Tripod grip

The correct pencil grasp is essential for good handwriting. Here you have an easy way to teach your children how to do it!

Flashcards to tidy up!

When we were talking about class routines we mention the importance of having a willingness to tidy up the classroom. These are flashcards you can put on the walls related to clean up and also for remembering that we shouldn't forget our belongings. Check it out!

Jolly Phonics

Level 7 - The er sound lesson

1. Introducing the er sound

Before starting doing activities to practice the er sound, I have thought about doing a short presentation covering the following issues:

• Asking how many letters for how many sounds.
• Asking if they are vowels or consonants.
• Showing the action for the er sound (roll hands over each other like a mixer and say erererer)
• Singing the er song of Jolly Phonics.
• Create a story telling. For this we are going to take advantage of Christmas time and the action before. We will tell our students that Christmas is near and it would be a good idea to make gingerbread people for the last day before holidays. But he have a problem, we don’t know the ingredients we have to use to make them. The only way to know them is to pass successfully a number of tasks. For each task overcame the teacher could say one ingredient and write it in the board to make a list. They are six: Butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, plain flour, an egg and ginger.

On the other hand, I’m going to use the following resources for the interaction produced above:

• An individual card for present the er sound.
• An individual card for the word ginger and its picture.
• The er song of jolly phonics.

2. Activities

          1. Segmenting blending and rhyming

To achieve the first ingredient to make gingerbread people we are going to segment and blend a list of words that contain the er sound. For this, the teacher will use word cards and she will say for each word: first sound, second sound, third sound… And finally she will ask for blending.

Children will have as support the lines written under each word.

Besides, some of the words contain a picture behind. This means that they have to say the rhyme “The ginger in the mixer” each time the teacher turn the word card.

Also, the teacher can take advantage of these words asking which letter is in capital letters in some of them.

          2. Fast word reading game

To achieve the second ingredient, children have to try reading the word cards. It’ll be difficult because the teacher will turn the word card very quickly, so children only are going to see it for a second.

They have to call out the word they read.

          3. The family tree

To achieve the third ingredient, the teacher will show in the whiteboard a tree family with gaps. She will choose the children she wants to come out to the board and they have to drag the correct label to the correct gap. All the children will participate segmenting and blending together using their fingers.

          4. Imitating jobs

Now, to achieve the fourth ingredient, we are going to play a game in which pupils have to imitate jobs. These jobs or occupations are in written cards and they contain the er sound. The teacher will read these words with them before starting to play.

After, she will come out one child to imitate one of the written words. The rest of children have to guess what the partner is.

If they know it, they have to put their hand up. They will have all the written cards spread on the carpet to help them to say the specific word the child is imitating.

The teacher will choose a child to answer. She will say “Are you a…?” And the chosen child has to say the complete answer, for example “Yes I am”. If this child is wrong she will pass to another child with the hand up.

However, if he is right he will pick up the written word, stick it at the small board of the teacher which has the sentence “She/he is…” and finally everybody will read the sentence together.

          5. Writing with my finger

Now, to achieve the fifth ingredient, children have to know writing the er sound. For this, firstly the teacher will say the children how to write it at the same time children have to try writing in the air:

T: Do you remember how to write letter e? It curves up and goes around.

And do you remember how to write letter r? Very simple! A small line down and back up.

Later, children will do:

- Palm-writing: Children works in pairs. The first one chooses letter e or letter r. Then the second child closes his eyes. The first child draws the letter outline on the palm of the second child’s hand and the second child says the letter. Finally they check together.

- Back writing: the same procedure than before but writing in the back.

          6. Experts of the “sh” sound

To achieve the last instruction and finished our list of ingredients, children have to use the PDI to write correctly the er sound.

First they use graph paper.

Finally they have to complete the words with the er sound. The teacher will also ask for spelling, segmenting and blending.

