Reception English and phonics: The sounds of f and ff

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

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.
   ball starts with b · fan starts with f · hat starts with h
2. Find the sound /f/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /f/ is at the start of fan.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   fan

Check. Say fan slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /f/. ✓

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 /f/.

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.
   fish starts with f · bus starts with b · lamp starts with l
2. Find the sound /f/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /f/ is at the start of fish.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   fish

Check. Say fish slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /f/. ✓

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.
   fan
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /f/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from f, h, b.
   f

Check. The word fan starts with f. ✓

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.
   hat
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /h/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from h, f, b.
   h

Check. The word hat starts with h. ✓

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.
   fig
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   f - i - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   f-i-g

Check. Read the letters back: f-i-g. They spell fig. ✓

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.
   puff
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   p - u - ff
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   p-u-ff

Check. Read the letters back: p-u-ff. They spell puff. ✓

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

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

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

Method. Say the word off, sound by sound.

1. Say off. off has two sounds: o and f.
   o - ff
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /f/, and ff makes it.
   last sound: /f/
3. Write the answer.
   ff

Check. The two letters ff make one sound at the end. ✓

Watch out. Write both letters together.

Method. Look at the end of each word.

1. Look at if and fin. if ends with f. fin ends with n.
   if: f; fin: n
2. Look at off. off ends with ff.
   off: ff
3. Write the answer.
   off

Check. Only off ends with two f letters. ✓

Watch out. Look for two letters at the end, not one.

Method. Say the word puff, one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. Each box is one sound.
   p - u - ff
2. Count the sounds. ff is one sound.
   p, u, ff
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: p, u, ff. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

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.
   fan: f · fish: f · hat: h
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with f.
   hat is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   hat (starts with h)

Check. The other pictures start with f, so hat 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 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.
   fig
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   f - i - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   f-i-g

Check. Read the letters back: f-i-g. They spell fig. ✓

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 - u - ff
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /p/ /u/ /f/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /p/ /u/ /f/ = puff

Check. Check the picture of a puff. 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.
   huff
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - u - ff
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-u-ff

Check. Read the letters back: h-u-ff. They spell huff. ✓

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

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

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.
   hen starts with h · fish starts with f · bell starts with b
2. Find the sound /f/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /f/ is at the start of fish.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   fish

Check. Say fish slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /f/. ✓

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

Method. Count the sounds, not the letters.

1. Say the sounds. Each sound is one part of the word.
   p - u - ff
2. Count the sounds. ff is one sound, even with two letters.
   p, u, ff
3. Give your answer. Say why Sam is wrong.
   Accept any answer that says no: puff has three sounds, p, u and ff, because ff is one sound.

Check. Three sounds: p, u and ff. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.