Reception English and phonics: The sounds of i and n

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

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.
   nest starts with n · dad starts with d · tin starts with t
2. Find the sound /n/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /n/ is at the start of nest.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   nest

Check. Say nest slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /n/. ✓

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

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

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.
   dad starts with d · tin starts with t · nest starts with n
2. Find the sound /t/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /t/ is at the start of tin.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   tin

Check. Say tin slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /t/. ✓

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 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, n.
   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. 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.
   pin
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   p - i - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   p-i-n

Check. Read the letters back: p-i-n. They spell pin. ✓

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

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.
   tin
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   t - i - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   t-i-n

Check. Read the letters back: t-i-n. They spell tin. ✓

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. 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.
   pin: p · pan: p · nest: n
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with p.
   nest is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   nest (starts with n)

Check. The other pictures start with p, 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. 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.
   t-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: t-i-n. The middle sound is i. ✓

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

Method. Say each word, then find the middle sound.

1. Say tap. The middle sound of tap is /a/.
   t - a - p
2. Say tin. The middle sound of tin is /i/.
   t - i - n
3. Say pan. The middle sound of pan is /a/.
   p - a - n
4. Write the answer.
   tin

Check. Only tin has i in the middle. ✓

Watch out. Look at the letter between the first and last letter.

Method. Look at the first letter of each name.

1. Look at pin. pin starts with p.
   pin: p
2. Look at nest. nest starts with n.
   nest: n
3. Write the answer.
   nest

Check. Only nest starts with n. ✓

Watch out. The n in nest is at the start, not the end.

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. Say pin slowly, then find where n is.

1. Say the word. Each letter makes one sound.
   p - i - n
2. Find n. n is the last letter, not the middle.
   n is last
3. Give your answer. Say where the middle letter is.
   Accept any answer that says no: pin has i in the middle, and n is at the end.

Check. The middle letter is i. ✓

Watch out. Say the word first, then check where each letter is.

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.
   nap
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   n - a - p
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   n-a-p

Check. Read the letters back: n-a-p. They spell nap. ✓

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

Method. Look at the first letter of each word.

1. Look at nest. nest starts with n.
   nest: n
2. Look at sun. sun starts with s.
   sun: s
3. Give your answer. Say whether the first sounds match.
   Accept any answer that says no: nest starts with n, and sun starts with s.

Check. n and s are different sounds. ✓

Watch out. Compare the first letters, not the whole word.