Letters And Sounds Just Learning The Sounds First Time Round Or Writin

[Guest]

Hi there,

 

After quite a few years in years 1 and 2 I'm new to Reception. I've heard different teachers say different things about introducing phase 2 of letters and sounds. What would you advise, do you introduce all of the letter sounds first quickly, then go back over them and introduce the handwriting of the letters afterwards, or do you do it all in one go more slowly?

 

Thanks!

 

xx

[Guest]

We introduce the formation doing large movements in the air, on the carpet etc... I then model it on the IWB and choose 1 or 2 children to come and show the rest of the children. We then go over the formation of them when we do our focussed handwriting which is done in the letter formation groups.

[Guest]

You can also practise letter formation in shaving foam spread out on a table, in sand trays (cheap plastic trays from the garden centre are good), in chalk outside on the playground, in the air with ribbons on sticks, on each others' backs, in flour on a table. These multi sensory methods are especially good for dyslexic children but work for everyone.

Hope these ideas are useful.

[Guest]

I don't start L&S phase 2 till after half term: I find that a lot of our children come into school with no or very little experience of phase 1 activities so I spend the first half term using those. After half term we start on Phase 2, and in January we start Phase 3 with the very secure Phase 2 children and identify the children that need to extend their knowledge of phase 2.

 

I teach 4 letter sounds a week and in each session we look at the formation of the letter - not necessariy writing it down but doing it in the air or on a partner's back. When we practice it in following sessions that when we write it down on whiteboards. AFter the children get more confident they start to evaluate each other's letter formation and I spend time 'getting it wrong' so that they can describe how to correct my formation, then when they assess each other it's very successful.

[Guest]

Great, Thanks everyone. Will be taking on board your advice and ideas ;-)

 

xx

[Guest]

I am really unsure about how to do this too! We use Jolly Phonics and I have been advised that once I have taught a sound to the children then at some point in the day they ought to complete the JP sheet in a group to practise the letter formation. I am really not sure if this is best. At this point in the year either myself of my TA is playing/observing and the other one may be working with a small group. If one of us is practising the sound (whether using the sheet or in flour/paint etc) this doesn't leave room for much else! On the other hand, I do have a very able group this year and most are very ready for this.

Help! What do others think?

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I also use Jolly Phonics to introduce the sounds and have found it very successful over the years.

 

Handwriting and letter formation is a different issue for us because we teach the children cursive script (Reception). Therefore I have to virtually re-teach all the children because they all come in writing in print. I have found that it has been better to wait a while before introducing correct letter formation as these can be quite difficult for most of the children (even the more able).

 

I usually introduce the letter sound and model how the cursive one looks like, but do not spend much time on it. I spend a lot of time encouraging and developing gross and fine motor skills in a wide variety of ways before I even begin to introduce letter formation.

 

Over the two years we have been introducing cursive script I have found that this method works well and by the end of the year we have some beautiful handwriting from the children, and they are naturally beginning to "join up" some of the letters (ch, sh, th etc.)

 

Hope this helps.

[Guest]

hi there does anyone have a copy of phase 1 planning to show me how they do it over the week. or do you just write in the gamee/song you are doing? thanks

[Rufus]

I am really unsure about how to do this too! We use Jolly Phonics and I have been advised that once I have taught a sound to the children then at some point in the day they ought to complete the JP sheet in a group to practise the letter formation. I am really not sure if this is best. At this point in the year either myself of my TA is playing/observing and the other one may be working with a small group. If one of us is practising the sound (whether using the sheet or in flour/paint etc) this doesn't leave room for much else! On the other hand, I do have a very able group this year and most are very ready for this.

Help! What do others think?

Could you put them on on your writing table for free choice?

[Guest]

hi there does anyone have a copy of phase 1 planning to show me how they do it over the week. or do you just write in the gamee/song you are doing? thanks

 

I have this - I think it came off here to start with! Hope this helps.

Letters_and_Sounds_Phase_1_cards.doc