The children and I wanted to share some videos to show their grown-ups how we practice our letters sound in school. All the activities shown can also be a playful way to practice tricky words too. We hope you will find the videos helpful and supportive of your child's practice at home. While we do lots of these activities in school, some children really need a quieter environment to practice, with one to one support. This is not always possible in a busy classroom so please take the time to work with your child at home. It will be extremely beneficial to their reading development. Following an assessment, some children have been sent home with a list of sounds they need to practice. It's perfectly normal that they don't know some of the double letter sounds yet. But with plenty of practice they'll get them in no time. Also I just want to say a BIG WELL DONE! to all the children for being such super stars in the videos!
Activity One - Drawing and labelling words that contain the focus sound
Sometimes we tend to offer the children words that contain the focus sound. But having the children think up of their own words will help them retain this information in their long term memory. Drawing a picture and writing the word is a fun activity. Collect their drawing and staple them together to make their own sound book for them to read back over!
Playing Go Fish
Using the letter sound flash cards i have sent home have a go playing this game. This game will help your child to recognise and read the sounds or tricky words. The reason I ask the children to take a picture of the sounds (in this video) is to make sure that they look at the sound while they say it. This helps make a connection between the text and the sound.
Spotting the sounds in your environment
Looking for the focus sound in books, on cereal packets or anywhere throughout the day is a great way to reinforce the focus sounds or tricky words. It also helps put the sounds they have been learning into context.
Read it, Write it, Check it!
Your child may be able to recognise the sound when shown letter/s. But they also need to be able to write the sounds/tricky words when dictated. Follow this simple activity to practice writing the sounds/tricky words and when you feel your child knows them well. Try having them list down the sounds/words as you call them out. Please make sure your child uses the correct letter formation for writing.
Look, Cover, Check! from Ms Murray on Vimeo.
Smooth Blending
It is really important to say the sounds just right if your child is going to be able to blend smoothly. Make sure you do not add an "uh" sound to the end of letter sounds. Your child will explain to you how some sounds are stretchy (continuous sounds) and some bouncy (stops sounds). Look at the list below to see which sounds can be stretched when enunciated correctly and which cannot.
The children are getting really good at their blending so they will probably fly through these word boxes but there's no harm in going over them again.
Some children will have a focus flashcard pack in their homework folders this week. They do not have an extra homework sheet until they know their sounds fluently and are confident blending them in words and writing them. Please practice one or more of the above activities every night for homework. Other children are asked to continue with homework sheet for now and focus on their readers. I will be sending everyone home tricky words next week.
Thank you for your support in your children learning and should you have any questions about your child's homework, just ask!
Kind Regards,
Ms Murray
Thank you for your support in your children learning and should you have any questions about your child's homework, just ask!
Kind Regards,
Ms Murray
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