Certificate in Phonics Teaching to Young Learners

The course equips students with the initial skills and knowledge needed to take up positions as Phonics teachers in a variety of teaching contexts. Successful students will be able to evaluate their own effectiveness as Phonics teachers and demonstrate awareness of the need of further professional development.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  This course has been included in the list of reimbursable course under the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). This course is recognized under the Qualification Framework (QF Level 4).  For details of the CEF, please visit the CEF website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef.

  This course is recognised under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) at Level 4 and is now available on Qualification Register (QR) (QR Registration No.: 19/001255/L4；validity period from 3 October 2019 to on-going).  For details of the HKQF, please visit the QR website: https://www.hkqr.gov.hk.

Students' Feedback:

For more details:

Whatsapp Click to Chat (Mr. Yip): wa.me/85262168880

1. Techniques and Approaches for Young Learners
   • have knowledge of young learners and stages of their language development
   • understand principal theories of learning and acquisition
   • understand multisensory learning in teaching young learners
   • profile the roles and responsibilities of an ideal young learner educator
2. Phonemes and Graphemes
   • understand challenges faced by second language learners when learning English sounds
   • have knowledge of how to use oral articulators and the IPA chart to accurately produce major English sounds and categorise sounds
   • produce major English sounds (assessment 01)
3. Introduction to Teaching Phonics
   • have knowledge of principles, teaching approaches and key terms of Phonics
   • find evidence of Phonics approaches used in English speaking and other countries
   • develop awareness of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
   • understand roadmap of synthetic Phonics
   • explain key Phonics terms and sound types by citing examples
4. Decoding and Encoding
   • understand concepts, sub-skills and terminology of decoding and encoding
   • develop the skills of blending orally and from text; segmenting orally and using graphemes
   • understand the process of teaching decoding and encoding.
   • adapt activities to enhance the skills of decoding and encoding
5. Phonics Lesson Planning
   • understand strategies for planning effective phonics lessons
   • have knowledge of ‘The Gradual Release Model’ for giving instructions effectively
   • start planning a logically sequenced lesson with clear instructions using these strategies and the model (assessment 02)
6. Phonics Lessons in Action
   • microteach a Phonics lesson (assessment 02)
   • have knowledge of how to self-reflect after teaching
   • evaluate overall strengths and weaknesses of the taught lesson, effectiveness of materials and plan, and conclude if set aims have been met in post-observation meeting (assessment 02)
7. Challenges and Exceptions in Phonics
   • analyse the difficulties faced by learners when decoding and encoding and brainstorm solutions
   • have knowledge of Common Exception Words, High Frequency Words and their differences
   • understand how to identify irregular parts in Common Exception Words
   • have procedures for teaching Common Exception Words in context
   • present Common Exception Words in context using this framework
8. Phonics Resources
   • have opportunities to use and evaluate Phonics resources such as stories and songs, TPR activities, digital tools, table activities
   • have knowledge and understand importance of content, process and product differentiation in meeting the personal needs of young learners
   • create / adapt a Phonics resource to be used in a demonstrated activity to support differentiation learning needs (assessment 03)
9. Phonics Programmes and Readers
   • understand what Phonics information to share with parents and when to share it
   • know core criteria set by UK’s Department for Education for synthetic Phonics programmes
   • understand decodable and non-decodable readers, and their pros and cons
   • have a framework for teaching reading using decodable readers
   • plan a reading lesson using a decodable reader
10. Classroom Assessments
    • understand types of classroom assessments
    • have strategies for incorporating classroom assessments into lessons
    • have knowledge of how to assess individuals in groups using versatile classroom setups
    • have a checklist for giving meaningful and specific feedback
    • practise giving meaningful and specific feedback
11. Role and Responsibilities of Stakeholders
    • have strategies for delivering feedback to parents on learner performance
    • brainstorm common Phonics problems in young learners and suggest and evaluate solutions
12. Continuous Professional Development
    • have knowledge of the parameters, question types and marking rubrics of the final written exam
    • have knowledge of further training and job opportunities
    • become aware of continuous development through research
    • understand how to become a reflective Phonics teacher

• Application fee $19,800 (normal price)

