Phonics in Primary 1 E.Scott September 2017

Phonics in East Craigs Edinburgh City Council wide approach: Literacy Rich Based on Synthetic Phonics Supported by the resources of Jolly Phonics

Skills in Phonics Learning the letter sounds Reading (blending) Writing (Segmenting)-Identifying the Sounds in Words Learning letter formation Tricky words (important to note- they are all taught at the same time)

Learning the Letter Sounds The children will learn about 3 sounds per week. Sounds are taught in a multi-sensory way. We use a sound story, an action with sound (‘ssss’ for example),a song, flash cards and the sound sheets.

Learning the Letter Sounds cnt. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL THE LETTERS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED BY THEIR SOUNDS AND NOT BY THEIR NAME. ‘sssss’ not ‘ess’ for the letter s. After initial whole class input the children are supported by class teacher in small focus groups.

Learning the Letter Sounds cnt. There are 42 main sounds but only 26 letters to represent them. This means that sometimes 2 letters are put together to make a sound (ch, sh, th etc). They are called digraphs. Digraphs are different from blends. They have one sound (sh in ship) but blends have two sounds (st in stop).

Reading (Blending) The phonic skill for this is to look at the letters, say the sounds in the right order and hear the word. This is called blending. Blending needs practice, but can start when six letter sounds have been taught (e.g the first ones- s, a, t, i, p, n). The children realise how the alphabetic code works for reading and can see that they can work it out for themselves.

Learning the Letter Formation: Pencil Hold Pencil rests between the thumb and the first finger. The next finger prevents the pencil falling down and the last two are tucked away. 2 fingers- ‘froggy legs’!

Letter Formation cnt. Letter is shown on the board. ‘Air writing’ (they do this several times) Sound sheets Literacy Jotters The multi-sensory approach makes it easier for the children to learn. The lower case letters are concentrated on in the beginning- the capital letters are taught later

Identifying the Sounds in Words The aim is for the children to hear the sound and know if it is at the beginning, middle or end of the word. Some of the resources used include Magnetic boards/letters Whiteboard Dictation etc. DESIRED OUTCOME- independent writing.

Tricky (Common) Words Irregular words are known as ‘tricky words’ because they are inclined to trick you! An example of this would be the word ‘she’- the ‘sh’ is a regular sound that they know but the ‘e’ is an ‘ee’ sound. Flashcards and other activities are used to reinforce and practice tricky words.

Practising at Home You will receive their sound booklet at the end of each week so can practice the sounds and actions with your child. You can also do the sound and ask them to write the letter. This will help further consolidate the writing. Encourage them to spot the sounds/tricky words in their school reading books or other books.

oi oi oi oi oy oy oy oy ou ou ou ou ow ow ow ow

b oi l t oy sh ou t t ow n

Practising at Home Homework: Each week phonics homework will be issued.

Any Questions Regarding Phonics?