KS1 Parents’ Information Session November 2015 Welcome! Agenda: Phonics Spelling

Phonics

Learning Letter Sounds Spoken English uses 40+ sounds: phonemes. These phonemes are represented by letters: graphemes. Learning to read and write is complex!

The alphabet contains only 26 letters, but we use it to make all the graphemes that represent the phonemes of English. In other words… a sound (phoneme) can be represented by one letter (grapheme) e.g. ‘s’ or a group of letters e.g. a digraph ‘th’ or a trigraph ‘igh’ AND There are sometimes more than one way to represent a sound e.g ‘igh’ ‘i-e’ ‘–y’ !!

Synthetic Phonics Children are taught to read letters or groups of letters by saying the sound(s) they represent. They are then taught how to read words by combining the sounds together, from left to right, to make words 'blending‘ and how to listen and isolate different sounds within words 'segmenting'. Top tip!!! Oral segmenting and blending of words before your child even knows what letters are is vital.

Sound Buttons for Reading and Spelling Dots for phonemes for spelling --- And dots and dashes for graphemes, digraphs and trigraphs when reading! cat think ring

Sound Buttons for Reading and Spelling You have a go!

What are pseudo, nonsense or ‘Alien’ words? They are made-up words, used to check that a child can identify graphemes in a word and blend them together. This indicates that they have good decoding and blending skills for reading new, unknown words. hoax, coax

Try reading these words… utch awm oach weeb cheeth

We use these skills even as competent readers when faced with a new word or reading nonsense poetry… Abligurition Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

How can I help my child? Practise the graphemes sent home from school Help your child to read words by decoding and blending from left to right (where they do not yet know all the graphemes in a word encourage them to sound out the ones they know and fill in the gaps for them). Play segmenting and blending games – split words up into sounds e.g. ‘Please fetch me the ‘p-ay-p-er’/ t-ea-s-p-oo-n – reverse roles and ask your child to split words up for you to guess. Use online resources: videos and games. There are lots on bbc bitesize: and this one:

Spelling

Accurate spelling helps children become fluent and effective writers. Competent spellers can spend less time and energy thinking about spelling, which enables them to channel their time and energy into the skills of composition, sentence structure and precise word choice.

Spelling The English language is a rich and complex language (phonics/ invasion of foreign words etc) ; but despite its complexity 85% of the English spelling system is predictable. Your child will learn the rules and conventions of the system and the spelling strategies needed to become a confident speller.

Spelling Most of us, even if we consider ourselves to be good spellers, make spelling mistakes at some point. What is important is that we know what to do when we get stuck and we know how to correct our mistakes.

Spelling tests Difficult to apply spellings learnt for tests to other words. Good spellers can spell! They don’t need tests… Poor spellers will find tests difficult, may learn the words for the test and then forget them.

What are we doing instead of spelling tests? 2-3 short lessons a week: Key principle is that the children are learning about words rather than given words to learn. Various learning strategies including: discovering rules, learning about different memory strategies and looking at the history of words. Assessed through: Dictations Marking At times tests for specific words (topic/tricky words) after deciding on personal strategies

Spelling-what can I do if I get stuck? Try: Sounding words out: breaking the word down into phonemes, for example, c-a-t and sh-e-ll. Many words cannot be sounded out, so you will need to use other strategies. Dividing the word into syllables, and saying each syllable while writing the word. For example, re-mem-ber. Making links between the meaning of words and their spelling. For example, sign, signal, and signature. This strategy is used at a later stage than other strategies. Working out spelling rules for yourself. This strategy is used at a later stage than other strategies. Using a dictionary. Ask!!! And try to remember!

Knowledge of the Spelling System Root words and prefixes and suffixes Prefixes: added to the beginning of a word and rarely change the spelling of the root word Suffixes: added to the end of a word – can sometimes change the spelling of the root word Play Try

Spelling – Memory Strategies Phonemes Exaggerate c-a-t and sh-e Wed - nes – day re-mem-ber Image Look for words in words cupboard cup/ board

Strategies Mnemonics sally ann is dancing Look, say, cover, write, check Say the sounds in the word s/ai/d s/c/ issors Practise writing the word and colour the tricky bit in a different colour or larger sCissors

Spelling – Memory Strategies Mnemonics sally ann is dancing Look, say, cover, write, check Say the sounds in the word s/ai/d s/c/ issors Practise writing the word and colour the tricky bit in a different colour or larger sCissors

How else can I help my child? Encourage them to write on every possible occasion, praising their efforts and, importantly, letting them see you writing whenever possible. Play word games with them, for example, I spy, and Find the Word puzzles. Point to interesting or new words as you read to your child (without interrupting the flow of the story).

Strategies: over-learning Practice makes perfect

Thank you Questions