Applicants who are eligible to apply for the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) can have a maximum reimbursement of $14,380.  Students only need to pay $5,420 (The actual amount of subsidy received depends on the balance of the individual fund.  Applicants can visit the website of "Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency" and choose the function "Calculator" under "Useful Tools" to estimate the amount of funding.)

https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/ce/cef/overview.php

* Applicants should check whether they are eligible to apply for the Continuing Education Fund in advance.

https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/ce/cef/eligibility.php

Applicants may also contact the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) for more details on application eligibility (Tel: 3142 2277；email: cef_sfo@wfsfaa.gov.hk)

The applicants should: 

1. have a bachelor’s degree awarded by a recognised university or equivalent, such as Bachelor’s Degree in Education/ Early Childhood Education/ English/ Language Arts, or Postgraduate Diploma in Education (English Language), or Teaching English as a Second Language, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; OR
2. have an Associate Degree or a Higher Diploma or equivalent qualification in related fields, such as an AD/HD in English, plus requisite proficiency in English – Grade E or above in Use of English in HKALE (AS-level) or Level 3 or above in English Language in HKDSE or Grade B or above in any one English Language subject at sub-degree level or equivalent qualification; OR
3. have reached the age of 25 at course commencement (as mature applicants) and have at least one year of English teaching experience at primary or kindergarten level or at a registered learning centre. 
    

Applicants may be required to attend an admission interview.

Students who have passed and completed the assessments, and attended at least 80% of the course will be presented with a Certificate awarded by PolyU SPEED.

1.  Application form can be downloaded from this website.  Before completing the application form, please read carefully the "Guide for Applicants" on the form.

2.  Please submit one application form with supporting document(s) and settle the course fee by bank draft/ crossed cheque/ On-line Card Payment System for each course applied. For details of payment methods, please refer to Section 4 of the application form or this web page.

3.  Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) holding

(i) work visa/ entry permit; OR

(ii) visa/ entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan); OR

(iii) dependent visa/ entry permit (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan), issued by the Director of Immigration of HKSAR Government may enroll in short-term courses in SPEED without seeking prior approval from the Director of Immigration.

These applicants are required to attach a copy of their identity document(s) and the valid visa/ entry permit to their application.  On admission, they will be required to provide the original identity document(s) and visa/ entry permit for verification. Throughout the course of study, it is the responsibility of individual students to ensure that their identity documents and visas/ entry permits are valid. Other non-local applicants can neither be registered as students nor commence their studies on the short-term courses in SPEED.

4.  Applications should be submitted on or before the deadline for application via one of the following means -

(a) By post or by hand:

Submit the completed application form, supporting documents (if applicable) and a copy of your valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable) together with the bank draft/ crossed cheque/ payment confirmation page (for online payment) to School of Professional Education and Executive Development, Room 1201, 12/F, PolyU Hung Hom Bay Campus, 8 Hung Lok Road, Hung Hom,Kowloon, Hong Kong.

* For applications by mail and using early bird price, it will be subject to the date of the postmark of the envelope.

(b) By e-mail (for application with payment settled via online system only):

Submit the completed application form, supporting documents (if applicable) and a copy of your valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable) together with the payment confirmation page by e-mail to ceo@speed-polyu.edu.hk

Please choose either one of the following payment methods for course fee: 

(1)  Bank Draft/ Crossed Cheque

You could submit a bank draft/ crossed cheque (made payable to "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University") by post or by hand.  Please write your name, the course code and class code at the back of the bank draft/ crossed cheque.  Post-dated cheque will not be accepted.

(2)  On-line Card Payment System (by Visa/ Master/ FPS/ China UnionPay card)
You could settle the course fee via On-line Card Payment System by Visa/ Master/ FPS/ China UnionPay card.  For successful payment, please print the payment confirmation page for record and quote the invoice number (as shown on the payment confirmation page) on Section 4 of the application form.  No separate hardcopy of payment receipt will be issued for you.

Please click HERE for the On-line Card Payment System.

According to the School's Refund Policy, course fees paid are normally not refundable, except cases of unsuccessful applications/ course cancellation.  Fees paid and places allocated are not transferrable.