Raising standards in KS1 and Special Needs: helping every child to succeed.
I have taught systematic phonics to all ages and abilities for over 30 years. My teaching degree was in Environmental Studies and I hate to see science reduced to box-ticking when there is so much to discover about the wonderful world we live in.
So, I produce Phonic resources that meet the real needs of children and teachers, along with science resources to engage children in learning about the natural world.
Raising standards in KS1 and Special Needs: helping every child to succeed.
I have taught systematic phonics to all ages and abilities for over 30 years. My teaching degree was in Environmental Studies and I hate to see science reduced to box-ticking when there is so much to discover about the wonderful world we live in.
So, I produce Phonic resources that meet the real needs of children and teachers, along with science resources to engage children in learning about the natural world.
A simple Phonic game to help children learn the vowel teams OO and EE.
Simply choose a picture, say the word, listen for the sound (OO or EE) in the word and see if you can be the first to finish your snakes!
Can be used as an activity for a single child.
Some children need more support than others to learn these sounds. Give them the help they need with a fun game - they will forget they are learning!
Games makes phonics fun!
Suitable for school/home use.
A game for 2 players, full instructions included.
Here is a simple, fun to play CK game, or individual CK matching activity, to help children to learn the CK digraph.
This pack contains both a black and white version to send home for home-learning).
For either one child or two players
For home and school use
For parents, teachers and home educators
For intervention, classwork, home-school curriculum and private tutors.
Simple to prep, simple to play.
This is the eco black and white version.
For a colour version please see here.
A simple Phonic game to help children learn the vowel teams OO and EE.
Simply match picture to words.
Can be used as an activity for a single child.
Some children need more support than others to learn these sounds. Give them the help they need with a fun game - they will forget they are learning!
Games makes phonics fun!
Suitable for school/home use.
A game for 2 players, full instructions included.
A simple game to help children learn to differentiate between the sounds F, V and TH.
Full instructions provided.
Eco print black and white.
Easy prep. Easy to play!
A bright, cheery A4 size phonic alphabet chart just perfect for young children who are learning the beginning/initial sounds!
2 font styles
How to use:
Laminate the chart
Give one to each pupil to have on the desk for handy reference
Pin the phonic alphabet chart on the wall!
Just right for:
Reception/Y1
Special needs older children
Home-education
Parents
those struggling to recall letter shapes/sounds
5 FREE worksheets to teach CVC word with a short vowel.
This is a sample of our 72 sheet Short A CVC Words pack, which contains plenty of exercises to help children of all abilities to take their first steps in blending and segmenting.
CVC words with a short A are usually the first words a child will learn to blend, and therefore, we start the pack with child friendly exercises, with only a small amount on each page to encourage the child. Those with more confidence can tackle our more advanced sheets: there is plenty for all abilities!
The realistic pictures means that these worksheets can safely be used with older ESL/EFL/ SENd children.
A simple phonemic awareness board game for 2 players to help children hear the sounds 'ar 'and ‘or’ in words.
Some children need more oral work before they can read and spell words with ‘or’ and ‘ar’ successfully, so this game can give vital help.
Note: children will not be expected to read any words. It is an oral game, based on pictures.
Eco printing Black and white. Great for home-learning, sending home. Children love to colour the pictures themselves and play ‘their’ game!
Very suitable for Special Needs/EFL/ESL learners.
An phonetic easy reader aout Owls for those beginning to read longer simple texts - with words that can be sounded out using phonic knowledge and only a few most common sight words.
Learn about Owls through a simple story. Learn Science at the same time!
See more at([ KS1 Nature]https://ks1nature.weebly.com/)
First reading books for those just learning the initial sounds with an Initial Sounds workbook to reinforce learning.
Say the letter name and/or sound
Trace the letter
Find the things that begin with that sound
These Initial Sounds reading books can be used in two ways:
You can look at each letter as it is introduced and use the page as part of the lesson for that sound.
You can wait until all of the sounds in each book have been taught and use it for revision.
I prefer this last way, as when the child has learned 5 sounds, s/he will be so glad to recognise the sounds that have been taught in the book and it will give him/her a real confidence boost and a feeling of success. Try it and see for yourself. As you present each book, make it a moment to mark progress.
“Now you have learned some more letters, you can read this book!”
These books can be followed with our popular CVC Words reading books:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12636791
For more help teaching phonics, please see Reading Made Simple,
a 100% free phonic reading and spelling programme, written by two teachers with many years experience teaching children to read, especially those with special needs.
