Reception English and phonics: The sounds of l and ll

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

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

Check. Say leaf slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /l/. ✓

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 /l/.

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

Check. Say lamp slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /l/. ✓

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

Check. The word leaf starts with l. ✓

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

Check. The word bell starts with b. ✓

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.
   bell
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   b - e - ll
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   b-e-ll

Check. Read the letters back: b-e-ll. They spell bell. ✓

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.
   hill
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - i - ll
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-i-ll

Check. Read the letters back: h-i-ll. They spell hill. ✓

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

Check. Check the picture of a ball. 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.
   b - e - ll
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /e/ /l/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /e/ /l/ = bell

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

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

Method. Say the word ball, sound by sound.

1. Say ball. Each sound is one box.
   b - a - ll
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /l/, written ll.
   last sound: /l/
3. Write the answer.
   ll

Check. ll makes one sound at the end of ball. ✓

Watch out. Write both letters together.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

1. Look at bell. bell ends with ll.
   bell: ll
2. Look at bed and hen. bed ends with d. hen ends with n.
   bed: d; hen: n
3. Write the answer.
   bell

Check. Only bell ends with ll. ✓

Watch out. Check the last letters of each name.

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.
   leaf: l · lamp: l · ball: b
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with l.
   ball is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   ball (starts with b)

Check. The other pictures start with l, so ball 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.
   hill
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - i - ll
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-i-ll

Check. Read the letters back: h-i-ll. They spell hill. ✓

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

Check. Check the picture of a doll. 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.
   lid
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   l - i - d
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   l-i-d

Check. Read the letters back: l-i-d. They spell lid. ✓

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

Method. Blend the sounds together.

1. Read the sounds. Each letter makes one sound.
   b - e - d
2. Blend them. Join the sounds quickly.
   b + e + d
3. Write the word.
   bed

Check. The word bed uses b, e and d. ✓

Watch out. Check that the picture shows a bed, not a leaf.

Method. Look at the last letters of each word.

1. Look at leaf. The last letter is f.
   leaf: f
2. Look at bell. The last letters are ll.
   bell: ll
3. Give your answer. Say what the last letters are.
   Accept any answer that says no: leaf ends with f, and bell ends with ll, which is one sound /l/.

Check. leaf does not end with l. ✓

Watch out. Read the whole word before you decide.