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honlcs ls a meLhod of Leachlng chlldren how spoken words are composed of
sounds called phonemes, and how Lhe leLLers ln words correspond Lo Lhose
phonemes.

1he process of readlng lnvolves decodlng or 'breaklng' words lnLo separaLe
phonemes, so LhaL meanlng can be galned. Cn Lhe oLher hand, Lhe process of
spelllng requlres Lhe wrlLer Lo ldenLlfy all Lhe phonemes ln a word and Lhen use
Lhelr knowledge of Lhe phonemlc code Lo wrlLe or 'make' Lhe word.

Lngllsh ls essenLlally a code LhaL can be encoded (wrlLLen) and decoded (read).
Chlldren are LaughL LhaL we can read a word by blendlng Lhe sounds LogeLher,
and Lhen break lL aparL agaln when we wanL Lo wrlLe lL. Spelllng and readlng
are LaughL LogeLher buL chlldren may be beLLer aL readlng before spelllng or
vlce versa.


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WrlLLen Lngllsh ls recognlsed as belng a complex language. 1here are 26 leLLers
buL 44 phonemes (sounds) ln Lhe spoken language. 1here are a vasL number of
leLLer comblnaLlons needed Lo make Lhese 44 phonemes (a phoneme ls Lhe
Lechnlcal name for Lhe smallesL unlL of sound).

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LeLLers and Sounds ls a synLheLlc phonlc Leachlng programme produced by Lhe
uk governmenL. 1hroughouL Lhe slx phases chlldren wlll be LaughL Lhe 44
phonemes. ln lu8 Lhe chlldren work ln hase 1, 2, 3 and 4.
SynLheLlc phonlcs sLarLs wlLh 'phonemlc awareness" whlch ls hearlng Lhe
dlfferenL sounds ln a word and Lhe maLchlng of Lhese phonemes Lo slngle
leLLers. AL Lhe same Llme lL shows how Lhese phonemes (sounds) can be
'blended' Lo produce words and Lhe words can be 'segmenLed' Lo wrlLe. ?our
chlld wlll learn slmple leLLer Lo sound correspondence. 1hls ls when a phoneme
ls represenLed by a slngle leLLer as ln Lhe word /c/ /a/ /L/. When LhaL ls
masLered your chlld wlll learn LhaL someLlmes one phoneme ls represenLed by
Lwo leLLers (dlgraph), as ln Lhe word /ch/ /o/ /p/, where /ch/ ls only one
phoneme (sound).

LvenLually your chlld wlll learn LhaL a slngle phoneme can be represenLed ln
many dlfferenL ways (ln lu1 and up)
Llke Lhe sound /ay/ ln play.
?our chlld wlll learn LhaL Lhls phoneme can be wrlLLen,
/ay/ as ln Lhe word play
/a-e/ as ln Lhe word spade
/ea/ as ln Lhe word break
/ey/ as ln Lhe word hey
/elgh/ as ln Lhe word elghL
/a/ as ln Lhe word laLer
/el/ as ln Lhe word veln

llnally your chlld wlll learn LhaL someLlmes a slngle (or more) leLLer may
represenL more Lhan one phoneme, for example,
Lhe 'o' ln /mosL/ and Lhe 'o' ln /hoL/
or Lhe 'ow' ln /wow/ and Lhe 'ow' ln /Low/.


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WhaL ls a phoneme?
lL ls Lhe smallesL unlL of sound
WhaL ls a dlgraph?
1hls ls when Lwo or more leLLers come LogeLher Lo make a phoneme. /oa/
makes one sound ln boaL.
WhaL ls blendlng?
8lendlng ls Lhe process LhaL ls lnvolved ln brlnglng Lhe sounds LogeLher Lo make
a word or a syllable. lL ls how /c/ /a/ /L / becomes caL.
WhaL ls a Lrlcky work?
A Lrlcky word ls an lrregular words. 1hls means LhaL phonlcs cannoL be applled
Lo Lhe readlng and spelllng of Lhese words. lor example a word llke 'he' or
'sald'.
WhaL ls a cvc word?
CvC sLands for consonanL, vowel, consonanL. 1he word /caL/ ls a cvc word
An example of a vC word ls /aL/ or /ln/

5#-+ '-% 4$0 .$ -+ #$1*6
lL ls lmporLanL LhaL chlldren pracLlce as much as posslble buL Lhere ls no need
for you Lo spend a long Llme on 'home work', 3 Lo 10 mlnuLes each day ls
enough. lf your chlld doesn'L feel llke readlng aL home, do noL Lry Lo push
hlm/her Loo much, [usL Lry agaln Lhe followlng day. 1ry Lo make lL fun, play
games and read Lo your chlld lf Lhey do noL wanL Lo read Lo you.
Pere are some suggesLlons for readlng and wrlLlng acLlvlLles aL home.
Lvery day your chlld wlll geL Lhe opporLunlLy Lo change hls/her readlng book
when Lhey come lnLo Lhe class ln Lhe mornlng. ?ou can help Lhem choose a
book lf you wanL. SomeLlmes chlldren llke Lo brlng Lhe same book home
over and over agaln. 1hls ls noL a problem, Lhls repeLlLlon bullds Lhelr
confldence as a reader.
lay a game wlLh Lhe leLLer sounds learned so far
racLlce wrlLlng Lhe leLLers learned so far
use magneLlc leLLers Lo bulld slmple words
use a good phonlcs lpad app for example
o 1wlnkle phonlcs sulLe
o !olly honlcs leLLer sounds

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8ead a sLory book (ln your home language) Lo your chlld


8elow you wlll flnd an overvlew of hase 1 Lo 4 of Lhe LeLLers and Sounds
programme.