A Power Point or video lesson to introduce the digraph ‘oo’ to children, especially suitable for those who have special needs or need a slower pace. This is one of a series.
This is a taught lesson. Stop the video if you need more time on a slide. The Power Point allows for more control over the speed.
Just like having your own phonics teacher.
Written by a teacher with over 30 years experience of teaching phonics to all abilities.
Can either be used by the child, with support from an adult, as well as to give the parent a feel for what is necessary - i.e. for training purposes.
A Power Point or video lesson to introduce the digraph ‘ck’ to children, especially suitable for those who have special needs or need a slower pace. This is one of a series.
This is a taught lesson. Stop the video if you need more time on a slide. The Power Point allows for more control over the speed.
Find flashcards, worksheets, reading book and game here:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/complete-ck-lesson-for-phase-2-letters-and-sounds-home-learning-12457905
Just like having your own phonics teacher.
Written by a teacher with over 30 years experience of teaching phonics to all abilities.
Can either be used by the child, with support from an adult, as well as to give the parent a feel for what is necessary - i.e. for training purposes.
Here is a simple ‘ar’ phonic game which I made to help my struggling readers.
It is easy, fun and if nothing else, your pupil will forget his/her difficulty with reading while playing this game with either an adult or another child.
Full instructions are given.
Two editions are provided: black and white or coloured.
Why not let the pupil make his/her own game by colouring the black and white pictures? This will make it his, or her game - personal - while linking all 18 words in the game in the child’s mind to the ‘ar’ family - so important for spelling.
This is a simple game for either 2 or 3 players.
If playing with other children, the teacher should watch closely to ensure that the children are sounding the words out correctly.
Use as a discrete form of assessment: is the pupil using knowledge of letter sounds - or GUESSING which will lead to failure?Timely intervention now can prevent much trouble later on.
Let your pupils have fun learning ‘ar’!
Why not send it home for homework?
Can be used with any programme including Letters and Sounds Phases 3 + 4
Two fun , fully interactive Power Points to help children to learn to add and subtract one, based on counting rhymes:
One little bird in the sky so blue, along came another and that made two…Adding one more each time to five
Five little fishes swimming near the shore, one swam away and then there were four…Subtracting on each time from 5 to zero.
Made for a SEN pupil, but suitable for all ages.
Great for distance learning lessons/1:1 tutition/private tutors, OR
For whole class use
Here is a simple, fun to play CK game, or individual CK matching activity, to help children to learn the CK digraph.
This pack contains both a colour (for class use) and a black and white version to send home for home-learning).
For either one child or two players
For home and school use
For parents, teachers and home educators
For intervention, classwork, home-school curriculum and private tutors.
Simple to prep, simple to play.
This is the eco black and white version.
For a colour version please see here.
This is a pack of 12 phonic worksheets to teach ‘U-E’ (silent ‘e’, Magic ‘e’, long vowels, split digraphs) words.
These ‘U-E’ Phonic Worksheets can be used with very young children, although I made them for children who have processing difficulties and need more systematic teaching.
They are:
highly systematic
have a limited amount on each page as these pupils tire easily.
Pupils should be confident blending with consonant blends (Phase 4 Letters and Sounds for example).
I use ‘Sound-it-out boxes’ for new words, where digraphs are grouped together to give the child the visual reminder to make one sound.
The worksheets include activities to:
Develop blending and segmenting
Give needed repetition to to develop word recognition
Develop phonemic awareness - much needed by early learners
Tracking activities - to see and recognise the new sound in words
Comprehension activities
Writing practice
Reading of longer passages
Fluency triangles
Lots of repetition builds confidence and success! Help a struggling reader today.
You will find it hard to find such a comprehensive programme of systematic phonic instruction for a special needs child for such a price.
This is a pack of 12 phonic worksheets to teach ‘O-E’ (silent ‘e’, Magic ‘e’, Long Vowels) words.
These ‘O-E’ Phonic Worksheets can be used with very young children, although I made them for children who have processing difficulties and need more systematic teaching.
They are:
highly systematic
have a limited amount on each page as these pupils tire easily.
Pupils should be confident blending with consonant blends (Phase 4 Letters and Sounds for example).
I use ‘Sound-it-out boxes’ for new words, where digraphs are grouped together to give the child the visual reminder to make one sound.
