Reception English and phonics Letter sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /s/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   tin starts with t · sun starts with s · ant starts with a
2. Find the sound /s/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /s/ is at the start of sun.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   sun

Check. Say sun slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /s/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   tin
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /t/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from t, p, a.
   t

Check. The word tin starts with t. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /m/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   pan starts with p · mat starts with m · dad starts with d
2. Find the sound /m/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /m/ is at the start of mat.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   mat

Check. Say mat slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /m/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   dad
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   d - a - d
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   d-a-d

Check. Read the letters back: d-a-d. They spell dad. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   m - a - p
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /m/ /a/ /p/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /m/ /a/ /p/ = map

Check. Check the picture of a map. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. The middle sound comes after the first sound and before the last sound.

1. Say the word slowly, sound by sound. Each letter makes one sound here.
   p-i-n
2. Find the sound that is not first or last. The middle one sits between the other two.
   The middle letter is i.
3. Write the answer. Write the letter for the middle sound.
   i

Check. Say the word again: p-i-n. The middle sound is i. ✓

Watch out. Do not pick the first or last letter. Look between them.

Method. Look at the start of each name. One of them starts with a different sound.

1. Look at the first letter of each name. Read the names as a grown-up points to them.
   tap: t · tin: t · nest: n
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with t.
   nest is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   nest (starts with n)

Check. The other pictures start with t, so nest is the odd one. ✓

Watch out. Find the sound that most names share first. The odd one is the name that does not match.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   sad
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /s/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from s, m, d.
   s

Check. The word sad starts with s. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Check each name for a first letter m and a last letter p.

1. Check mum. mum starts with m, but ends with m.
   m - u - m
2. Check map. map starts with m and ends with p.
   m - a - p
3. Check mat. mat ends with t, not p.
   m - a - t
4. Write the answer.
   map

Check. Only map starts with m and ends with p. ✓

Watch out. Check both clues before you choose.

Method. Look at the first letter of the word.

1. Read the word. Read every letter.
   n - e - s - t
2. Find the first letter. The first letter gives the first sound.
   first letter: n
3. Give your answer. Use the words “first letter”.
   Accept any answer that says the first letter n gives the first sound /n/.

Check. n makes the sound /n/. ✓

Watch out. Use the words first letter in your answer.

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /d/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   sun starts with s · dad starts with d · tap starts with t
2. Find the sound /d/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /d/ is at the start of dad.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   dad

Check. Say dad slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /d/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   sun
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /s/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from s, a, d.
   s

Check. The word sun starts with s. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   tan
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   t - a - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   t-a-n

Check. Read the letters back: t-a-n. They spell tan. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   p - i - n
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /p/ /i/ /n/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /p/ /i/ /n/ = pin

Check. Check the picture of a pin. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. The middle sound comes after the first sound and before the last sound.

1. Say the word slowly, sound by sound. Each letter makes one sound here.
   m-a-t
2. Find the sound that is not first or last. The middle one sits between the other two.
   The middle letter is a.
3. Write the answer. Write the letter for the middle sound.
   a

Check. Say the word again: m-a-t. The middle sound is a. ✓

Watch out. Do not pick the first or last letter. Look between them.

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /a/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   sad starts with s · ant starts with a · pan starts with p
2. Find the sound /a/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /a/ is at the start of ant.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   ant

Check. Say ant slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /a/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   nest
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /n/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from n, m, d.
   n

Check. The word nest starts with n. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   map
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   m - a - p
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   m-a-p

Check. Read the letters back: m-a-p. They spell map. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Blend the sounds in order, then check each picture name.

1. Blend m - a - t. Join the sounds together.
   m - a - t
2. Check the pictures. map ends with p; pan starts with p; mat has m, a, t in order.
   map: m-a-p; pan: p-a-n; mat: m-a-t
3. Write the answer.
   mat

Check. Say the sounds m - a - t. The word is mat. ✓

Watch out. Check the letters in order.

Method. Check each letter in order.

1. Say the sounds. Each letter makes one sound.
   t - i - p
2. Check the letters. The letters t, i and p are all in this chapter.
   all three letters are in this chapter
3. Give your answer. Say why Tom is right.
   Accept any answer that says yes, because t, i, p are the sounds in tip, in that order.

Check. Tip uses the sounds t, i and p. ✓

Watch out. The word tip has three letters, one sound each.

Method. Choose words that start with s.

1. Think of a word that starts with s. Use letters from this chapter.
   sat
2. Think of another word. It must also start with s.
   sad
3. Write the answer. Both words start with s.
   Accept any two words that start with s and use only letters from this chapter, such as sat, sad or sip.

Check. Each word starts with the sound /s/. ✓

Watch out. Check that the first letter is s.