Teaching Vowels In Reception

[Guest]

Hope someone can help- I am trying to think of a fun way to teach the vowel names to my reception children- we have sang the alphabet and some children know some of the letter names butI wanted to introduce children to vowel names specifically and teach them that most words contain at least one vowel. I would like a catchy/fun/interactive song or activity-any ideas?

The idea is to go on to sort ccvcc words into their vowel families/read/spell them.(phase4)

The head is observing me and has commented that children further up the school do not seem to know letter names, so I wanted to prove I do this but need some good ideas!

Thanks

[SmileyPR]

The Jolly Songs CD has one and the children enjoy it a lot

[emmajess]

In the first Jolly Grammar book it suggests you use an Inky Mouse puppet (obviously you could use any class toy they are interested in) and an empty box. Put Inky at (the side of) the box, (on the) edge of the box, in the box, on the box and under the box to represent each of the short vowel sounds. I've also got the children to experience the same concept kinaesthetically by making one of the hands into a fist to represent the box and the other hand to represent Inky and do the same placing of Inky and the box with their hands.

[Marion]

Sorry I'm a bit confused are you intending to teach long vowels or letter names?

[Guest]

Letter names!!

Have done the long vowels-I have postponed doing letter names up till now as I think it confuses them if I introduce them too early! Any advice is welcome!

[Marion]

I don't really teach letter names in reception other than pointing to the letters as we sing the alphabet song

 

I tell the children letters have names and represent sounds but as you say the letter names aren't important when they are still learning sounds.

 

http://www.learningplanet.com/act/fl/aact/index.asp

 

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl...ng/alphabet.htm

Edited June 17, 2010 by Marion

[KST]

I do the same as Marion.

[finleysmaid]

how about a version of old macdonald so something like

old mc Donald had some letters a e i o u (makaton finger spelling to help?)

and with those letters he made some words a e i o u

with an a a ant and an a a apple

here an ant there an apple, lots of ants and lots of apples, old Mc donald had some letters a e i o u

perhaps the children could shout out the words so that you can see who's got the concept....!

might need a bit of work ....hummmm have to think......

[KST]

Love the song idea Finleysmaid!

I do sometimes say, you can go for lunch if your name begins with A or B etc so childrn become familair that letters have names. Doesn't help you with the vowel thing though. I don't think teaching vowels would be a concept my children are ready for yet! x

[Guest]

There was a vowel rap in ELS or ALS. Something like:-

 

A E I O U that's the way we say them.

 

A E I O U that's the way we play them

 

We say them quiet, we say them loud,

 

Of our vowels we sure are proud,

 

A E I O U that's the vowel rap.

[Guest]

Thanks everyone! I find the children do get confused with letter names and sounds and I am only wanting to talk about vowels and names/sounds soI can do a sorting activity during an observation -I am up to phase 4 Letters and sounds and teaching reading/spelling of ccvcc words-was goiong to start by singing a song about vowels/talk about how they have names as well as sounds then play a pass the parcel type game with pics of ccvcc objects and whoever picks out the picture then has to place it into the correct vowel family (in a hoop) .After a few turns I plan to use the picking pot to pick a child to chooseoneofthe pics for the chn to write the word on a small whiteboard (with partner). If any one has any other fun ideas for ccvcc words please let me know-it'd not too late to change !!!

Thanks

[Guest]

If you don't teach letter names dosn't that mean that no children get profile point LSL4? They are taught in phase 3 of letters and sounds when introducing digraphs eg c and h say ch (using letter names).

[Guest]

If you don't teach letter names dosn't that mean that no children get profile point LSL4? They are taught in phase 3 of letters and sounds when introducing digraphs eg c and h say ch (using letter names).

 

That's what I've been wondering. This year I only had one child who had LSL point 4. We are starting Letters and Sounds in September, as opposed to Jolly Phonics, so I am hoping this will improve. I don't see that they need to know the letter names at this stage, but the EYFS says they should.

[Marion]

If you don't teach letter names dosn't that mean that no children get profile point LSL4? They are taught in phase 3 of letters and sounds when introducing digraphs eg c and h say ch (using letter names).

 

Does it matter that they don't get LSL4?

 

I find the children that are going to score highly in LSL (7+) will pick up enough letter names just from singing the alphabet song while the teacher points to the letters ( or a bit of direct teaching if this is the only point they are missing) and the rest of the class can still achieve a very respectable score of 6 without LSL 4.