Reception English and phonics Letter sounds: g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r: check-up and practice test questions

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

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 · kite starts with k · dog starts with d
2. Find the sound /k/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /k/ is at the start of kite.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   kite

Check. Say kite slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /k/. ✓

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.
   goat
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /g/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from c, g, e.
   g

Check. The word goat starts with g. ✓

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.
   duck
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   d - u - ck
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   d-u-ck

Check. Read the letters back: d-u-ck. They spell duck. ✓

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

Method. Say the word sound by sound.

1. Say sock. Each sound is one box.
   s - o - ck
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /k/, and it is written ck.
   last sound: /k/
3. Write the letters.
   ck

Check. ck makes one sound at the end. ✓

Watch out. Write both letters together.

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

Check. Check the picture of a cat. 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.
   d-o-g
2. Find the sound that is not first or last. The middle one sits between the other two.
   The middle letter is o.
3. Write the answer. Write the letter for the middle sound.
   o

Check. Say the word again: d-o-g. The middle sound is o. ✓

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.
   kite: k · cat: c · egg: e
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with /k/.
   egg is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   egg (starts with e)

Check. The other pictures start with /k/, so egg 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.
   umbrella
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /u/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from u, e, a.
   u

Check. The word umbrella starts with u. ✓

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 /r/.

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.
   rug starts with r · egg starts with e · pig starts with p
2. Find the sound /r/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /r/ is at the start of rug.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   rug

Check. Say rug slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /r/. ✓

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

Method. Say the sounds, then count them.

1. Say duck. Say each sound in order.
   d - u - ck
2. Count the sounds. ck is one sound.
   d, u, ck
3. Give your answer. Use the words one sound.
   Accept any answer that says d, u and ck are three sounds, because ck is one sound.

Check. Three sounds: d, u and ck. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.

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

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.
   umbrella starts with u · goat starts with g · rat starts with r
2. Find the sound /u/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /u/ is at the start of umbrella.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   umbrella

Check. Say umbrella slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /u/. ✓

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.
   rat
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /r/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from r, t, a.
   r

Check. The word rat starts with r. ✓

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.
   sock
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   s - o - ck
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   s-o-ck

Check. Read the letters back: s-o-ck. They spell sock. ✓

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

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.
   c-u-p
2. Find the sound that is not first or last. The middle one sits between the other two.
   The middle letter is u.
3. Write the answer. Write the letter for the middle sound.
   u

Check. Say the word again: c-u-p. The middle sound is u. ✓

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

Method. Check each name for the sounds in order.

1. Check dog. dog has d, then o, then g.
   d - o - g
2. Check cat and pig. cat has c, a, t. pig has p, i, g.
   cat: c-a-t; pig: p-i-g
3. Write the answer.
   dog

Check. Only dog has the sounds d, o, g in order. ✓

Watch out. Check the order of the sounds.

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.
   r - u - g
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /r/ /u/ /g/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /r/ /u/ /g/ = rug

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

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

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

Check. Read the letters back: c-a-t. They spell cat. ✓

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

Method. Check the last letters of each name.

1. Look at duck. duck ends with ck.
   duck: ck
2. Look at dog and rat. dog ends with g. rat ends with t.
   dog: g; rat: t
3. Write the answer.
   duck

Check. Only duck ends with ck. ✓

Watch out. Check the last letters.

Method. Look at the first letter of egg.

1. Read the word. Read every letter.
   e - gg
2. Find the first letter. The first letter is e.
   first letter: e
3. Give your answer. Say why Ben is wrong.
   Accept any answer that says no: egg starts with e, and it has gg at the end.

Check. e makes the sound /e/. ✓

Watch out. Do not confuse the first and last letters.

Method. Say the first sound of each name.

1. Look at rug. rug starts with r, so /r/.
   rug: /r/
2. Look at cup. cup starts with c, which makes the sound /k/.
   cup: /k/
3. Give your answer. Say why cup is right.
   Accept any answer that picks cup and says c makes the sound /k/ at the start.

Check. Only cup starts with the sound /k/. ✓

Watch out. The letter c can make the sound /k/.

Method. Choose two pictures and check their first letters.

1. Think of one word. Use one of the letters in this chapter.
   goat: g
2. Think of another word. Use a different letter from this chapter.
   rat: r
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any two words that start with g, o, c, k, e, u or r, such as goat and rat.

Check. Each word starts with a letter from this chapter. ✓

Watch out. Pick two different first letters.

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

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

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