The Institute of Professional Development (IPD) at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) recently organized a full-day training session focused on Jolly Phonics, aiming to strengthen early literacy skills among young learners by equipping educators with modern teaching techniques. The workshop brought together around 90 teachers and coordinators from IIUI and other educational institutions at the Allama Iqbal Auditorium on campus.
The training began with a welcome from Dr. Fouzia Ajmal, Consultant at IPD, who highlighted the importance of high-quality literacy programs in building a strong educational foundation for children. She emphasized how such initiatives can make a lasting impact on early childhood education.
Leading the session, Ms. Erum Tehreem, a certified Jolly Learning Trainer, introduced teachers to synthetic phonics and the methods of Jolly Phonics, covering the 42 letter sounds, techniques for blending and segmenting words, and approaches for teaching tricky words. The training also incorporated multisensory teaching methods and demonstrated how digital resources can be utilized in the classroom to make phonics instruction more effective.
Teachers actively participated in demonstrations, group activities, hands-on exercises, and reflective sessions throughout the day. These activities allowed participants to experience the Jolly Phonics methodology firsthand. Many attendees expressed appreciation for the practical knowledge they gained and showed enthusiasm for applying these strategies in their classrooms to improve students’ literacy skills.
In the closing ceremony, Professor Dr. Nadeem Ahmed Sheikh, Director of IPD-IIUI, reaffirmed the institute’s dedication to advancing professional development for teachers, especially those involved in early years education. He stressed that such training sessions reflect the university’s commitment to innovative teaching and better educational outcomes. Dr. Sheikh presented certificates to all participants, encouraging them to utilize their new skills to foster improved literacy rates among young students.
