Letters and Sounds

Additional Activities for Phases 5 & 6

April 2009

Acknowledgements:
This booklet has been compiled from the ideas of Cheshire teachers who attended
phonics and spelling Cluster training.

With special thanks to:

Lizzie Slater (Marton & District CE Primary)
Helen Upton (The Marlborough Primary)
Kathryn Wilson (Lostock Hall Primary)
Alison Worthington (Wallerscote Community School)

Contact information:
Ruth Robson
CLLD Consultant
Cheshire Shared Services
Woodford Lodge Professional Centre
Tel: 01606 274300

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INDEX
Activities:
Alternative spellings for phonemes
Practise reading sentences
New grapheme for reading aw
New graphemes for reading ea, ay, ou, ie
Split digraphs a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e
Introducing phonemes ay, ou, ie, ea
Chosen phonemes
Review phoneme activity
Words with same phoneme, different grapheme
Alternative spellings of phonemes ou, ow, ough
Alternative pronunciations ow as in down, ow as in low
Alternative phonemes ee, ea (from L&S)
Alternative spellings ay, ai, a-e
Review of phonemes
Alternative pronunciation graphemes, i.e. teacher, adventure
Alternative spellings for phonemes
Past and Present tense
Past and Present tense
Past, Present and Future tense
Reviewing Past tense
Revising rules for past tense verbs and forming future tense verbs
Shortened words (apostrophes)
Shortened words (apostrophes)
Comparative and Superlative
Adding suffix ing
Reading and writing ed ending
Plurals of nouns ending in y
Plurals of words ending in y
Adding suffixes to words s, es
Reinforcing and applying s and es

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PHASE 5
WHERE IS MY PARTNER?
Review
Teach
Teach alternative spellings for each phoneme.
Recap/show children alternative spellings of phonemes.
Practice
Children to stand in two teams, one team has a picture, the other team has a
word or sentence. The children have to find their matching partner.
Apply
Teacher reads sentence and reiterates the word containing the phoneme.
Children in pairs write the word.
E.g. I went the wrong way.

The deer was in the park.

The boy can hear the dog bark.

Resources
Pictures
Sentences or words
Differentiation
Either use sentences or words dependent on the ability of the children.

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PHASE 5
WORD TRAIN
Review
Teach
Practising reading sentences.
Give out questions from L&S p159 to ten children. Give out the words to the
remaining children.
Practice
Ask the children to find a space, set a timer. Send the children off around the
room to ask each other what their words/questions are. If they find a
question that their word belongs to, then they join that word train.
Apply
At the end, each train reads out their sentences and words.
Resources
Questions on cards
Words on cards
Timer
Differentiation
Less able targeted with easier words.

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PHASE 5
BUCKET GAME
Review
Teach
Teach new grapheme for reading - aw (See L&S p151).
Show the children the aw grapheme.
Practice
Split the children into four teams. The children will need a bucket with
pictures of aw words.
E.g. paw, claw and a flip chart with post-it notes.
The children will run and get an aw picture from the bucket and return to the
team to decide on the word.
Apply
Once the children have decided on the aw word they make the word up with
the post-it notes.
P

AW

And place on flipchart.

Whole class read words.

Resources
Post-it notes
Pens
Pictures of aw words
Bucket
Differentiation
Words and pictures could be made easier/harder depending on ability.

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PHASE 5
CIRCLE SWAP
Review
Teach
Teach new graphemes for reading ea, ay, ou, ie.
Show the children each grapheme sounding out.
Practice
Children to stand in a circle each holding a word card for one of the
graphemes. The teacher shows and reads a sentence containing a specific
grapheme.
E.g. I like apple pie with the grapheme highlighted/underlined if necessary.
When the children have heard or read the grapheme on their card which
matches the teachers specific grapheme, they run to the middle, say their
word and rejoin the circle.
Apply
In twos children write a sentence including their word.
Resources
Word cards for each grapheme.
Sentences with graphemes in.
Whiteboards and pens.
Differentiation
The teacher could just read the sentence and the children listen for their
grapheme.
Lower achievers could look at the sentence and highlighted word to recognise
their grapheme.

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PHASE 5
CORNERS
Review
Teach
Teach split digraphs a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e. (L&S p152)
Show the children the split digraphs in a word and sound them out.
Practice
In a large space explain to the children that there are four split digraphs, one
in each corner. The teacher reads out a word using one of the split digraphs,
children run to the split digraph they think is in the word.
Apply
Teacher reads out words and children write on whiteboards.
Resources
Split digraphs on cards for each corner.
Whiteboards and pens.
Differentiation
Higher ability write the words in a sentence.

