the correct spaces

• Demonstrate segmentation and blending

• Use the lines as a guide to count sounds or syllables in spoken words

💡 Tip: Make the lesson more interactive by asking students to build words themselves on the touchscreen. This supports kinaesthetic and visual learners.

Step 5

Use the grapheme and word options built into the app to cover:

• Common phonemes with single-letter graphemes (e.g. b, a, m)

• Double-letter graphemes (e.g. ss, ll, zz)

• Consonant digraphs (e.g. sh, ch, ck)

• Vowel digraphs (e.g. ee, ay, oa, ow)

• Alternative spellings (e.g. ch/tch, j/g)

• Words with prefixes and suffixes (e.g. in-, -ed, -ly)

Step 6

Save your lesson content:

• Use the Save Cards feature to keep your grapheme selections for the week

• Reload your saved set for quick access in future lessons

Link to User Guide:

CommBox Phonemes App User Guide