Jolly Phonics

Level 6 - The sh sound lesson

1. Introducing diagraphs

Before starting doing activities to practice a diagraph, I have thought about doing a short presentation about the sh sound covering the following issues:

• Asking how many letters for how many sounds.
• Asking if they are vowels or consonants.
• Showing the action for the sh sound (place your index finger over your lips, say shshshsh).
• Putting an example of a sh word: segmenting and blending.

On the other hand, I’m going to use the following resources for the interaction produced above:

• An individual card for present the sh sound.
• A written card with the word shop.

2. Activities

          1. Let’s sing a song

For this activity we are going to use the song from jolly phonics dedicated specially for the sound sh.
We are going to perform actions at the same time we are going to sing. For example, when the lyrics say the baby is sleep, we move our arms in a similar way in which a mum swings her baby.
We will put this song in the PDI to make its searching easier and avoid possible errors with the internet.

          2. Looking for pairs

Now we are going to play a game that consists on searching pairs. For this, we are going to organise the children on the carpet sited down in a circle.

We place both the pictures and the written words down. In turns, pupils have to pick up a written word and read it aloud segmenting and blending. Then they have to pick up one of the pictures. If they are the same they keep these cards for them. If they are not the same they return to put the cards in the place they were.

With this activity we help learners to understand meanings and also improve their phonemic awareness and reading.

          3. Bingo game

Now we pass to a bingo game. It is very enjoyable for the children and we cover a listening and a reading task at the same time.

For this, we are going to hand out cards with nine words to each child. The teacher is going to say one word and they have to listen carefully to be able to look for this word in their card. If they have this word, they have to cross it out with the pencil.

In anyway, after a few of seconds she will write the word in her small board to help them.
When one child have all the words cross out he has to say bingo!

          4. Guess what I’m doing

Now we are going to play a game in which pupils have to imitate an action. These actions are verbs written in cards and they contain the sh sound. The teacher will read these words with them before starting to play.

After, she will come out one child to imitate one of the written words. The rest of children have to guess what the partner is doing. If they know it, they have to put their hand up. They will have all the written cards spread on the carpet to help them to say the specific word we want.

The teacher will choose a child to answer. She will say “What is he doing?” And the chosen child has to say the complete answer, for example “He is washing”. If this child is wrong she will pass to another child with the hand up.

However, if he is right he will pick up the written word, stick it at the small board of the teacher which has the sentence “She/he is…” and finally everybody will read the sentence together.

Besides, the teacher can write the verbs in infinitive in the board to show them the original form of the verb.

          5. Writing with my finger

Now children have to know writing the sh sound. For this, firstly the teacher will say the children how to write it at the same time children have to try writing in the air:

T: Do you remember how to write letter s? Curves that back and forwards spread.
And do you remember how to write letter h? Very simple! Down from top to bottom, then make an arch!

Later, children will do:
- Palm-writing: Children works in pairs. The first one chooses letter s or letter h. Then the second child closes his eyes. The first child draws the letter outline on the palm of the second child’s hand and the second child says the letter. Finally they check together.
- Back writing: the same procedure than before but writing in the back.

          6. Experts of the “sh” sound

To achieve the last instruction and finished the bout, children have to use the PDI to write correctly the sh sound.

First they use graph paper.

Finally they have to complete the words with the ai sound. The teacher will also ask for the capital letter, spelling, segmenting and blending.

Jolly Phonics

Level 5: the v sound + Magic -e

1. Introducing the v sound

• Performing the action

The first we have to do is to create a story line. For this, we’re going to tell our pupils that we want them to meet someone very special, so we have to travel by van. We will take advantage of this and we’ll perform the v action according Jolly Phonics (pretend to be holding the steering wheel of a van and say vvvvvvvv).

Once we have made the noise of the van we’ll say that the sound we are producing is letter v, showing the v card.

