Discrimination of Long and Short Vowels Activity This activity is designed to help those students who find it difficult to discriminate between long and short vowels. Long vowels say their names and short vowels say their sounds. The student posts words into Mr Long and Mrs short depending on whether the word contains a short or long vowel. Full instructions are given.

Topic 7 Discrimination Of /th/, /v/ And /f/ Activity The sounds of /f/, /v/ and /th/ are often confused. This activity is aimed to help with hearing the differences in these sounds at the beginning, middle or end of the word… Common words are used to develop reading vocabulary.

**Level 1 Topic 1 Long Vowels ** AIM: To learn that long vowels say their letters names, To know that the 5 long vowels are “a” as in acorn, “e” as in emu, “i” as in ivy, “o” as in oval & “u” as in unicorn. To know that if the sound of the word ends in “i” then you must change that “i” to a “y” as in fry. To know that if a vowel is at the end of the word or syllable it is long and says its name as in ā for acorn, ē for emu, ī for ivy, ō for oval and ū for unicorn.

Topic 1 Long Vowels Game “Why Fry” is a game to practise reading and spelling long vowels at the end of the word. It is important for players to know that vowels at the end of the word say their names. Players must also know that if a word ends in “i” they must change it to a “y” as in fry.

Topic 2 Short Vowel /i/ Game “In The Bin” is a game to reinforce CVC words (Consonant Vowel Consonant) using the vowel /i/. Students need to be able to blend sounds to make words such as /p/ and /ig/ making pig, /b/ and /in/ making bin, /r/ and /ip/making rip and /s/ and /it/ making sit. Full instructions are given as to how to play the game

Topic 2 Short Vowel Game “Sit On The Rug With The Cat” is a game to reinforce the 5 short vowels. The student is required to read and spell CVC words (Consonant Vowel Consonant) such as red, bad, ran, ten, bed, wet, dig, big, dip, hop, box, dog, fun, rug and bus. Letter to sound and sound to letter correspondence of the alphabet is required to read & spell these words. Full instructions as to how to play the game are given

Topic 2 Short Vowel /o/ Game “Pot Od Gold” is a game to reinforce CVC words using the vowel /o/. The student is required to read and spell words such as pot, hop, top, of,fox and log. Full instructions are given as to how to play the game

Topic 4 /ch/ Words Game “First To Collect The Chicks” is a reading and spelling game to review words made with the sound /ch/. Words used in the game are rich, chips, much, chop, chin, chat, chaps, such and chops. A quick game which also requires short term memory so is ideal to reinforce /ch/ words.

Topic 2 Short Vowel /u/ Game “Tug And Run” is a game to practise CVC words using the vowel /u/. Students are required to read and spell words such as bun, hut, cup, sum and up. Full instructions are given as to how to play the game

Topic 3 /sh/ Word Game “Fish Dash” is a fun reading and spelling game to ensure knowledge of /sh/ words. Words included in the game are fish, dash, rush, hush, shed, ship, shop, ash, wish, sash, dish, she, shut, mash and cash. The aim is to be the first player to collect and spell ten /sh/ words.

Topic 6 /wh/ Words Game “Whats Up” is a spelling and reading game to help reinforce words beginning with /wh/. Words included are what, where, who, why, when and which.

Topic 7 /sh/ /ch/ /th/ /wh/ Words Game “What’s In The Chest” is a game to reinforce the sounds /sh/, /ch/, /th/ and /wh/. Good visual discrimination is needed to identify the different spelling patterns. The student needs to be able to read and spell words like fish, must, there and which.

Topic 5 /th/ Words Game “Thumbs Up” is a reading and spelling game to reinforce the /th/ words. Words included in the game are the, them, then, they, there, than, that, thin, with and this. The game is quick and is an excellent way to review these /th/ words

Topic 8 S Blend Word Game “Spot The Smoke Stack” is a game to practise the reading and spelling of “S” Blend words. It also requires the ability to be able to discriminate between the following “S” Blends /st/, /sc/, /sp/, /sl/, /sk/, /sw/, /sm/ and /sn/.

S Blend Word Game “Spot The Smoke Stack” is a game to practise the reading and spelling of “S” Blend words. It also requires the ability to be able to discriminate between the following “S” Blends /st/, /sc/, /sp/, /sl/, /sk/, /sw/, /sm/ and /sn/

Topic 9 L Blend Word Game A game to reinforce the 2 letter L blends /bl/, /cl/, /gl/, /fl/,/pl/ and /sl/. Players may pick their own words or use a the reading sheet to find 2 letter L blends to spell.

Topic 10 Multisensory R Blends Worksheets The ability to blend is an essential skill to be able to read. These worksheets teach the blends “br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr and tr” using word building, colour coding, tracking and visual imagery to enhance reading and spelling skills. On completion a spelling test and dictation will assess the retention of these sounds.

Collection of worksheets concentrating on sequencing the alphabet and teaching the sounds of all the letters. Each letter is given a visual picture to help with the sound and formation of the letter.

The “My Favourite Mistake” tool is a reflective teaching strategy used to boost learners’ self-esteem and confidence, emphasising that mistakes are a natural part of the learning journey. In this approach, mistakes are not viewed as mere errors but as valuable opportunities for growth and understanding. Incorporated at the end of a lesson, typically in the review section, this activity encourages learners to identify and reflect on their “favourite mistake” of the day. This mistake might be one that challenged them, prompted new learning, or brought an important insight into focus. In practice, “My Favourite Mistake” invites students to choose one mistake they made during the lesson and reflect on why it stands out. They might answer questions such as: Why did you find this mistake challenging? What did you learn from this experience? How will this shape your approach in future? By identifying and analysing their mistakes, students learn to view errors as an expected and constructive part of learning, which fosters a growth mindset. This process not only deepens content understanding but also builds resilience, encouraging students to take risks and stay engaged without fear of failure.

Introducing Inferential Flash Cards: Boost Reading Comprehension Skills! What Are Inferential Flash Cards? Inference questions challenge readers to go beyond the surface of the text. They encourage young readers to “read between the lines,” using text clues and their own knowledge to make deeper connections and draw thoughtful conclusions. Our flash cards provide carefully crafted questions that can be used with any book or text, making them a flexible and powerful resource for home or classroom use. Benefits of Using Inferential Flash Cards: Develops higher-order thinking skills. Encourages thoughtful discussion and interpretation. Can be used with any book or story, making them versatile and fun. Perfect for both independent readers and guided reading sessions.