Reception English and phonics Two letters, one sound: consonant digraphs: check-up and practice test questions

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

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.
   chick starts with ch · ship starts with sh · van starts with v
2. Find the sound /sh/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /sh/ is at the start of ship.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   ship

Check. Say ship slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /sh/. ✓

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

Method. Say ring sound by sound.

1. Say ring. Each sound is one box.
   r - i - ng
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /ng/.
   last sound: /ng/
3. Write the answer.
   ng

Check. ng makes one sound at the end. ✓

Watch out. Write n and g 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.
   thumb
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   th - u - m
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   th-u-m

Check. Read the letters back: th-u-m. They spell thumb. ✓

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.
   w - e - b
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /w/ /e/ /b/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /w/ /e/ /b/ = web

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

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

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.
   jug
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /j/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from j, v, w.
   j

Check. The word jug starts with j. ✓

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 /y/.

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.
   zip starts with z · yo-yo starts with y · king starts with k
2. Find the sound /y/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /y/ is at the start of yo-yo.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   yo-yo

Check. Say yo-yo slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /y/. ✓

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

Method. Say box sound by sound.

1. Say box. Each sound is one part of the word.
   b - o - x
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /ks/, written x.
   last sound: /ks/
3. Write the answer.
   x

Check. The word box ends with x. ✓

Watch out. Write x as one letter.

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.
   chick: ch · chair: ch · ship: sh
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with ch.
   ship is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   ship (starts with sh)

Check. The other pictures start with ch, so ship 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. Choose a word and check its first or last sound.

1. Look at the pictures. queen starts with qu. king ends with ng.
   queen; king
2. Choose one word. Check the sound you need.
   king: ng
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that starts with qu or ends with ng, such as queen or king.

Check. The word has the sound you chose. ✓

Watch out. Check the start or end of your word.

Method. Say the sounds, then count them.

1. Say chick. Say each sound in order.
   ch - i - ck
2. Count the sounds. ch is two letters and one sound.
   ch, i, ck
3. Give your answer. Use the words two letters.
   Accept any answer that says ch is two letters but one sound, so chick has three sounds: ch, i and ck.

Check. Three sounds: ch, i and ck. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

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

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.
   zip starts with z · king starts with k · van starts with v
2. Find the sound /z/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /z/ is at the start of zip.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   zip

Check. Say zip slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /z/. ✓

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

Method. Say ship sound by sound.

1. Say ship. Each sound is one box.
   sh - i - p
2. Find the first sound. The first sound is /sh/, written sh.
   first sound: /sh/
3. Write the answer.
   sh

Check. sh makes one sound at the start of ship. ✓

Watch out. Write s and h 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.
   jug
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   j - u - g
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   j-u-g

Check. Read the letters back: j-u-g. They spell jug. ✓

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

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.
   van
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /v/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from v, w, j.
   v

Check. The word van starts with v. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

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

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

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

Method. Say the sounds in thumb.

1. Say the sounds. th is one sound.
   th - u - m
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   th, u, m
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: th, u, m. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

1. Look at web and van. web ends with b. van ends with n.
   web: b; van: n
2. Look at king. king ends with ng.
   king: ng
3. Write the answer.
   king

Check. Only king ends with ng. ✓

Watch out. Look at the last letters.

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.
   zip
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   z - i - p
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   z-i-p

Check. Read the letters back: z-i-p. They spell zip. ✓

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

Method. Look at the first letter of yo-yo.

1. Read the word. Say each part of the word.
   yo - yo
2. Find the first letter. The first letter is y.
   first letter: y
3. Give your answer. Say what letter yo-yo starts with.
   Accept any answer that says no: yo-yo starts with y, and the sound is /y/.

Check. y makes the sound /y/ at the start. ✓

Watch out. Look at the first letter only.

Method. Pick two letters that make one sound at the start of a word.

1. Choose the two letters. sh, ch, th or qu each make one sound.
   sh
2. Write a word. The word must start with those two letters.
   ship
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that starts with sh, ch, th or qu, such as ship, chick, thumb or queen.

Check. The word starts with two letters that make one sound. ✓

Watch out. The first two letters are one sound.

Method. Count the sounds in web.

1. Say the sounds. Each letter here makes one sound.
   w - e - b
2. Count the sounds. There are three sounds.
   w, e, b
3. Give your answer. Say why Ben is right.
   Accept any answer that says yes: w, e and b are three sounds, each in one box.

Check. Three sounds: w, e and b. ✓

Watch out. Each letter is one sound in this word.