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PHASE 5

STAND UP BINGO
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Introduce three/four phonemes e.g. ay, ou, ie, ea.
Practice
Give each child one word containing these phonemes. (Keep a list yourself).
Read out a word and the child with that word stands up.
The child holds the card to their chest (with word hidden) and asks the rest of
the class to spell it out loud or write on whiteboards. Child then shows word.
Apply
Teacher to write each word on the board as they appear and the children to
choose two of the words and write sentences.
Resources
Word cards
Teacher list
Whiteboard and pens
Differentiation
More able children to choose two words to include in each sentence.

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PHASE 5

HOORAY SHAME GAME

Review
Teach
Phonemes chosen.
Practice
Sit the children in a semi-circle with initial sounds.
Choose one child at a time to hold up a vowel digraph.
Invite two children (from the semi-circle) to come up and try to make a word
(either side of the vowel digraph).
Rest of the class is to read the word made, if it is a real word shout hooray, if
not shout shame.
Apply
Write words in a sentence on individual boards.
Resources
Different graphemes for example, ch, sh, th and initial sounds, and digraphs,
ai, ay, a-e (on card).
Whiteboard and pens.
Differentiation

Add suffixes

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PHASE 5/6

PHONICS TENNIS

Put with another activity.

Review
Children to work in pairs, give them the phoneme from last lesson.
Children to sit opposite each other playing tennis with words.
E.g. Phoneme oa, children say words such as boat, goat, float and coach.
Resources
Word cards
Differentiation
Extend tops by adding suffixes, e.g. float + ing.

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PHASE 5

DEAL OR NO DEAL
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Teach words with same phoneme, different grapheme.
Practice
Give each child a word, child reads out loud and posts in correct box.
Apply
Teacher takes out each word and discusses.
Children write their word in a sentence.
Resources
Three empty boxes same phoneme different grapheme e.g. ur, er and ir.
Selection of words to post.
Whiteboards and pens.
Differentiation
In pairs children write a sentence including their two words.

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PHASE 5
GET THE MOUSE TO THE HOUSE
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Share alternative spellings of phonemes e.g. ou, ow and ough.
Practice
Teacher call out word e.g. hour.
The children (the mice) go to the correct spelling (displayed) on three house
shapes around the room.
Apply
Children come and write word on the board.
Resources
Three houses with three alternative spellings.
Whiteboards and pens.
Differentiation
Children make a sentence using a word from the board.

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PHASE 5
SNOWBALL SPELLINGS
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Read ow as in down, and ow as in low.
Generic game teaching alternative pronunciations from L&S p152 p157.
Choose two alternatives e.g.
down
low

Stick on two buckets.

Practice
Give children a couple of scrunched up snowballs to read and throw into the
correct bucket.
Apply
Write a sentence using one or both of the words.
Resources
Words on scrap paper.
Two buckets with down and low stuck on.
Differentiation
Children make a list of words containing the same grapheme but alternative
pronunciation.

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PHASE 5
PHONEME JUMP
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Teach two alternative phonemes from L&S p151/152.
For example
and
.
ee
ea

Read the phoneme.

Practice
Line the children up in the middle of the hall/playground.
Read a sentence containing a word like beach. Hold up the word beech on one
side and beach on the other.
Ask children to jump to the correct side for the spelling of that word
(indicated by the large phoneme cards).
Apply
Children to think of a sentence, talking in pairs that use both the spellings, for
example beach and beech or sea and see.
Resources
Hall/outdoor space
Whiteboards
Phonemes on large card
Differentiation
Children make lists of alternative phonemes.

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PHASE 5

ALTERNATIVE WORD RELAY (generic application)

Review
Previously taught phoneme.
Teach
The alternative spellings ay, ai and a-e.
Practice
Put children in three groups.
Give one red/green/blue pen per group, line groups up relay.
Write ay, ai and a-e on sheet in columns.
Children take turns to write a word in the correct column with correct spelling
to achieve one point.
Teacher to set up time limit.
Apply
Plenary like discussion of misconceptions/wrongly placed spellings.
Resources
One sheet with ay, ai and a-e in columns (blue tack).
One red/green/blue pen.
Timer
Differentiation
Children write sentences containing three of the words using the alternative
spellings.

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PHASE 5

COWBOY PHONICS
Review
Teach previously taught phonemes.
Teach
Teacher shows children any phoneme, e.g. ue as in clue.
Practice
Sit children in pairs, back to back.
Teacher shows phoneme.
Children write word on the whiteboard.
Stand up, turn around and say yahoo then read each others word.
Apply
Ask the children to orally use their own word in a sentence.
Resources
Whiteboards/pens
Any phoneme L&S p151/152.
Differentiation
Children to write their own word in a sentence.

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PHASE 5

HOOP LA! (generic activity)

Review
Previously taught phonemes.
Teach
Any grapheme alternative pronunciation.
Practice
Line up class (either indoor or outdoor) and put pre-made labelled hoops on the
ground.
Teacher says word and child goes to correct spelling pattern hoop.
Apply
Children write up their own word on class whiteboard. Class read words
together.
Resources
Words from L&S p152-156.
Hoops two alternative pronunciations phoneme i.e. teacher and adventure.
Whiteboard/pens.
Differentiation
Use words in sentences, on individual whiteboards.

