Reception English and phonics: The sounds of g and o

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

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.
   mat starts with m · goat starts with g · cup starts with c
2. Find the sound /g/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /g/ is at the start of goat.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   goat

Check. Say goat slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /g/. ✓

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 /o/.

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

Check. Say orange slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /o/. ✓

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 g, o, c.
   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 name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   orange
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /o/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from o, a, e.
   o

Check. The word orange starts with o. ✓

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.
   dog
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   d - o - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   d-o-g

Check. Read the letters back: d-o-g. They spell dog. ✓

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.
   mop
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   m - o - p
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   m-o-p

Check. Read the letters back: m-o-p. They spell mop. ✓

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

Check. Check the picture of a pig. 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. Find the middle sound of each name.

1. Look at sock. The middle sound is /o/.
   s - o - ck
2. Look at pig. The middle sound is /i/.
   p - i - g
3. Look at cat. The middle sound is /a/.
   c - a - t
4. Write the answer.
   sock

Check. Only sock has the /o/ sound in the middle. ✓

Watch out. Look between the first and last sound.

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

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

Check. Say goat slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /g/. ✓

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

Method. Look at the last letter of each word.

1. Look at dog. The last letter is g.
   dog: g
2. Look at goat. The last letter is t.
   goat: t
3. Give your answer. Say which words end with g.
   Accept any answer that says no: dog ends with g, but goat ends with t.

Check. Dog ends with g. Goat ends with t. ✓

Watch out. Say the word slowly to find the last letter.

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.
   got
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   g - o - t
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   g-o-t

Check. Read the letters back: g-o-t. They spell got. ✓

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

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

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

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

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

Check. Say goat slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /g/. ✓

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

Method. Check the first and last letters of each name.

1. Look at dog. dog starts with d, not o.
   dog: d ... g
2. Look at orange. orange starts with o and ends with e.
   orange: o ... e
3. Look at goat. goat starts with g, not o.
   goat: g ... t
4. Write the answer.
   orange

Check. Only orange starts with o and ends with e. ✓

Watch out. Check both the first and last letters before you choose.