We are continuing to explore initial sounds and sound discrimination. The children have been enjoying this not only in phonics sessions but by regularly using their skills in outdoor play.
Please remember it is important that children master the fundamentals of sound discrimination before attempting to formally teach the letter sounds therefore we advise that you use the above power point as a tool to practice listening by naming and creating sounds opposed to introducing the visual letter form.The best way to do this is to embed it through daily routines for example using alliteration or highlighting initial sounds 'lets play with the b bouncing ball'.
If children are struggling to hear the initial sound try using hidden instruments or familiar objects, encourage children to listen to and identify the hidden sound. Why not try playing different instruments out of sight.
Please find a selection of activities below to explore this throughout the week.
Environmental sounds - Mrs Browning has a box
Turn a box on its side with the opening facing away from the children.
Mrs…has a box ee i ee i o
And in that box she has a…
With a zzz zzz here and a zzz zzz there…
Our sound box/bag
Silly soup
Numbers Hunt
Hide some cut-out numbers from 1-10 around the house and see if you child can find them – ask them to shout the number out loud when they find it.
Number spotting
Can be done anywhere! Talk about the numbers on buses, front doors, price tags or even on the back of footballers’ shirts.
Dominoes
Matching the dots on one domino to those on another domino is great for developing matching skills and really helps children to get the idea of what “four” looks like.
Estimating
Ask your child if they can guess how many toys are in a bag, or biscuits are in a jar, then ask them to count them up to see whether they are right.
Draw a self portrait
Can you say what makes you special? What are you proud of?
Draw a picture of your friend
What makes them a good friend? How can you be a good friend?