Reception English and phonics: The sounds of m and d

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

Check. Say mum 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. 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.
   dad starts with d · mat starts with m · sun starts with s
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.
   mat
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /m/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from m, d, t.
   m

Check. The word mat starts with m. ✓

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.
   dad
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /d/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from d, s, n.
   d

Check. The word dad starts with d. ✓

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.
   mat
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   m - a - t
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   m-a-t

Check. Read the letters back: m-a-t. They spell mat. ✓

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.
   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.
   d - a - d
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /d/ /a/ /d/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /d/ /a/ /d/ = dad

Check. Check the picture of a dad. 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.
   map: m · mat: m · dad: d
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with m.
   dad is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   dad (starts with d)

Check. The other pictures start with m, so dad 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. Check each name for a first letter m and a last letter t.

1. Check mum. mum starts with m but ends with m.
   m - u - m
2. Check map. map starts with m but ends with p.
   m - a - p
3. Check mat. mat starts with m and ends with t.
   m - a - t
4. Write the answer.
   mat

Check. Only mat ends with t. ✓

Watch out. Check both clues: the first letter and the last letter.

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.
   map
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /m/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from m, d, p.
   m

Check. The word map starts with m. ✓

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

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 /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.
   map starts with m · mat starts with m · dad starts with d
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. Choose two words that start with d.

1. Think of a word that starts with d. Use a letter from this chapter.
   dad
2. Think of another word. The second word also starts with d.
   did, dip
3. Write the answer. Use only letters from this chapter.
   Accept any two words that start with d and use only letters from this chapter, such as dad, did or dip.

Check. Each word starts with d. ✓

Watch out. Words can have more than one d, like dad.

Method. Look at the first letter of each word.

1. Look at mum. mum starts with m.
   mum: m
2. Look at mat. mat starts with m.
   mat: m
3. Give your answer. Say whether the first letters match.
   Accept any answer that says yes: mum and mat both start with m.

Check. Both words start with the same letter, m. ✓

Watch out. The middle letters can be different.

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.
   mad
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   m - a - d
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   m-a-d

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

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

Method. Look at the last letter of map.

1. Say the word map. Each letter makes one sound.
   m - a - p
2. Find the last letter. The last letter is at the end.
   last letter: p
3. Give your answer. Say what the last letter is.
   Accept any answer that says no: map ends with p, not d.

Check. The last sound is /p/. ✓

Watch out. Say the word slowly to hear where each letter comes.