Jolly Phonics Programme In the Junior Infant classes we follow the Jolly Phonics Programme to teach children letter names, sounds and letter formation for each letter together. You will notice your child will have a little sounds copy in their folder with 2 or 3 new letters added to it weekly. On the inside cover of the copy there are written instructions as to how to help reinforce the work already done in school.
The order of the letters,the sound and the song to go with each are available for you and your child to view by clicking HERE.
A general outline of the Jolly Phonics Programme is available by clicking HERE
Sounds copy To help your child learn their letter names and sounds,they will have a little “sounds copy” which they will keep in their homework folder. Each week they will get two or three new letters in their sounds copy. Please encourage him/her to look at his/her sounds copy. Ask him/her the sound, listen to him say the sound, ask him to do the action. Encourage him to hear the sound in everyday words. For example, say the words “sat, sick, press ” and encourage him to identify words that he hears the ‘s’ sound in. Ask them whether the s sound is at the start or end of words that you say.
Every week I will check each child individually on their sounds. This is not a test, really it’s to help me monitor my teaching and see how well each child is progressing. We do a lot of work with sounds and letters etc. in school but if, by any chance, I feel your child needs extra help at home I will let you know. However, if you keep an eye on your child’s sounds copy, you will be aware how your child is doing as I stamp the sounds they know and date their sounds copy each week.
Tricky words. Sometime after Christmas when we are finished our three readers from the Starways scheme for Junior Infants we concentrate on what we call our ” Tricky Words “. These are words that children cannot sound out in the usual way but have to be learned by sight. Your child will get a sheet of words that we will practice in school but they will need to practice with you at home also please.
Dolch word lists.Your child will be learning words from the Dolch lists in school.These are high frequency words and regular practice will ensure that they know them. For the first 100 high frequency words click HERE
Word folders, Readers, Fun and Games. When we start our words, from our Starways Reading Programme, children will get a folder where they can keep their words.They will get a few new words , each week, to practice with you at home. I do all the words from each reader first eg. from Hello, their first reader. When they know all the words from their first reader I then send home the reader and they can practice reading it, a page usually, with you each night. There is a sheet, on the inside cover of their readers,which has the page/s to be practiced circled and there is a line beside it, where you can sign to show that you have heard their reading. I use this system with their three readers. These are some games that you could play with them to help make practicing their words in the word envelopes fun!
Where’s the word ?– Take all words out of envelope and place them facing up. Ask your child to find a word (e.g. Jen) as fast as they can. Give clues as necessary (This word has 3 letters etc.,).
What’s the Word ? – Same as previous game except you change roles. Ask the child to pick a word from the envelope. They then have to describe it to you ( eg. This word begins with an M , and ends in a y and has 5 letters “etc. Mammy.
Kim’s Game – Present 3 words (or more/ less depending on your child’s confidence with their words) to your child. Ask the children to close their eyes, and then take one of the words away. Ask your child to open their eyes and see if they can remember the word you took way.
Make my sentence! – All cards facing up. Make up a sentence (e.g. I am a shoe , but the sillier the better!) and ask the children to find the words, from their word envelopes, and put them in order, to make your sentence.
Go Fish ! – All cards facing down. Child and adult take turns and ” fish” for a word. When a word is picked up, turn it over and see if you can read the word. If you can, you can keep the word. If you cannot, you must give the word to the other player. The person with the most “fish” (words) at the end of the game wins. Have fun! Useful websites,just click on the link below.
www.literactive.com Literactive is the leading provider of reading material for pre-school, kindergarten and grade 1 students available online. Excellent website! www.ictgames.com/literacy.html Interactive games that help children develop writing skills, blend phonemes, recognise initial sounds, and improve letter formation. www.mrsalphabet.com/alphabetrecognitionpoems.html Poems to help children learn upper and lower case letters.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesizeActivities and revision for English, Mathematics and Science.
http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/freeIndex.htmTo hear all the letter sounds click on the link below (in less than 3min you can practice all the letter sounds!)
Mr Thorne Does Phonics! Click on the links below to hear the letters and sounds to help your child with their phonics.
English phonemes (sounds)
♦ To practice specific letter sounds and words click on the letter below.
♦ To learn and practice specific letter sounds and words with Geraldine the giraffe click on the letter below.
