Why does RoyalABC start phonics at age 4?

Phonics is the teaching of the relationships between sounds and spelling. The RoyalABC method of teaching phonics follows the synthetic method where letter-sound combinations are introduced in a way that will allow students to begin blending and segmenting words as soon as possible, rather than introducing letter sounds in order of the alphabet. Exposing students to phonics from an early age gives children a head start with reading and writing, which can only be advantageous to them in the future. We integrate phonics teaching with the teaching of British English pronunciation, so students develop good, consistent habits from the beginning.