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.
Here is a new series of five decodable phonic CVC words reading books (with a short vowel sound).
Read in order for best effect.
Vocabulary builds up systematically, repeating from book to book.
Helps to build confident fluent readers.
These CVC reading books can be used with two groups of children:
a more confident child who is learning to read for the first time,
an older child who maybe needs to revisit this level as part of a reading intervention programme.
They have more text on a page than my CVC Reading books.
They may even be used after a child has completed the 16 book set, to extend reading ability, as they use the same characters and the same vocabulary.
They can be used in the early stages of all good phonic programmes but were written for Reading Made Simple, a 100% free reading and writing programme, which is popular with parents and home educators.
These books :
Have 99% decodable vocabulary - with just words like dog/hen/ran/get
Only use sight words is and the and to.
Have absolutely NO nasty surprises to trip a child up and make him/her lose confidence
Keep pictures to the minimum: enough to engage and ensure comprehension, but not to encourage guessing
Fluency charts are included listing all the keywords in each book. The child is encouraged to read each chart at least three times and colour a star after each reading.
Suitable for use by:
Teachers
Parents
Home educators
Private tutors
ANYONE!!
Each book is either 12 or 16 A5 pages each.
Here are three simple activities to help a child to learn to blend (updated from advert).
I wrote them for an 8 yr old child whom I tutor. He has a smattering of phonic knowledge, but having not learned to blend properly is now guessing and unable to read fluently. This is a common problem, but it must not be allowed to persist or the child will not learn to read fluently, or will take a very long time to do so.
These activities are listening activities. This is a deliberate act to limit the amount of exposure a child has to seeing CVC words, before working on blending with him/her, and so further limiting the possibility that a child will memorise the words before having learned to blend.
By all means use ‘robot’ talk as you do these activities with your child.
Before doing these activities with your child:
Do ensure that a child can give the correctly pronounced sounds on sight of the letters of the alphabet.
Remove any distractions/background noise.
Have the child’s full attention.
Full instructions and black and white pictures provided.
This ck reading book is a sample of my graded, systematic, phonic reading books with nearly 100% decodable words for the sounds:
ck,oo, ee, sh, ch, th, ng, ing, ar and or.
Suitable for use with any phonic programme, including Letters and sounds Phase 2 and RWI Speed Sets 1+ 2, once a child cna blends words with a short vowel sound, including those with consonant blends.
You can find the complete Red Level Set 1 books in a package with the simple lesson notes and all you need to help your child learn to read, including the necessary flashcards and phonic word lists here, saving you time and effort:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12863669
Special Features of these graded phonic reading books:
As each new phonic sound is introduced, words from that phonic family are practiced and words met in previous readers revised, while new words from phonic sound families already taught are gradually introduced.
Because of this highly structured nature they are suitable for all children to enable good progress , but particularly for those who are struggling to learn to read.
The books should be read in sound order as above.
They only use the sight words: he, we, me, be, she, so, give, have, says. they, are
The pictures are minimal and do not encourage guessing so that meaning has to be gleaned from the text.
Each book tells a simple story with humour where possible
They have been tried on tested on many children now, including some with profound difficulties.
Matching workbooks consolidate and revise learning.
Vocabulary repeats so aiding reading fluency and building security and confidence.
They are based on the latest research and evidence based methods.
If your child is struggling to learn to read for whatever reason, these books can help.
Who are the graded phonic reading books for?
These books can be used older struggling readers with dyslexia, or any with a processing difficulty of any kind.
Teaching reading
Reading intervention
They were written for Reading MadeSimple but can be used with Letters and Sounds Phases 3 and 4, and RWI Speed Set 2.
You can help a struggling reader today!
Read Match and Spell is an activity to help children to read (sound out), find a matching picture and then spell CVC words with a short vowel sound using magnetic letters.
Great for Literacy centers, or for group/individual work
Great for EYFS/Early Intervention/Special Needs
You can use this Read, Match and Spell activity as a worksheet and let the child copy the word + picture and write the letters in the boxes, but I prefer to use the picture and word cards. This makes the activity more fun and stress-free.
Included are 6 words and pictures for each short vowel sound.
Print as many baseboards as you require.
Start by limiting the child to words and pictures from one vowel sound, and as confidence grows, extend the choice to other vowel sounds. You can target the ones the child needs the most practice with.
I made it for a pupil who lacks confidence: by having the word already in front of him he felt safe to sound the word out to spell it. The activity acted as a bridge to him being able to spell CVC words by himself. In addition, the picture served as a reward for having correctly sounded out the word.
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A pack of two super fun games to help children learn to hear the final sound of words, so vital for spelling with phonics. The games cover the final sounds: t,d, k, g, p, b, n, m and s.
