Phoneme Detectives Case: Find alternative spellings for two similar sounds. The /oo/ phoneme new and the /(y)oo/ phoneme blue. Start by spotting these sounds in the text on the next page? TRICKY CASE

Rude Youth Needs Uniform From Mrs L Fortescue-Smythe Dear Sir, I am writing to you because I do not approve of the views expressed in the article about school uniform in last week’s newspaper. Your article made me fume. In my view, school uniform is an essential part of children’s education. The article suggested that young people at Tanford School think that it is cruel to make them wear a blue blazer and black shoes. This is not true. There are very few rules that today’s youth have to follow. They would certainly change their tune if they knew what freedom they really have today. Many teenagers I meet are rude and useless. They haven’t a clue what proper behaviour is. They throw food in the street and are extremely moody. It may sound prudish but I also object to their crude jokes. I for one do not find their jokes amusing. They are foolish. To conclude, I think that without a proper dress code children of this age lose all sense of right and wrong. They will be running around nude next. We must make sure that they use their brains and wear uniform instead of running around the streets making huge amounts of trouble. Yours faithfully LAETITIA FORTESCUE-SMYTHE

ue blue due u_e flute cube ew chew stew oo moon There are quite a few other rare spellings of /oo/. Can you discover them?

Now play a SORTING GAME to investigate the BEST GUESSES for spelling /oo/ and /(y)oo/?

Best Guesses The best guess is: Another good guess in the middle of words: Only at the end of words (usually) u_e oo Some other rare spellings include: uniform do view you lose shoes ue and ew