1. Phonics Welcome to Letters and sounds Introduction
Welcome to Jolly Phonics.
Jolly Phonics has been developed by practising classroom teachers and provides a systematic method for teaching children to read and write.
It is a synthetic phonics programme: The children are taught to read by ‘synthesising’ (which is blending) the letter sounds together.
By blending the letter sounds together, the children can work out unknown words themselves, rather than being asked to memorise words.
In this presentation, we will look at :
The principles of Jolly Phonics.
The stages children go through to learn to read and write well and confidently.
How providing additional support at home can help children achieve the best results.
Letters and sounds

2. Our aims Explain how phonics is taught in Foundation and KS1.
Demonstrate the way of saying letter sounds.
Provide you with some ideas and activities for home.
5 Basic Skills
There are 5 basic skills covered in Jolly Phonics:
Learning the letter sounds.
Learning letter formation.
Blending.
Identifying sounds in words.
Tricky words.
(You might like to explain what these mean in more detail).
The first four skills are taught every day from the beginning.
‘Tricky words’ are introduced after about 6 weeks. By then most of the children:
can work out simple regular words for reading and writing
are ready to learn the more difficult tricky words.

3. 5 Basic Skills
1. Learning the letter sounds 2. Letter formation 3. Blending 4. Identifying sounds in words 5. Tricky words
5 Basic Skills
There are 5 basic skills covered in Jolly Phonics:
Learning the letter sounds.
Learning letter formation.
Blending.
Identifying sounds in words.
Tricky words.
(You might like to explain what these mean in more detail).
The first four skills are taught every day from the beginning.
‘Tricky words’ are introduced after about 6 weeks. By then most of the children:
can work out simple regular words for reading and writing
are ready to learn the more difficult tricky words.

4. Letter Sounds Letter sound order
There are 42 different letter sounds, which are divided into 7 groups.
The order in which the letter sounds are taught go from the simplest to the more complex letter sounds.
The first group of letters were chosen because you can make more simple, three-letter words than with any other combination of 6 letters.
This enables the children to start blending and reading words from the first week. This is hugely motivating for them.
songs
Letter Sounds
Letter sound order
There are 42 different letter sounds, which are divided into 7 groups.
The order in which the letter sounds are taught go from the simplest to the more complex letter sounds.
The first group of letters were chosen because you can make more simple, three-letter words than with any other combination of 6 letters.
This enables the children to start blending and reading words from the first week. This is hugely motivating for them.
Letter names
Initially, only the letter sounds are taught, with the letter names coming a few weeks later.
This helps to prevent the children getting muddled between the sound and the name.
Digraphs
The digraphs (where two letters make one sound) are introduced in the fourth group of letter sounds.

5. (two letters that make one sound)
Digraphs
(two letters that make one sound)
Digraphs (two letters that make one sound): /ai/
/ai/ is the first digraph the children are taught.
The children have to understand that when the letters ‘a’ and ‘i’ are next to each other, they say /ai/.
Storyline
A little boy has wax in his ears. He keeps putting his hand behind his ear and saying /ai/ when he doesn’t hear something. So his mother takes him to the doctor to get the wax removed. Now he doesn’t have to say /ai/ anymore!

6. (two letters making one sound)
Digraphs
(two letters making one sound)
Digraphs
In English there are 44 sounds and only 26 letters.
This means that some sounds have to be written with two letters. These sounds are called digraphs.
The ones on screen are the first to be taught to the children.
Activity
Point to each digraph and ask everyone to call out the sound. You can provide a word for each digraph yourself, or ask for suggestions. For example:
/ai/ rain
/oa/ goat
/ie/ tie
/ee/ sheep
/or/ torn

7. Practice Time!!!
Look through your handouts and try to make the sound represented by each letter or digraph (2 letters).
is a good website for ideas to help children with reading
Please feel free to ask if you would like us to demonstrate any of the actions or sounds.
Digraphs
In English there are 44 sounds and only 26 letters.
This means that some sounds have to be written with two letters. These sounds are called digraphs.
The ones on screen are the first to be taught to the children.
Activity
Point to each digraph and ask everyone to call out the sound. You can provide a word for each digraph yourself, or ask for suggestions. For example:
/ai/ rain
/oa/ goat
/ie/ tie
/ee/ sheep
/or/ torn