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hase Cne of LeLLers and Sounds concenLraLes on developlng chlldren's
speaklng and llsLenlng skllls and lays Lhe foundaLlons for Lhe phonlc work,
whlch sLarLs ln hase 2. 1he emphasls durlng hase 1 ls Lo geL chlldren aLLuned
Lo Lhe sounds around Lhem and ready Lo begln developlng oral blendlng and
segmenLlng skllls.
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ln hase 2, leLLers and Lhelr sounds are lnLroduced one aL a Llme. A seL of
leLLers ls LaughL each week, ln Lhe followlng sequence:
/*+ 78 s, a, L, p
/*+ 98 l, n, m, d
/*+ :8 g, o, c, k
/*+ ;8 ck, e, u, r
/*+ <8 h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss
1he chlldren wlll begln Lo learn Lo blend and segmenL Lo begln readlng and
spelllng. 1hls wlll begln wlLh slmple words.
5$,.( 0(&%3 (*+ 7
aL saL paL Lap sap
5$,.( 0(&%3 (*+ 7 -%. 9
(+l) (+n) (+m) (+d)
lL an am dad
ls ln man sad
slL nlp maL dlm
saL pan map dln
plL pln am dld
plp Lan 1lm Sld

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slp nap Sam and
Llp Lln dlp
5$,.( 0(&%3 (*+( 7=:
(+g) (+o) (+c) (+k)
Lag goL can kld
gag on coL klL
glg noL cop klm
gap poL cap ken
nag Lop caL
sag dog cod
gas pop
plg Cod
dlg Mog
5$,.( 0(&%3 (*+ 7=;
(+ck) (+e) (+u) (+r)
klck geL up rlm
sock peL mum rlp
sack Len run ram
dock neL mug raL
plck pen cup rag
slck peg sun rug
pack meL Luck roL
LlckeL men mud rockeL
pockeL neck sunseL carroL
5$,.( 0(&%3 (*+ 7=<
(+h) (+b) (+f and ff) (+l and ll) (+ss)
had buL of lap ass
hlm blg lf leL less
hls back off leg hlss
hoL beL flL loL mass
huL bad fln llL mess
hop bag fun bell boss
hum bed flg flll fuss
hlL bud fog doll hlss
haL beg puff Lell pass

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has bug huff sell klss
hack bun cuff 8lll 1ess
hug bus fan nell fusspoL
8en faL dull
baL lapLop
blL
buckeL
beckon
rabblL
Alongslde Lhls chlldren are lnLroduced Lo Lrlcky words. 1hese are Lhe words
LhaL are lrregular words. 1haL means LhaL phonlcs cannoL be applled Lo Lhe
readlng and spelllng of Lhese words.
>#* +,&'?4 @$,.( &%+,$.0'*. &% A#-(* 9 -,*8
Lo Lhe no go l

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8y Lhe Llme Lhey reach hase 3, chlldren wlll already be able Lo blend and
segmenL words conLalnlng Lhe 19 leLLers LaughL ln hase 2.
Cver Lhe Lwelve weeks, LwenLy-flve new graphemes are lnLroduced (one aL a
Llme).
/*+ B8 [, v, w, x
/*+ C8 y, z, zz, qu
D$%($%-%+ .&3,-A#(8 ch, sh, Lh, ng
E$@*2 .&3,-A#(8 al, ee, lgh, oa, oo, ar, or, ur, ow, ol, ear, alr, ure, er
>,&'?4 @$,.(8
we me be was no go
my you Lhey her all are

!"#$% *

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8y hase 4 chlldren wlll be able Lo represenL each of 42 phonemes wlLh a
grapheme. 1hey wlll blend phonemes Lo read CvC words and segmenL CvC
words for spelllng. 1hey wlll also be able Lo read Lwo syllable words LhaL are
slmple. 1hey wlll be able Lo read all Lhe Lrlcky words learnL so far and wlll be
able Lo spell some of Lhem.
1hls phase consolldaLes all Lhe chlldren have learnL ln Lhe prevlous phases.
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sald so she he have llke
some come were Lhere llLLle one
Lhey all are do when ouL
whaL my her
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When you pracLlce wrlLlng wlLh your chlld aL home lL ls lmporLanL Lo make sure
Lhe leLLer formaLlon ls correcL. Cn Lhe nexL page you can see how we form our
leLLers. CaplLal leLLers are only used aL Lhe beglnnlng of a name or a senLence.
noL all chlldren are ready Lo hold a pencll and wrlLe small slzed leLLers on paper
buL Lhere are a loL of fun ways Lo pracLlce leLLer formaLlon and wrlLlng.
Some examples:
llll a Lray wlLh savlng cream or sand and use your flnger or a brush Lo
wrlLe Lhe leLLers
llll a zlp-lock bag wlLh some palnL and use your flnger Lo wrlLe Lhe leLLer
shapes on Lhe ouLslde of Lhe bag
Co ouLslde wlLh a buckeL of waLer and a brush and wrlLe Lhe leLLers on a
door/Lhe wall/Lhe pavemenL eLc.
use pavemenL chalk and wrlLe ouLdoors
use large sheeLs of paper and crayons Lo wrlLe

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MaLerlals from www.Lwlnkl.co.uk lrom Lhls slLe you can prlnL
leLLer maLs, flash cards eLc.