They can also be used for speech therapy giving practice in like sounds: d/t/, k/g/ and p/b with which some children struggle.
Children from EYFS to teens with sepecial needs will enjoy playing these games!
Some children need a little extra practice to hear the final sounds of words, and a game takes the tedium out of learning!
Children will want to play these games again and again and you can change the sound each time. Nine sounds with 63 picture cards and two boards to choose from means the child will not get bored
Build a Castle, Win the Race: you choose! You can even change the fun level by adding in extra/missed turns - but play it simply first.
The games can be for up to 4 players, though it is recommended that each player plays first with an adult until s/he has begun to hear the final sound.
Full instructions are given.
Both games come in either colour or ink-saving black and white.
I made these games to help a ten-yr-old reluctant pupil to hear the final sounds of words. It won him round and now he is an expert!
I hope they help you too!
A series of highly structured phonics worksheets for special needs, currently covering the sounds:
CK, OO, EE, AR and OR, A-E, I-E for any pupils of any age who need a slower pace and more in-depth study of a digraph, with each task broken into tiny manageable steps.
Each pack contains 12 worksheets, intended to be worked through as a workbook but which can be used discretely.
These sheets are intended to be used in a multisensory capacity so needed by special needs children, in which the child sees the sound/word, feels the sound with the mouth parts, and then writes it.
See it! Sound-it-out! Write it! is my powerful 3-step process.
My ‘sound-it-out’ boxes help to visually group wounds in words so guiding the pupils attention to the sounds to help them to sound out effectively.
These structured worksheets take the pupil through the following stages:
Hear the new sound in familiar words (to familiarise the child with the sound)
Write the new sound (writing adds a multisensory dimension so needed by these pupils)
Track the new sound in words (throughout)
Write the new sounds
Read words with the new sound
Read longer passages
Each pack includes a front cover to make a workbook and a page on which to write the given dictation passage on completion of the exercises.
These packs were written originally for a ten-year-old pupil of mine who has severe processing difficulties. They will help those suspected of being, or diagnosed with, Dyslexia as well as with any other special need.
This bundle is rapidly being added to.
This is a pack of 12 ‘ar’ digraph, phonic worksheets.
They were written for children who need a slower pace and more instruction but will equally suit the young child learning phonics.
They can be used with any systematic phonic programme - including RWI, Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds, or Reading Made Simple.
They are designed to be used as a workbook, but can be used individually as needed.
They take the child from aurally hearing the new sound in word, to gradually reading and writing words with the ‘ar’ sound.
They particularly suit those with dyslexia, or suspected dyslexia, who have failed with other approaches to learning phonics.
They are highly systematic, and have a limited amount on each page as young/special needs pupils tire easily.
These ‘ar’ phonic worksheets work on my ‘sound-it-out’ principal for special needs: See it! Sound-it-out! Write it! Thye utilise ‘sound-it-out’ boxes (Orton Gillingham style) to group sounds in each word to visually guide the pupil to sound out the new words.
Lots of repetition builds confidence and success and culminates in the reading of two passages, with reading comprehension activities alongside.
For more help, see Reading Made Simple, a 100% FREE systematic Reading and Writing programme for all ages and abilities.
This book is one of a series. See also:
or Phonic Worksheets
ee Phonic Worksheets
a-e Phonic Worksheets
A bumper pack of teaching resources with everything you need to teach initial sounds.
For use in class, for private tuition and for home education, ESL/EFL/ Special need.
This Initial Sounds Teaching Pack contains (all a-z with vowels in yellow):
Alphabet chart for display/for a child to practice the sounds/check and see progress
Cards with both pictures and initial sounds,
Cards with just a sound with room for the matching picture to be inserted above
Two sets of matching pictures cards
A set of lower-case letters
A set of upper-case letters
Vowel strips with and without pictures: these should be said daily, once learned, as the child moves on to learn to blend.
Over 170 cards altogether!
Simply print, cut and laminate for durability.
Suggestions for use are provided, but you are only limited by your imagination!
A bundle pack of autumn, winter and spring vocabulary flashcards with many uses:
For themed writing/reading work
Science work
Phonic work
Word walls
Dictionary work
Make a pocket chart
The phonetic coding gives children confidence to write/read and helps them to be more independent.
20 winter vocabulary cards, all phonetically coded.
Use for:
display
Word walls
Language development
Reading and spelling phonic work
Make picture dictionaries to go with your topic work
Use them in pocket charts - children just love these!
Science work and much more…
Use your imagination!
20 spring vocabulary cards, all phonetically coded.
