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.
Help children read and spell a wider range of ‘oo’ words (comprehension passage and questions included)
Help teach to/two/too
Learn more about past tense verbs: adding ‘ed’ to words that do not change and run/ran, sit/sat etc…
To be used with level 2 of Reading Made Simple, but can be used with any programme. Level 2 ‘oo’ builds upon the work done in Level 1 ‘ck’. These books build upon each progressively, so providing a robust scheme of work for spelling and for the less able reader. Suitable for children who have covered all of the Phase 5 sounds for reading at least.
The words are all phonetic with no nasty surprises, but as all schemes differ, please ensure that your children have all the necessary phonics skill to read the text before starting the exercises.
Reading Made Simple: systematic, progressive and truly phonetic - for all abilities and ages.
An easy phonetic reader 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 a garden bird - the Chaffinch- through a simple story. Learn Science at the same time!
Use with any phonic programme after a child has learned the basic digraphs and trigraphs, for example, after Phase 5 Letters and sounds, or after RWI Speed Set 3 have been completed.
This book contains factual information about Rooks besting in spring, written in fictional style. Children will have fun learning science as they read!
A brief guide for teachers as to the kinds of insects that may be seen on an insect hunt - teaching what a true insect is and the different categories of insects for identification purposes.
Includes a spotting sheet which can be given to children as they hunt for insects, and a recording sheet.
Suitable for home or school use.
A simple phonic board game to practice reading words containing the phonic sounds: ck,oo,ee and sh.
As your pupil has fun, his/her confidence will get a boost!
Use with any phonic programme provided the above sounds have been taught.
Great for any pupil, but especially those with a special need.
*Written especially for use with Reading Made Simple, a 100% FREE reading and spelling programme of systematic phonics, for use by home-educators, parents and schools. So systematic it works even for those who have failed with other programmes.
Here are 12, FREE to download, phonic reading books to support the blending of CCVC words with a short vowel sound, for the very earliest stages of learning to read with phonics.
Suitable for use with all phonic programmes.
The focus is purely on sounding out with only the key words
** I, and go, to**
being gradually introduced.
Pictures are minimal to encourage the child to gain meaning from the text and not to guess.
Phonic words are introduced and then met again in subsequent readers, to help develop confidence and fluency.
The stories are based around farmer Tom with his animals, his wife, his son Sam and daughter, Pam, dog Jiff and the cat.
Highly suitable for special needs children who have failed with other programmes.
Many parents have told me they wished they had found these books sooner, or had found them at all, as they would have been ideal for their struggling reader.
They have been thoroughly tested by my current pupils all of whom are boys. Even my nine-year old boy pupil loves them. He is just so glad to be able to read.
For more help see READING MADE SIMPLE, the 100% FREE, systematic, synthetic phonic reading and/or spelling programme.
An easy reader 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 the Song Thrush through a simple story. Learn Science at the same time!
Use with any phonic programme after a child has learned the basic digraphs and trigraphs, for example, after Phase 5 Letters and sounds, or after RWI Speed Set 3 have been completed.
See more at https://ks1nature.weebly.com/tipsideasfreebies/song-thrush-for-kids.
‘Air’ satisfies children’s thirst for knowledge with beautiful photos and clear factual information. Presented simply with clear text and a large font.
Ideal for use when studying a topic on weather.
Headings include:
What is air?
Why do we need air?
Other uses of air
The second book in a series of factual readers for those just beginning to take off in reading independently. See the others:
Clouds
Water
Frogs
Suitable for individual or guided reading activities.
Suitable for upper KS1, lower KS2 and struggling/reluctant readers of any age.
How to teach phonics effectively is a resource to help schools improve their delivery of phonics, through which ever programme they choose.
The author has 30 years experience of teaching phonics, both in a main stream school, where she had responsibility for the teaching of phonics throughout the whole school and with individual, special needs children.
She draws on her experience of helping both parents and teachers to use phonics to best effect.
Help your children to spring ahead in reading with our Spring Phonics Game, designed to help children become more confident at tackling multisyllabic words.
Suitable for children at the end of Phase 5 Letters and Sounds.
