Inspire WorkshopInspire Workshop

Letters and Sounds taught through

Linking Sounds and LettersLinking Sounds and Letters

ReadingReading

WritingWriting

• Dubai Dubai

Language for CommunicationLanguage for Communication and Thinking and Thinking

KS1 ResultsKS1 Results

School National

Level 2+ Level 3

Reading 97% 84%

40% 25%

Writing 97% 80%

32% 12%

KS2 ResultsKS2 Results

School National

L4 L5

English 93.5% 81%

61.6% 29%

Reading 97% 86%

80% 48%

Literacy in ReceptionLiteracy in Reception

• In Reception, phonics, writing and In Reception, phonics, writing and reading are practised daily as part of reading are practised daily as part of literacy.literacy.

• The children have a short phonics The children have a short phonics session each day as part of their session each day as part of their literacy.literacy.

• Phonics is a method of teaching children Phonics is a method of teaching children to read and write English by connecting to read and write English by connecting the sounds of spoken English with the the sounds of spoken English with the letters or groups of letters. For letters or groups of letters. For example, the sound ‘k’ can be example, the sound ‘k’ can be represented as c, k or ck.represented as c, k or ck.

Why Jolly Phonics?Why Jolly Phonics?

• Enjoyable and motivating for the children.Enjoyable and motivating for the children.• It’s a thorough foundation for reading and It’s a thorough foundation for reading and

writing.writing.• A systematic way of teaching phonics in A systematic way of teaching phonics in

the school.the school.• It uses the It uses the synthetic phonicssynthetic phonics method of method of

teaching the letter sounds in a way that is teaching the letter sounds in a way that is fun and multi-sensory. fun and multi-sensory.

• Children learn how to use the letter Children learn how to use the letter sounds to read and write words.sounds to read and write words.

What are the key skills taught in What are the key skills taught in

Jolly Phonics?Jolly Phonics?

• The five basic skills for reading and writing The five basic skills for reading and writing are:are:

• 1. Learning the letter sounds and names1. Learning the letter sounds and names• 2. Learning letter formation2. Learning letter formation• 3. Blending3. Blending• 4. Identifying sounds in words4. Identifying sounds in words• 5. Spelling the tricky words5. Spelling the tricky words• These skills are taught alongside one These skills are taught alongside one

another.another.

Learning the letter sounds.Learning the letter sounds.

• In In Jolly Phonics Jolly Phonics the 42 main sounds of English are taught, the 42 main sounds of English are taught, not just the alphabet. The sounds are in seven groups. not just the alphabet. The sounds are in seven groups.

• Some sounds are written with two letters, such as Some sounds are written with two letters, such as ee ee and and or. or. These are called digraphs. These are called digraphs.

• oo oo and and th th can each make two different sounds, as in can each make two different sounds, as in book book and and moonmoon, , that that and and threethree. To distinguish between . To distinguish between these two sounds, the digraph is represented in two these two sounds, the digraph is represented in two forms.forms.

• 1. 1. s a t i p ns a t i p n 2. 2. c k e h r m dc k e h r m d• 3. 3. g o u l f bg o u l f b 4. 4. ai j oa ie ee orai j oa ie ee or• 5. 5. z w ng v oo ooz w ng v oo oo 6. 6. y x ch sh th thy x ch sh th th• 7. 7. qu ou oi ue er arqu ou oi ue er ar• Each sound has an action and rhyme which helps Each sound has an action and rhyme which helps

children remember the letter(s) that it represents.children remember the letter(s) that it represents.

The letter soundsThe letter sounds• The letters are not introduced in alphabetical order. The letters are not introduced in alphabetical order.

The first group The first group (s, a, t, i, p, n) (s, a, t, i, p, n) has been chosen has been chosen because they make more simple three-letter words because they make more simple three-letter words than any other six letters. The letters than any other six letters. The letters b b and and d d are are introduced in different groups to avoid confusion.introduced in different groups to avoid confusion.

• Sounds that have more than one way of being Sounds that have more than one way of being written are initially taught in one form only. For written are initially taught in one form only. For example, the sound example, the sound ai ai (r(raiain) is taught first, and n) is taught first, and then then a-e a-e (g(gaatte) e) and and ay ay (d(day) ay) follow later. follow later.

• We teach the letter sound and name We teach the letter sound and name simultaneously as the letter can make its sound or simultaneously as the letter can make its sound or name in a word. However, it is the sound that is name in a word. However, it is the sound that is used initially in blending three letters sounds to used initially in blending three letters sounds to form words. E.g. c-a-t.form words. E.g. c-a-t.

Learning the letter Learning the letter formationformation

• It is very important that a child holds their pencil in the It is very important that a child holds their pencil in the correct way. The pencil should be held in the ‘tripod’ grip correct way. The pencil should be held in the ‘tripod’ grip between the thumb and first two fingers. The children are between the thumb and first two fingers. The children are using triangular pencils to help train their grip.using triangular pencils to help train their grip.