8. Try out your new skills to read these words!
Pikoisher – p/i/k/oi/sh/er
Umarthoon - u/m/ar/th/oo/n
Shaiquex – sh/ai/qu/e/x
Digraphs
In English there are 44 sounds and only 26 letters.
This means that some sounds have to be written with two letters. These sounds are called digraphs.
The ones on screen are the first to be taught to the children.
Activity
Point to each digraph and ask everyone to call out the sound. You can provide a word for each digraph yourself, or ask for suggestions. For example:
/ai/ rain
/oa/ goat
/ie/ tie
/ee/ sheep
/or/ torn

9. If children are unsure when reading a word give them the sound that they are struggling with and encourage them to use this to blend.
For example,
goat - if children read /g/ /o/ /a/ /t/, remind them that /o/ and /a/ together makes the /oa/ sound and encourage them to blend these three sounds together.
Digraphs
In English there are 44 sounds and only 26 letters.
This means that some sounds have to be written with two letters. These sounds are called digraphs.
The ones on screen are the first to be taught to the children.
Activity
Point to each digraph and ask everyone to call out the sound. You can provide a word for each digraph yourself, or ask for suggestions. For example:
/ai/ rain
/oa/ goat
/ie/ tie
/ee/ sheep
/or/ torn

10. Pencil Hold Tripod grip ‘Froggy legs’ movement Pencil Hold Tripod grip
The ‘tripod’ type of pencil hold makes it easier for children to write. They need to learn that:
The pencil goes between the thumb and the first finger.
The next finger stops the pencil falling down.
The last two fingers are not needed and should be tucked away.
‘Froggy legs’ movement
The movement comes from the knuckles. When the pencil is moved in this way, it looks like ‘froggy legs’!
It is helpful to encourage your children to use this pencil hold.
(If you have time, get everyone to put their first finger and thumb together in the tripod grip and pretend to write with the ‘froggy legs’ movement.)

11. Writing (identifying sounds in words). How many sounds can you hear
Writing (identifying sounds in words) * How many sounds can you hear? * What is the first sound? * What is the next sound? etc.
f i sh
Writing (identifying sounds in words): the fourth of the 5 basic skills
Listening for the sounds in words, as we write, helps us to spell them.
(Demonstrate with a simple word. For example, the sounds in the word ‘hat’ are h-a-t. Hold up a finger for each sound.)
Writing simple words becomes easy for children when they can hear the sounds in words and know the letters for the sounds.
(Demonstrate again, but this time write the letters on a board as you say them … ‘hat’ – h-a-t. Model the letters in the way the children will be taught to write them.)
• The aim is to try and give children this skill in the first few weeks. But in their first phonics lesson, they are asked if they can hear just the /s/ sound in given words: Is there a /s/ in sun? Is there a /s/ in dog? Is there a /s/ in mouse? Does the /s/ sound come at the beginning or end of mouse?
• Gradually, after the first week, children are taught to hear all the sounds in a word – ‘sun’ is s-u-n. They are encouraged to hold up a finger for each sound. The children who have a naturally good ear quickly develop this skill.
Activity: Call out some words, asking everyone to say the sounds to themselves; hold up a finger for each one, then count the sounds. Check the answers, encouraging everyone to do it with you, holding up a finger for each sound and then saying the number, for example, thin is th-i-n: 3 sounds. (Other sample words: sh-e (2 sounds), s-t-ar-t (4 sounds), th-r-ew (3 sounds), b-oo-k-s (4 sounds), sh-ou-t-i-ng (5 sounds).

12. Oh no they spelt it rong! The most important thing with children's early writing is understanding that getting the correct sound is more important than writing it with the correct letter/s.
Blending Words
Now the children can try and blend words that use the letter sounds they have been taught.
Initially, blending is modelled by the teacher to the whole class.
The sounds need to be said quickly. It is easier if the first sound is slightly louder, t-a-p ... ‘tap’.
As soon as possible, the children are encouraged to join in as well.
Some children find it easy to blend words and others find it difficult. It is a skill that comes with practice.
Activity
Demonstrate blending with the first word, s-a-t … ‘sat’. Ask everyone to join you in blending the rest of the words quickly. If there is time, ask them to try and think up some more words that can be made from the letter sounds /s, a, t, i, p, n/. It can be a quick competition!

