Reception English and phonics: The sound of r

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

Check. Say rat 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. 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 · goat starts with g · 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 name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   rug
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, u, g.
   r

Check. The word rug starts with r. ✓

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

Check. The word cat starts with c. ✓

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

Check. Read the letters back: r-a-t. They spell rat. ✓

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.
   rug
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   r - u - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   r-u-g

Check. Read the letters back: r-u-g. They spell rug. ✓

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

Check. Check the picture of a sock. 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.
   rat: r · rug: r · sun: s
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with r.
   sun is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   sun (starts with s)

Check. The other pictures start with r, so sun 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. Look at the last letters of each name.

1. Look at rug. rug ends with g.
   rug: g
2. Look at duck. duck ends with ck.
   duck: ck
3. Write the answer.
   duck

Check. Only duck ends with ck. ✓

Watch out. Check the last letters, not the first.

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.
   rug
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   r - u - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   r-u-g

Check. Read the letters back: r-u-g. They spell rug. ✓

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

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

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them 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.
   r - e - d
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /r/ /e/ /d/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /r/ /e/ /d/ = red

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

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them 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 - u - p
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /k/ /u/ /p/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /k/ /u/ /p/ = cup

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

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

Method. Look at the last letter of each word.

1. Look at rat. The last letter is t.
   rat: t
2. Look at rug. The last letter is g.
   rug: g
3. Give your answer. Say whether the last letters match.
   Accept any answer that says no: rat ends with t, and rug ends with g.

Check. t and g are different letters. ✓

Watch out. Say each word and find the last letter.