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PHASE 5
BLOCKBUSTER (generic activity for teaching phonemes.)
Review
Teach previously taught phonemes.
HF words/tricky words.
Teach
Alternative spellings for each phoneme:ee

ea

ey

ie

e-e

Practice
Groups of four give each group ee, ea, ey, ie, ee, g, and consonants
b,d,f,s,m,n,r,h.
Find words from the letters and place on laminated Blockbuster grid. Could be
a timed activity.

Apply
Write words on board, read them.
Resources
L&S p151/152.
Laminated Blockbuster hexagon sheets.
Timer
Differentiation
Make silly/sensible sentences with them.

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PHASE 6

BINGO
Review
Teach alternative ways of writing phonemes e.g. ie, igh, i-e, I and y.
Teach an action to correspond to each phoneme.
Teacher says a word and the children perform the action that they think is
correct e.g. ie turn around, igh clap hands.
Give words pie children to do the matching action.
Teach
Introduction and teaching of the past and present tense.
On a flip chart give the children some present words (about ten) and ask the
children to say the word in the past.
Practice
Children to record on their whiteboards six verbs.
The teacher will say a word either in the past or present tense and the child
has to mark off the other.
E.g. teacher says shout child marks off shouted.
BINGO! When the childrens words are all marked off.

Apply
Children choose one of their words and write a sentence containing it.
Resources
Flip chart
Whiteboard/pens
Differentiation
Less able children could work in pairs with more able children to support.

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PHASE 6

QUIZ, QUIZ, TRADE

Review
Teach
Introducing and teaching the past and present tense.
Explain to the children what the past and present tense is.
Show the children a word e.g. running and change to the past tense ran.
Practice
Children to walk around the room, when they meet another child they read each
others words, and then say them in the past tense, swap cards, then find
another partner.
Apply
With the card the children have left they find a post-it note off the table
with their past tense word and return to the carpet.
Resources
Present tense cards.
Post-it notes.
Differentiation
Teacher to support lower ability children.

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PHASE 6
THINKING THREES
Review
Teach
Introduce past, present and future tense.
Thinking Threes
Give the children in 3s a past hat (top hat), present hat (cap) and a future hat
(space helmet).
Practice
In the thinking threes, the present child will pick a word from a box. The past
and future children to write words on whiteboards in their correct tense.
Repeat swap roles.
Apply
The children then write their word in a sentence and share with the class.
Resources
Helmet, cap, top
Box
Bank of words
Whiteboards & Pens
Differentiation
Children to work in mixed ability groups, working as a team to support each
other.

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PHASE 6

TENSE EXPERIMENT
Review
Review what past tense is.
Teach
To model past tense verbally.
Practice
Children work in pairs.
Give each child a charade to act out.
Partner verbalises what is being done e.g. He is eating a sandwich.
Other partner explains what they were actually doing.
Apply
Write down two versions of the verb they have used.
Share with class.
Resources
Charades (pictures) on cards.
Whiteboards/pens.
Differentiation
Mixed ability groups to support one another and ensure whole class
involvement.

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PHASE 6

YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW

Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Revising rules for past tense verbs and how to form future tense, of regular
verbs.
Practice
Write up verbs in present tense e.g. play, sing, jump, read.
In twos children discuss past and future tense of the words. Teacher writes
on board childrens responses (children orally spell word) and discusses any
misconceptions.
Apply
Tell the children to write three sentences starting with yesterday, then
present and future tenses, e.g. yesterday I played, today I am playing,
tomorrow I will play.
Resources
Whiteboard/pens.
Differentiation
Mixed ability groups to support one another and ensure whole class
involvement.

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PHASE 6

ALIEN APOSTROPHES
Review
As appropriate.
Teach
Give examples of shortened words: - dont, wouldnt etc.
When shortening, some letters disappear and what takes their place? Discuss,
giving examples.
Practice
Talking in partners, find as many shortened words as they can.
Give out letter cards (five children) D O N O T.
Give another child alien apostrophe. Enact alien arriving and zapping/capturing
letter not needed and standing in its place.
Apply
On whiteboards repeat with other examples. Shortening in the same way
cannot cant, would not wouldnt.
Resources
Letters making up words.
Alien apostrophe cards.
Differentiation
Children write two sentences using the two alternatives, i.e. do not, dont.

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PHASE 6

TAKE MY PLACE
Review
Teach
To use the apostrophe to spell shortened forms of words.
Introduce words, e.g. do not/dont, can not/cant, you are/youre, have

not/havent.