13. Alternative Vowel Sounds
Introduced in foundation:
Alternatives taught later in year one:
(play) (flame)
(rain)
(feet)
(leaf)
(these)
(boat)
Alternative Vowel Sounds
Introducing the alternatives
Initially, only one way of reading the vowel sounds is taught. So, for example, the /ai/ sound is taught as ‘ai’, as in ‘rain’.
There are, of course, other ways of writing the vowel sounds, for example ‘ay’ as in ‘play’ and ‘a-e’, as in flame. Some other examples are on screen.
Gradually the children are taught the alternatives as well. This prepares them for the Yellow Level and Green Level of the Jolly Readers.
Progression
With Jolly Phonics, the children progress in a step-by-step fashion through the various stages.
However, some will master these stages faster than others.
The important thing is to make sure that the skills ARE mastered.
Support from home can make all the difference.
Storybooks
Once there is knowledge of the alternatives and fluency in the reading then the children are able to read any books that are suitable for their age.
(snow) (bone)

14. Children are grouped for phonics
* Children are grouped for phonics. * Children work in smaller groups and groups are targeted towards children’s individual needs.
Blending Words
Now the children can try and blend words that use the letter sounds they have been taught.
Initially, blending is modelled by the teacher to the whole class.
The sounds need to be said quickly. It is easier if the first sound is slightly louder, t-a-p ... ‘tap’.
As soon as possible, the children are encouraged to join in as well.
Some children find it easy to blend words and others find it difficult. It is a skill that comes with practice.
Activity
Demonstrate blending with the first word, s-a-t … ‘sat’. Ask everyone to join you in blending the rest of the words quickly. If there is time, ask them to try and think up some more words that can be made from the letter sounds /s, a, t, i, p, n/. It can be a quick competition!

15. Here are a variety of activities you can use and adapt to support your child’s reading and writing
Blending Words
Now the children can try and blend words that use the letter sounds they have been taught.
Initially, blending is modelled by the teacher to the whole class.
The sounds need to be said quickly. It is easier if the first sound is slightly louder, t-a-p ... ‘tap’.
As soon as possible, the children are encouraged to join in as well.
Some children find it easy to blend words and others find it difficult. It is a skill that comes with practice.
Activity
Demonstrate blending with the first word, s-a-t … ‘sat’. Ask everyone to join you in blending the rest of the words quickly. If there is time, ask them to try and think up some more words that can be made from the letter sounds /s, a, t, i, p, n/. It can be a quick competition!

16. Sound Book
Sound Book
As each letter sound is taught, it is stuck into a Sound Book for the children to take home.
Parents can play an important role in encouraging the children to learn the letter sounds by going through the book and asking them to say the sounds.
Some children learn the letter sounds very easily, while others find it much more difficult.
Those who find it difficult are the children who have a poor visual memory, so support from home can make all the difference.

17. Flash Cards What sound is this? Find me a ....
Stick around room – children go on sound hunt.
Place sounds together and encourage children to read words.
Ask children to make up word s using flash cards.
Hunt for objects around home starting with a given sound.

18. Bingo Cards Play bingo with words.
Let children write own bingo cards and play bingo.
Duplicate, cut words out and play snap.
Matching pairs game.
Turn words over and read.

19. Race Game
Encourage children to read words that they land on using a dice.
How many words can they read in a minute?
Can they read it before you can?
Can they test your spelling (they read to you)?
Use with sounds instead of words.

20. Words and Pictures
Children write words for given pictures – linked to their likes.
Children read given words and draw appropriate picture.
Snap game – match words with pictures.

21. Metal Mike Robot to support segmenting – makes writing more fun.
Also robot makes the mistake not the child so children are more willing to make attempts.

22. Top Tips 1. Little and often is the way forward with knowing all the sounds Praise children for good phonetic spelling attempts. 3. Most importantly reading and writing should be fun and meaningful!!!  Christmas lists  Postcards  Letters  Stories
Blending Words
Now the children can try and blend words that use the letter sounds they have been taught.
Initially, blending is modelled by the teacher to the whole class.
The sounds need to be said quickly. It is easier if the first sound is slightly louder, t-a-p ... ‘tap’.
As soon as possible, the children are encouraged to join in as well.
Some children find it easy to blend words and others find it difficult. It is a skill that comes with practice.
Activity
Demonstrate blending with the first word, s-a-t … ‘sat’. Ask everyone to join you in blending the rest of the words quickly. If there is time, ask them to try and think up some more words that can be made from the letter sounds /s, a, t, i, p, n/. It can be a quick competition!

23. Recommended website to visit
 This website will play the sounds for you.