• A child needs to form each letter the correct way.A child needs to form each letter the correct way.• The letter The letter c c is introduced in the early stages as this forms is introduced in the early stages as this forms

the basic shape of some other letters, such as the basic shape of some other letters, such as d, o, g and d, o, g and q.q.

• Particular problems to look for are:Particular problems to look for are:• • the the o o (the pencil stroke must be anticlockwise, not(the pencil stroke must be anticlockwise, notclockwise),clockwise),• • d d (the pencil starts in the middle, not the top),(the pencil starts in the middle, not the top),• • there must be an initial down stroke on letters such as there must be an initial down stroke on letters such as m m

and and n.n.

BlendingBlending

• Blending is the process of saying the individual sounds in Blending is the process of saying the individual sounds in a word and then running them together to make the a word and then running them together to make the word. For example, sounding out word. For example, sounding out d-o-g d-o-g and making and making dogdog..

• Some sounds (digraphs) are represented by two letters, Some sounds (digraphs) are represented by two letters, such as such as sh. sh. Children should sound out the digraph Children should sound out the digraph (sh)(sh), , not the individual letters not the individual letters (s-h)(s-h). E.g. r-ai-n not r-a-i-n. E.g. r-ai-n not r-a-i-n

• When sounding out a blend, we encourage children to When sounding out a blend, we encourage children to say the two sounds as one unit, so say the two sounds as one unit, so fl-a-g. fl-a-g. This will lead to This will lead to greater fluency when reading.greater fluency when reading.

Identifying sounds in wordsIdentifying sounds in words

• The easiest way to know how to spell a word is The easiest way to know how to spell a word is to listen for the sounds in that word. Even with to listen for the sounds in that word. Even with the tricky words an understanding of letter the tricky words an understanding of letter sounds can help.sounds can help.

• We start with asking children to listen for the We start with asking children to listen for the first sound in a word, then the other sounds in first sound in a word, then the other sounds in order.order.

• We ask them to listen for how many sounds. We ask them to listen for how many sounds. Tapping each sound can help, e.g. c-a-t (3 Tapping each sound can help, e.g. c-a-t (3 taps) or f-i-sh (3 taps).taps) or f-i-sh (3 taps).

Spelling the tricky wordsSpelling the tricky wordsThere are several ways that we use to encourage There are several ways that we use to encourage

the children to learn tricky spellings towards the children to learn tricky spellings towards the end of the reception year:the end of the reception year:

1)1) Look, Cover, Say and Check. Look, Cover, Say and Check. 2) Say it as it sounds. For example, the word 2) Say it as it sounds. For example, the word was was

is said as is said as ‘‘wasswass’, ’, to rhyme with to rhyme with mass, mass, the the word word Monday Monday is said as ‘M-on-dayis said as ‘M-on-day’.’.

3) Mnemonics. The initial letter of each word in a 3) Mnemonics. The initial letter of each word in a saying gives the correct spelling of a word. saying gives the correct spelling of a word. For example, For example, laugh laugh – Laugh At Ugly Goat’s – Laugh At Ugly Goat’s Hair. This is normally introduced in year one Hair. This is normally introduced in year one onwards to help with the more complicated onwards to help with the more complicated tricky words.tricky words.

Resources we use to teach Resources we use to teach Jolly PhonicsJolly Phonics

• Jolly jinglesJolly jingles• PuppetsPuppets• DVDDVD

• Story BooksStory Books

• Big books Big books

•IWBIWB

•Games Games

• Action and Action and letter practice letter practice sheets (which sheets (which also go home).also go home).

How can you help at How can you help at home?home?

• Encouraging children to sound out the phonetic words in Encouraging children to sound out the phonetic words in home readers.home readers.

• Blending letters together to read and spell simple words.Blending letters together to read and spell simple words.• Talk robotically (very slowly and deliberately) with Talk robotically (very slowly and deliberately) with

children to split words into single sounds & digraphs – children to split words into single sounds & digraphs – build into normal routines.build into normal routines.

• Learn letters and spellings – writing in the air, writing in Learn letters and spellings – writing in the air, writing in chalk, magnetic letters, bath paints. Fun practical ways chalk, magnetic letters, bath paints. Fun practical ways without always using pencil paper.without always using pencil paper.

• Encouraging the children to use the sound and action Encouraging the children to use the sound and action when reading and spelling words.when reading and spelling words.

• Practising letter recognition and formation using the Practising letter recognition and formation using the laminated sheet.laminated sheet.

• And the most important thing is to make it … FUN! Little And the most important thing is to make it … FUN! Little and often is the best policy.and often is the best policy.