Reception English and phonics: Two letters, one sound: th and ng

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.
   king starts with k · jug starts with j · thumb starts with th
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 /k/.

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

Check. Say king slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /k/. ✓

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.
   thumb
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /th/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from th, t, h.
   th

Check. The word thumb starts with th. ✓

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

Check. The word king starts with k. ✓

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

Check. Read the letters back: r-i-ng. They spell ring. ✓

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

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

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

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/, written ng.
   last sound: /ng/
3. Write the answer. Write both letters together.
   ng

Check. ng makes one sound at the end of ring. ✓

Watch out. Write n and g together.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

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

Check. Only king ends with ng. ✓

Watch out. Look at the last letters.

Method. Say ring one sound at a time.

1. Say the sounds. Each box is one sound.
   r - i - ng
2. Count the sounds. ng is one sound.
   r, i, ng
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: r, i, ng. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

Method. Look at the start of the word.

1. Look at thumb. The first two letters are t and h.
   t - h - u - m
2. Say the first sound. Together, th makes one sound.
   first sound: /th/
3. Write the answer.
   th

Check. th is one sound at the start of thumb. ✓

Watch out. Write t and h 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.
   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. 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. Look at the first letters of each word.

1. Look at thumb. The first two letters th make one sound.
   th = /th/
2. Look at king. The first letter is k. ng comes at the end.
   k = /k/; ng at the end
3. Give your answer. Say what is the same and what is different.
   Accept any answer that says no: th is two letters, one sound, but king starts with k, one letter.

Check. Only thumb starts with two letters that make one sound. ✓

Watch out. Look at each word on its own.

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.
   thumb starts with th · jug starts with j · van starts with v
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. 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.
   thin
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   th - i - n
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   th-i-n

Check. Read the letters back: th-i-n. They spell thin. ✓

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