Use for:
display
Word walls
Language development
Reading and spelling phonic work
Make picture dictionaries to go with your topic work
Use them in pocket charts - children just love these!
Science work and much more…
Use your imagination!
164 fully differentiated Phonic Worksheets to teach the Special Friends: sh, ch, th, ng and ck. Meeting the needs of the average class and special needs, including dyslexia and EFL/ESL.
For all phonics programmes, especially:
Read, Write Inc. Set 1 Special Friends
Letters and Sounds Phase 3 Set 3
Can also be used with other phonic programmes.
See individual packs for details and to preview the worksheets.
In time I intend to add: qu and nk.
31 ‘ng’ fully differentiated worksheets, for use with any phonic programme, catering for the needs of the average class and special needs.
Written for those at the early stages of phonics, e.g.: Letters and Sounds Phase 3 and Read Write Inc, Set 1 Special Friends and for catch up work, extra practice, ESL/EFL and special needs.
The worksheets give practice in:
Reading and spelling ‘ng’ words
Tracking the ‘ng’ sound in words and sentences
Proofreading
Comprehension
rhymes
Writing sentences using ‘ng’ words.
These worksheets are simple, but effective. For use by teachers and private tutors.
Find activities suitable for all abilities
Assume no knowledge of other digraphs (except on two stated worksheets where ‘th’ and ‘ck’ are used in higher level worksheets)
Two worksheets for most activities: one without consonant blend words, and one with consonant blend words.
Suitable for Special Needs/intervention work/homework.
A colouring page for every letter of the alphabet. Colour the things that begin with each sound. One object on each page (except A) starts with the previous initial sound. Can the child find it?
Encourage neat colouring to aid pencil control.
Correct phonic ‘i’ sound and ‘q’ written with ‘u’.
I made these sheets for one of my pupils who is delayed in speech. He loved colouring and this was a way to motivate him. They helped him to successfully learn all 26 initial sounds.
They can be used by all children and though suitable for use with all schemes, do progress in order - so if the phonic programme your child/ren is/are using does not follow the order of the alphabet, then maybe wait until all of the sounds have been taught.
If you are teaching your own child, you may be interested in our totally FREE, phonic, reading and spelling programme, Reading Made Simple.
For Phases 3 to 5 of Letters and Sounds, here are over 270 fully differentiated worksheets to take pupils from Phase 3 to phase 5, passing through the introduction of consonant blends words in Phase 4.
Help every child to succeed by selecting the worksheet that is right for each pupil.
Here are two of our most popular books bundled together so that you save money!
For Letters and Sounds Phases 2 to 4 a bundle pack of 254 phonic worksheets - all you need to take your pupils from learning initial sounds, through blending CVC words with a short vowel sound, to common digraphs of Phase 3, plus the addition of consonant blends to words in Phase 4.
We include worksheets to teach the digraphs of Phases 3 without consonant blends as well as sheets using consonant blends with Phase 3 digraphs.
ck, ch, sh, th, ng, ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ar, or, ur, ow, oi, ear, air and er, in this order.
To teach consonant blends for words with a short vowel sound, please see this book:
Lesson outline and resources for EYFS/Y1 lessons about squirrels.Helps children to use the local environment to explore and answer questions about squirrels in their habitat.
A bundle Pack including:
26 slide PowerPoint - great as a lesson starter or for reinforcement
18 Worksheets which can stand alone, or be used as follow-up after the PowerPoint - includes background info for teachers and lesson ideas to aid planning
A pack of A4 and A6 photos for display, or to encourage observation and develop language and writing skills.
Children love squirrels and they provide an easy way to help children to learn about animals in the local environment.
10 Squirrel photos: all original and beautiful.
In two forms:
A4 for class display use and
A6 for use by children on the table for writing, comparing, sorting etc… these can be used with our other photos packs.
Use for:
Display
To encourage scientific working methods: compare, sort, group, use photo to find answers, notice patterns and relationships
To encourage the development of English skills (speaking and writing).
And for any purpose you can think of!
Used with our Squirrel PowerPoint
and Squirrel Worksheets you will have everything for a great lesson!
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.
Our CVC Words Read and Reveal books are perfect for those just starting to blend.
Read the word on one page, turn over to reveal the picture and check that you are right!
Children love the visual feedback and it boosts their confidence no end when they find out that they can really read!
7 booklets, each with 7 words, grouped into sound families, and 7 pictures:
ap words
at words
an words
ip/in words
op/og words
Mixed shore vowel ‘e’ words
Mixed short vowel ‘u’ words
For use with all UK approved phonics programmes.
Prints on 2 pages of A4 double-sided - flip on the long edge.
Simply trim to A5, and staple.
Great to use in class, or to send home in book bags.