1. 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)

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Phonics should be fun! www.mrthorne.com
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.