The worksheets include activities to:
Develop blending and segmenting
Give needed repetition to to develop word recognition
Develop phonemic awareness - much needed by early learners
Tracking activities - to see and recognise the new sound in words
Comprehension activities
Writing practice
Reading of longer passages
Fluency triangles
Lots of repetition builds confidence and success! Help a struggling reader today.
You will find it hard to find such a comprehensive programme of systematic phonic instruction for a special needs child for such a price.
A fun, animated PowerPoint to introduce children to the consonant blends SL featuring the lovable character, SLIMMY SLUG!
As you tell the story, which is written under each slide for use in Presentation Mode or on the accompanying PDF, stretch out the key words containing the focus blend: SLLLimmy SLLLug to help children hear the blend.
At the end of the story, 2 slides help you to teach the children to blend the two sounds together to make the blend SL and then further slides encourage the children to help you to retell the story as you highlight the key words containing each blend.
The PowerPoint ends with an interactive puzzle: can the children tell you which things begin with the blend SL? Watch the pictures spin if correct and disappear if incorrect!
An SL worksheet is included for follow up.
Close your lesson with a plenary session, reviewing the key words containing the FL blend.
Written to help a disallusioned 8-yr-old who had already failed to read despite 2 phonic programmes, I needed a way to get his attention. It worked and he loved these simple PowerPoint presentations and was soon reading and spelling words with consonant blends.
Suitable for distance/on-line learning, in school, at home and for home education.
Find also:
FR PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12907479
FL PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12907482
See also our consonant blends, leveled, FREE reading books!
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12645240
A fun, animated PowerPoint to introduce children to the consonant blends FL featuring the lovable character, FLAPPY FLY!
As you tell the story, which is written under each slide for use in Presentation Mode or on the accompanying PDF, stretch out the key words containing the focus blend: FLLLappy FLLLy to help children hear the blend.
At the end of the story, 2 slides help you to teach the children to blend the two sounds together to make the blend FL and then further slides encourage the children to help you to retell the story as you highlight the key words containing each blend.
The PowerPoint ends with an interactive puzzle: can the children tell you which things begin with the blend FL? Watch the pictures spin if correct and disappear if incorrect!
An FL worksheet is included for follow up.
Close your lesson with a plenary session, reviewing the key words containing the FL blend.
Written to help a disallusioned 8-yr-old who had already failed to read despite 2 phonic programmes, I needed a way to get his attention. It worked and he loved these simple PowerPoint presentations and was soon reading and spelling words with consonant blends.
Suitable for distance/on-line learning, in school, at home and for home education.
Find also:
FR PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12907479
SL PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12907484
See our consonant blends, leveled, FREE reading books!
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12645240
A fun, animated PowerPoint to introduce children to the consonant blends FR featuring the lovable character, Freddy Frog!
As you tell the story, which is written under each slide for use in Presentation Mode or on the accompanying PDF, stretch out the key words containing the focus blend: FRRReddy FRRRog to help children hear the blend.
At the end of the story, 2 slides help you to teach the children to blend the two sounds together to make the blend and then further slides encourage the children to help you to retell the story as you highlight the key words containing each blend.
The PowerPoint ends with an interactive puzzle: can the children tell you which things begin with the blend FR? Watch the pictures spin if correct and disappear if incorrect!
An FR worksheet is included for follow up.
Close your lesson with a plenary session, reviewing the key words containing the FR blend.
Suitabel for all pupils, but written to help a disallusioned 8-yr-old who had already failed to read despite 2 phonic programmes, I needed a way to get his attention. It worked and he loved these simple PowerPoint presentations and was soon reading and spelling words with consonant blends.
Suitable for distance/on-line learning, in school, at home and for home education.
Find also:
SL PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12907484
FL PowerPoint: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12907482
See our consonant blends, leveled, FREE reading books!
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12645240
This game practices the spelling and reading of words with ai or the split digraph a-e. Suitable for use with Read, Write inc. Set 3 words.
Be the first to get to the moon as you find words to fit your rocket - either ai or the a-e words.
This game helps children to learn which combination of letters are used to spell common words in the ‘ai’ and ‘a-e’ sound families.
It also gives practice reading ‘ai’ and ‘a-e’ words.
Excellent for reluctant learners, special needs, and just about all children.
Full instructions and teaching notes included.
For use with any phonic programme, including Read, Write Inc. and Jolly Phonics.
Tes paid licence