Phase 2 Phonics (Letters and Sounds) Definitions Phoneme: the smallest unit of sound in a word Grapheme: the representation of the sound in the form of a written letter Schwa: the vowel sound in lightly pronounced syllables in words (WE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANY SCHWAS!) Tricky word: a word which cannot be easily decoded (Sticky Tricky Words) High Frequency Words: commonly used words that children are encouraged to memorise as a whole by sight CVC: consonant-vowel-consonant words Segmenting: breaking words up into individual phonemes. We segment phonemes to spell and write words Blending: putting phonemes together to make a word. We blend phonemes to read. Digraph: One sound that is made by 2 letters together (eg: ai in pain) Trigraph: One sound that is made by 3 letters together (eg: igh in night)
How we teach phonics We use a range of techniques to teach the children phonics. Visual aids Actions Phrases and rhymes Letter formation Some phonemes are sssstretchy others are b-b-bouncy. Some use your voice, others only your mouth and air.
Strategies to use when encouraging children to read and write: Sound talking words to encourage blending. (“Can you put the p-o-t in the b-i-n please?” Use of sound buttons to identify phonemes in a word. ( top , chip ) Sound button action using arm. Counting phonemes on fingers.
Supporting your child at home: Show your child you are a reader and how much you love reading books, magazines and newspapers. Show your child that reading has a purpose, e.g. recipes Show your child that writing has a purpose, e.g. shopping list Show your child that you are a writer and how much you enjoy writing. Share stories together at home to encourage a love for reading.
Phonics should be fun! www.mrthorne.com www.ictgames.com/phonemeFlop_v4.html www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Phase2Menu.htm www.letters-and-sounds.com/phase-2-games.html Children need constant positive praise and encouragement in order to succeed!!!!! Children’s reading days are likely to change next week as their groups are being shuffled around.