• Segmenting and blending words with visual support

We will continue the story saying that we have to start the journey. We have to hold our imaginary steering wheels and make the v sound like we were driving. However, we are going to see different things through the front window and we have to read them. The teacher will be this window, staying in front of them and showing different word cards with the corresponding pictures.

As the written words have lines under the different sounds, it will be easier for them segmenting and blending.

2. Discovering Magic -e

• Learning how magic -e works

The last thing we are going to see through the window will be a superhero! The person we are looking for. So we will stop driving and we will introduce our friends name: Magic -e.

Then we will say that Magic -e gives all its strength to weak vowels leaving nothing else for himself. So he is very generous. We will use a word card to put an example.

• Activities

After show how magic -e works, we will ask our pupils if they want to be a superhero too. For this we will say that we need three things: magic, speed and mental powers.

These three elements will be in different envelopes that we will put in the floor. So we’ll ask one child each time to pick up them paying attention to the drawing they have. For example, if we want the magic element, they have to catch the envelope with a magic wand, neither the brain nor the man running.

          1 - Transforming words (MAGIC)

We’ll say our pupils that if they want to have magic, they have to know how to use a magic wand. For this, the teacher is going to hold a word card. Children have to read the word, then grab the teacher’s magic wand and finally put it at the end of the card. In this way, they are creating a new word and they have to read it again to see the difference.

          2 - Riming magic -e words (SPEED)

For achieve speed we have to do another thing.

First the teacher is going to make two groups and they have to make a competition. Both groups have to fight to be the first ones in ordering the card words according its rimes.

Then children have to do the same but this time the teacher will time each group reading the words correctly. If any of them read a word wrong they have to start again. The teacher will use the white board to remember the time spent of each group.

          3 - Making sentences using a grammar structure (MENTAL POWERS)

Finally, to get mental powers we have to do a guessing game.

First the teacher is going to show how a sentence works. For this, she is going to use a sentence divided in three parts.

Then they have to pay attention to all the words spread in the floor to try to remember them for a minute (they are the third part of the sentence).

After, the teacher will pick up all the card words and she’ll make a complete sentence using her white board. She will hide the third part with a tissue and is what children have to guess remembering the words in the floor and saying the complete sentence.

The question the teacher will ask children individually is “What do you see?” And they have to response with “I see a…”

When everybody had achieved the three elements, we’ll deliver a sticker of a superhero to each child. Now they are superheroes!

Besides, you can use high technology to create the story line and also design the activities. If you are creative it can be very funny for them!

Jolly Phonics

Level 4: The ai sound lesson

• Introducing vowel teams

Before starting doing activities to practice a vowel team, I have thought about doing a short presentation about the sound ai covering the following issues:

• How many letters for how many sounds
• Discriminating vowels and consonants
• Short and long vowels sounds
• The vowel team’s rule
• Example of a vowel team
• Example of a vowel team inside a word + spelling, segmenting and blending.

On the other hand, I’m going to use the following resources for the interaction produced above:

- An individual card for present the ai sound

- A sticker which represents the symbol of silence

- A sticker which represents a long vowel sound

- A card with the letter a to be used in the examples

- A promptcard with the letter i to be used in the examples

- A promptcard with the letter r to be used in the examples

- A promtcard with the letter n to be used in the examples

• Activities

          1. Let’s tell a story

The purpose of this story is to encourage children’s physical response and become familiar with words that include the ai sound.

For this, the teacher will present the words that children have to turn into movement. Then, she’ll tell the story asking children to do these movements again. The blue words are the chosen to be represented. For example, for represent a snail we’ll put our hands before our forehead with you two fingers stretched.

The snail who wanted to sail

Once upon a time there was a snail with a very long tail. He lived in a drain which sometimes was like a jail. And he sometimes faint because of the smell. His friends said that he hadn’t got brain. But actually he had an aim, he was waiting for rain. So his dream was to sail. However, our dear the snail, only got to see hail.

After this, the teacher will say that she has received a message in a bottle from our friend the snail, which has come out from the school’s drain.

