2. Junior Infants. Group 2 (sounds and blending activities)

3. Ideas for Parents: 1. Encourage your child to say the relevant sound on the slide three times. Click on the speaker symbol to hear the sound. 2. Play a game of ‘I spy’ using the things in the environment e.g. Parent: “I spy with my little eye something beginning with /n/”(remember use the sound not the name of the letter) 3. Encourage your child to sing the song to accompany the letter. 4. Revise all sounds (including group 1 sounds) regularly.

4. Can you make this sound? n Action: Hold out hands as if an aeroplane nose diving, and say /nnn/ Song: (Tune:) Hear the aeroplane, /nnn/ Hear the aeroplane, /nnn/ Hear the aeroplane, /nnn/...making lots of noise.

5. Can you make this sound? c/k Action: raise your hands and snap your fingers together as if you are playing castanets, and say /ck, ck, ck/ Song: (Tune: She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain) We are clicking castanets, /c/-/c/-/c/. We are clicking castanets, /c/-/c/-/c/. We are clicking castanets, clicking castanets...... We are clicking castanets, /c/-/c/-/c/. Kites are flying in the sky, /k/-/k/-/k/, Kites are flying in the sky, /k/-/k/-/k/, Kites are flying in the sky, Flying in the sky, Kites are flying in the sky, /k/-/k/-/k/,

6. Can you make this sound? e Action: Pretend to crack an egg against the side of the pan with one hand. Use both hands to open the shell, saying /eh, eh, eh/. Song: (Tune: Skip to My Lou) Eggs in the pan, /e/- /e/- /e/. Crack the egg like this.../e/!

7. Can you make this sound? h Action: Hold a hand up to your mouth, panting as if you are out of breath, and say /h, h, h/. Song: (Tune: Apples and Bananas) I like to hop, hop, hop, up and down. I like to hop, hop, hop all around. I like to hop, hop, hop, up and down- /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/, /h/.

8. Can you make this sound? r Action: Pretend to be a puppy, pulling a rag, and shake your head from side to side. Song: (Tune: The Muffin Man) See my puppy rip the rag. /rrr/! See my puppy rip the rag, When he pulls so hard.

9. Vowel Revision. We have learned the following vowels. Please practice them regularly with your child. aie

10. Blending. Ideas for Parents. 1. Once your child knows the letters in groups 1 and 2 of this phonics programme we can blend these letters to form simple words. 2. With blending, the first sound needs to be said louder than the other sounds. 3. Parents should make the sounds in the word on the slide first e.g. /r/ /a/ /t/ and then say the complete word. 4. Encourage your child to repeat what you have just done. 5. They can then click on the speaker to see if they have read the word correctly. Praise, Praise, Praise. 6. Children will need plenty of practice before they have fully mastered the skill of blending.

11. Can you sound out the word? in

12. Can you sound out the word? ant

13. Can you sound out the word? hen

14. Can you sound out the word? nap

15. Can you sound out the word? sat

16. Can you sound out the word? snap

17. Can you sound out this word? spin

18. Please encourage your child to make these words using their sound cards. Encourage them to sound out the words they have made. atpencat itpitcan ranhithen