As a spin off, children will also learn to identify common spring plants and animals.
See also our Spring Science Snap game
Remember to print out two sets of the word/picture cards!
These addition flashcards cover adding 0 to 12, to 12 (i.e. to 12+12 and all in between).
They will help children become confident mathematicians with the number facts at their finger tips for instant recall.
This is a rare ability, so help your children be ahead of the crowd.
As far as is possible, try to teach your child all of the number facts for all four rules before the age of seven. This is more than achievable by most children and will give them a head start for life.
Suitable for home-learning.
Helpful tips for use included.
20 Autumn topic word cards for use however you wish:
display
flashcards
to aid with writing
etc… etc…
Phonetically coded to help early readers.
See our phonetically coded Autumn Word Mat too!
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!
A simple nature diary in which very young children can record their natural observations, with a helpful easy reading sheet to encourage young children to start observing and recording.
Encourage youngsters to get close to nature and start a lifetime of learning.
This diary keeps writing to the bare minimum, so that young children do not lose interest due to overkill while providing a means of building up an invaluable record of their discoveries.
This 40 page diary contains 31 pages for recording observations - one for every day of a month, and three pages for extra notes and sketches at the end.
See: https://ks1nature.weebly.com/free-science-lessons/keeping-a-nature-diary-for-ks1
Lilibette’s Resources: Making learning simple.
25 Weather words flashcards in a clear font, phonetically coded to help young readers.
Use for:
Writing tasks
Science activities (groups weather by season/kind - e.g. heat/cold/wind etc…)
Word Walls
Literacy Centers
Pocket Charts
Dictionary work
Have you seen our Weather Project Pack?
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12616669
And our Clouds Project Pack?
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12056090
And our Clouds Power Point lesson?
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12056140
A pack of display items for a study of the butterfly life-cycle.
Includes:
Butterfly life-cycle word mat/poster
A long banner ( 11 A4 pages)which can be either pinned or strung on a string
1 A4 page with title ‘Butterflies’
Butterfly life-cycle flow chart: 1 A4 page each for eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis, butterfly and an arrow to print 4 times
4 initial sounds cards for stages in lifecycle: e/egg; c/caterpillar;c/chrysalis;b/buttefly
4 words and pictures cards for stages in the life-cycle
4 picture cards of stages of the life-cycle with matching word cards: can be used to make games, or for display.
5 strip vocabulary words with pictures
6 Photos
Find lesson notes and worksheets/activities for an amazing lesson/s on the butterfly life-cycle here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12679170
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
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 colour and black and white version
Here are three great pictures that your pupils will enjoy colouring - just perfect for a project/unit study on the Saxons!
For Saxon costume, we have a Saxon Warrior.
For buildings, we have a Saxon hall.
For transport, we have a Saxon keel.
Use them just as colouring pages, to stimulate writing about the Saxons, or even as an activity for early finishers - but be sure to let every child have a copy at the end of the lesson!
Matching the three pictures are three, colour, A4 posters.
These can be used:
To help the children as they colour
Display poster
To encourage conversation
Download your pictures today and bring your Saxon project to life!
Extra: If you print them on to thin card and cut around the edges of each carefully, then make a stand to fix on the back of each, you can make a Saxon army, village or river scene!
Frog-life-cycle worksheets for Y1:
Stick the pictures of the frog’s life-cycle in order - 2 choices of format.
A life-cycle mat for display, or to stimulate discussion/writing
A frog development poster/mat for display/discussion
A sheet on which to write descriptive words about a frog.
A picture to colour for early finishers.
Use with our Frog-Life-cycle PowerPoint for Y1 and Y2!
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12410937
Young children are always fascinated by frog spawn and frogs.
Life-cycles is not just for Y2!
These sheets help teach the Science National curriculum for Y1:
KS1 Overview:
To enable pupils to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed world around them. They should be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.
*
Y1: Animals, including humans
Statutory requirements
identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals
identify and name a variety of common animals that are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores
These frog Life-cycle worksheets can be used in mixed Y1/Y2 classes when Y2 children are learning about frog life-cycle, or in Y1 classes.
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.