The message said that he needs a boat to be prepared when the rain came, and he can’t do it without our help. So for helping him, we’re going to do a boat made of paper. However, to know the clues to make it, before we have to pass six different steps.

For each step passed, the teacher will read an instruction to carry the boat out. As consequence, all the children need to have a sheet of paper on their table. The six instructions are:

          2. Segmenting, blending and rhyming

To achieve the first instruction to make our boat, we are going to segment and blend a list of words that contain the ai sound. For this, the teacher will use word cards and she will say for each word: first sound, second sound, third sound… And finally she will ask for blending.

Children will have as support the lines written under each word.

Besides, some of the words contain a picture behind. This means that they have to say the rhyme “The snail wants to sail” each time the teacher turns the word card.

Also, the teacher can take advantage of these words asking which letter is in capital letters.

          3. Putting doorbells

To achieve the second instruction children are going to use the whiteboard.

Written words with the ai sound are going to appear and they have to place the doorbells in the correct place.

The teacher will ensure that there are as many words as children plus one, because before starting she will do the first word as example.

          4. Labelling pictures

To achieve the third instruction children are going to choose the correct word card and place it under the correct picture.

Pictures will be paste in the wall and all the words are going to be spread all over the teacher’s table. So each child will choose one word and then they have to put the word behind its picture.

It also can be a good idea to make two groups and make a competition.

          5. Fast word-reading game

To achieve the fourth instruction, children have to try reading the word cards. It’ll be difficult because the teacher will turn the word card very quickly, so children are going to see it for a second.

They have to call out the word they read as a whole group.

          6. Writing in the air/writing in my partner

To achieve the fifth instruction, children have to know writing the ai sound. For this, firstly the teacher will say the children how to write it. At the same time children have to try writing in the air:

T: Do you remember how to write letter a? First we draw a loop and then a line at the back!

And do you remember how to write letter i? Very simple! It is just a line with a dot!

Later, children will do:

- Palm-writing: Children works in pairs. The first one chooses letter a or letter i. Then, the second child closes his eyes. The first child draws the letter outline on the palm of the second child’s hand and the second child says the letter. Finally they check together.

- Back writing: the same procedure than before by writing in the back.

Finally the teacher will ask if everybody has guessed the letters to read the last instruction.

          7. Experts of the ai sound

To achieve the last instruction and finished the boat, children have to use the PDI to write correctly the ai sound.

First they use graph paper.

After, they have to complete the words with the ai sound. The teacher will also ask for the capital letter, spelling, segmenting and blending to each child.

Jolly Phonics

Level 3 - g o u l f b

• Actions

With actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, learning is very motivating for children and teachers! Here you have the actions for the second level. 

• Activities

Here you have some ideas to design activities about the six sounds of this level. They are made using Notebook.

Activity 1 - Tricky words: some words are tricky and can not be sounded out. Here is a way of learning them

Activity 2 - Capital letters: match the capital to the small letters

Activity 3 - Missing sounds: fill in the missing sounds

Activity 4 - Rhyming words: read the words in the logs. Match each word to the picture in the frog that rhymes with it

Activity 5 - Choose and write: choose the word and write it underneath

Activity 6 - Writing number three: writing practice of the number three

• Context pictures

Use these pictures to interact and practice with your pupils each of the sounds.

• Own flashcards

Letter recognition is an important skill for early learning. Before a child can learn basic words, they need to recognize the letters of the alphabet! You can use the following ones. 

• Handwriting Rhymes

Use these rymes to help your child practice writing letters!

• Songs

The Jolly songs are an excellent tool for young children to learn to ‘hear’ the sounds of English and visually make the connection between the letter(s) and the sound. Here you can listen to the sounds that correspond to this level. 

• My own fan 

I have created my own fan with the seven sounds of this level. Simply draw in a cardboard, cut and assemble with a split pint. You already have a quality phonic teaching resource!