Reception English and phonics: Mixed practice: two letters, one sound

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.
   ship starts with sh · thumb starts with th · web starts with w
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. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /th/.

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

Check. Say thumb slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /th/. ✓

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 /j/.

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.
   king starts with k · box starts with b · jug starts with j
2. Find the sound /j/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /j/ is at the start of jug.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   jug

Check. Say jug slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /j/. ✓

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.
   chick
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /ch/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from ch, c, k.
   ch

Check. The word chick starts with ch. ✓

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.
   yo-yo
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /y/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from y, j, z.
   y

Check. The word yo-yo starts with y. ✓

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.
   king
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   k - i - ng
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   k-i-ng

Check. Read the letters back: k-i-ng. They spell king. ✓

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

Check. Check the picture of a king. 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.
   th - u - m
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /th/ /u/ /m/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /th/ /u/ /m/ = thumb

Check. Check the picture of a thumb. 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.
   jug: j · web: w · van: v
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with j.
   web is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   web (starts with w)

Check. The other pictures start with j, so web 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 ship one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. sh is one sound.
   sh - i - p
2. Count the sounds. Count each sound once.
   sh, i, p
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: sh, i, p. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

1. Look at fish. fish ends with sh.
   fish: sh
2. Look at web and zip. web ends with b. zip ends with p.
   web: b; zip: p
3. Write the answer.
   fish

Check. Only fish ends with sh. ✓

Watch out. Look at the last two letters.

Method. Choose one of the pictures, then check its first sound.

1. Look at the pictures. ship starts with sh.
   ship
2. Check the first sound. The first sound is one sound from two letters or one letter.
   sh / ch / th / j
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that starts with sh, ch, th or j, such as ship, chick, thumb or jug.

Check. Each word starts with one of these sounds. ✓

Watch out. Write one word and check its first sound.

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

Check. Check the picture of a zip. 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.
   web
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   w - e - b
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   w-e-b

Check. Read the letters back: w-e-b. They spell web. ✓

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

Method. Look at the first letters.

1. Read chick. The first two letters are c and h.
   c - h - i - ck
2. Say the first sound. Together, ch makes one sound.
   first sound: /ch/
3. Write the answer.
   ch

Check. ch makes one sound at the start of chick. ✓

Watch out. Write c and h together.

Method. Write each letter in its own box.

1. Write the boxes. Each letter or group of letters goes in one box.
   b | o | x
2. Count the boxes. Three boxes in the word box.
   three boxes
3. Give your answer. Say whether the boxes match the sounds.
   Accept any answer that says yes: b, o and x each take one box, so the word is written in three boxes.

Check. Three boxes: b, o and x. ✓

Watch out. The boxes help you count the sounds.