Practice
Split the class into teams and give each team cards with the letters of the
alphabet on.
One child to take an apostrophe on a card and stand outside the door.
Children to create a given word such as do not.
Apostrophes come back and says shoo to the children with which they are
going to replace.
The team which finishes first gets a point.
Swap apostrophe to another member of the team and repeat activity using
different examples of words that can be contracted until each team member
has had a turn.
Apply
Teacher gives class a contraction, e.g. cant, and children orally put it into a
sentence.
Resources
Large alphabet cards.
Large apostrophe cards.
Differentiation
Larger/smaller teams to support each other.

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PHASE 6

RUNNING GAME
Review
As appropriate or, put these on the board : do not
dont
cant
can not

dont

cant Match into correct pairs.

Teach
How words are changed in the comparative and superlative quick, quicker and
quickest.
Practice
Give out (x3) superlatives and comparatives for quick, slow, happy, fast.
Children arrange themselves in order.
Apply
Put on the board in order.
Children choose one set of words and write three sentences.
Resources
Words on card.
Whiteboards/pens.
Differentiation
For less able children the Apply section could be oral.

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PHASE 6

VERB PING PONG

Review
Teach
How to add suffix ing to root word.
Rules word ends in e take off and add ing.
---> See rule L&S p174.
Practice
Children work in pairs, facing each other.
One child reads out root word the other says the root word and suffix e.g.
dance dancing.
Apply
Children both write down root word and add suffix, remembering to drop the
e.
Resources
Root words ending in e.
E.g. dance, skate, place etc.
Differentiation
Change this and adapt for other suffixes and past tense ed.

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PHASE 6

ED ENDING
Review
Teach
To read and write the ed ending in words.
Show children how to change words into the past tense e.g. play/played.
Practice
Show the children a card in the present tense and ask the children to say it in
the past tense.
E.g. jump/jumped
Apply
Give each child a word card in the present tense.
The children take their word to laminated sentences on the tables.
The children must change their word to the past tense and fit it in a sentence
writing it in with a whiteboard pen.
E.g.

I on the swing.
(played)

Resources
Word cards.
Missing sentence cards.
Differentiation
The complexity of the sentence.

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PHASE 6

PLURALS OF NOUNS ENDING IN Y

Review
Rules for plural spelling of nouns.
Teach
When a noun ends in a vowel then y add s.
When a noun ends in a consonant y then change y to i and add es, e.g. baby
babies, monkey monkeys.
Give each child a ys and ies card to use as a show me activity when teacher
gives them a singular form word.
Practice
Give out words (in singular form) to each child.
Get them to place in ys or ies box.
Apply
Teacher and class discussing accuracy when words are removed from boxes.
Write two sentences with one example of each e.g. monkeys and babies.
Resources
Bank of word cards in singular form.
Word cards with ys and ies endings.
Whiteboards and pens.
Two boxes.
Differentiation
Mixed ability groups to support one another and ensure whole class
involvement.

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PHASE 6
TAP THE BOARD/PRESS THE BUZZER
Review
Teach
Adding suffixes to words.
Making plurals of words ending in y.
Discuss the rule:
Words ending in y add s, if the final letter is preceded by a vowel, if not,
change the y to i and add es.
Practice
Class split into two teams.
Select two children to come to the board.
Teacher calls out a word e.g. monkey.
The winner is the first child to tap the correct plural ending on the flip chart.
(Or press the buzzer!). Repeat with different words until all children have had
a turn.
Apply
For a bonus, a child will put the word in a sentence (orally).
Resources
ITW or flip chart.
Words on cards.
Differentiation
Less able children targeted with easier words and matched to children of the
same ability.

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PHASE 6

WITCHES BREW
Review
Teach
Adding suffixes to words es/s.
Teach the spelling rule for adding es/s.
Practice
Sit children in a circle with a large pot of words in the middle.
One child is a witch stirring the words.
The witch will pick out a word; all the children write on their boards the word
adding the suffix. Teacher writes word on board and adds suffix.
Apply
In twos children choose two words from the board and orally rehearse two
sentences before writing on whiteboards.
Resources
Witches hat.
Large pot for the cauldron with words (L&S p191).
Wooden spoon.
Whiteboards and pens.
Differentiation
Whole class to participate and less able supported by TA or higher achievers.

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PHASE 6

JUMP IN THE HOOP

Review
Teach
Reinforce and apply s and es.
Recap on spelling rule.
Words ending in y add s if the final letter is preceded by a vowel. If not
change the y to i and add es.
Practice
Change a few words to the plural.
boy boys
E.g. day days

army armies

jelly - jellies

Apply
Place two hoops in the middle of a class circle.
One hoop to have an ies card and the other to have an s card.
Give each child a word and jump in the right circle ~ the rest of the class to
give thumbs up or down.
Resources
Word cards for each class member.
Two hoops
ies & s cards.
Differentiation
Words used.

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