Reception English and phonics: The sounds of x, y, z and qu

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.
   yo-yo starts with y · queen starts with qu · zip starts with z
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. 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.
   yo-yo starts with y · zip starts with z · 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. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /qu/.

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

Check. Say queen slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /qu/. ✓

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.
   zip
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /z/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from z, s, x.
   z

Check. The word zip starts with z. ✓

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.
   queen
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /qu/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from qu, q, k.
   qu

Check. The word queen starts with qu. ✓

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

Check. Read the letters back: b-o-x. They spell box. ✓

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.
   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. 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 - o - x
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /o/ /ks/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /o/ /ks/ = box

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

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

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 with the letter x.
   last sound: /ks/
3. Write the answer. x is written in one box.
   x

Check. The word box ends with x. ✓

Watch out. Write x as one letter.

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 · box starts with b
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 the first sound of queen.

1. Say queen. Listen for the first sound.
   qu - ee - n
2. Find the first sound. The letters qu make one sound together.
   first sound: /kw/
3. Write the answer.
   qu

Check. qu is one sound at the start of queen. ✓

Watch out. Write q and u 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.
   zip: z · yo-yo: y · queen: qu
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with y.
   zip is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   zip (starts with z)

Check. The other pictures start with y, so zip 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. 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 - o - x
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /o/ /ks/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /o/ /ks/ = box

Check. Check the picture of a box. 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.
   yes
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   y - e - s
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   y-e-s

Check. Read the letters back: y-e-s. They spell yes. ✓

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. 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.
   zip
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /z/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from z, s, x.
   z

Check. The word zip starts with z. ✓

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

Method. Think of a short word that ends with the letter x.

1. Look at the pictures. box ends with x.
   box
2. Write another word. It must end with x.
   fox
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that ends with x, such as box or fox.

Check. The last letter is x. ✓

Watch out. The letter x is written at the end of the word.