I have recently (belatedly) discovered the Smart Chute. This is a post box game that flips cards over. It is a self-checking activity which covers many areas of the literacy curriculum: phonics, morphemes, Greek and Latin derivatives, grammar, vocabulary etc. I love it because it is a great opening to any 1:1 lesson. Today I […]
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Synthetic Phonics tutorial
We have just made a free tutorial for teachers, teaching assistants and parents about Synthetic Phonics. It explains why the English language is difficult to learn to read and spell and why Synthetic Phonics is the most effective method to teach children reading and spelling. It also touches upon the role that decodable books have in […]
Read MoreDandelion Book of Dictation now in stock!
To all our customers who have been waiting for this workbook – it is now in stock and available. This workbook offers step-by-step dictation exercises that follow the progression of the Dandelion Readers reading scheme. It will allow teachers and TA’s to have dictation activities at their fingertips. This is great resource for developing spelling (encoding) and punctuation of young readers […]
Read MoreMoon Dogs Workbooks now available!
The much awaited workbooks that complement the Moon Dogs Set 1 and Set 2 are now in stock. These workbooks support the reading books which introduce the sounds of the alphabet, adjacent consonants and consonant digraphs. They include activities which develop the underlying skills needed for reading and spelling. A great resource for older, beginner readers […]
Read MorePencil and rubber – Roman style at Bath Roman springs
On a visit to the Roman Baths in Bath we had a live experience of an actor using a wax tablet and stylus. He was dressed up as a craftsman who was recording his orders. A great idea for classroom topic – learning about our script and different writing methods in antiquity. Children can explore the […]
Read MoreTeachers failing pupils – it is still happening
Thanks to Susan Godsland of www.dyslexics.org.uk who flagged up this video clip from the Spelfabet website. Does is sound familiar? It makes me sad to think of the pupils I failed before I was trained in Sounds-Write. This is still happening… http://www.spelfabet.com.au/2013/11/teacher-knowledge-of-phonics/
Read MorePhonic Books is sponsoring literacy tuition at the Bloomfield Learning Centre
Phonic Books is sponsoring a pupil for 1 year literacy tuition at the Bloomfield Learning Centre. This will be 1:1 weekly lessons. The pupil will receive lessons by a qualified SpLD trained teacher working at his/her level, progressing at his/her own pace. These lessons make a huge difference to a child’s future. This a fantastic way to help a […]
Read MorePhonic Books delivers books and resources to nursery in Namibia
I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Namibia this year. It is a fantastic place with wonderful people and breath-taking landscapes and amazing wildlife. English is the national language spoken after the various local languages and dialects. Here is a picture of a local village nursery with their nursery teachers. They have nothing. A shack and […]
Read MorePhonic Books in Madrid, British Education Fair 22-23 October
Wendy and Patricia represented Phonic Books in Madrid at the British Education Fair 22-23 October 2013. This event it organised by the British Council and UK Trade and Investment. With the growing number of English speaking and bilingual schools in Spain, there is increasing interest in the Educational products produced in the UK. See you there!
Read MoreNow I know why I wasn’t taught how to teach reading
Thank you Susan Godsland from www.dyslexics.org.uk for flagging up an interesting summary by Spelfabet (www.spelfabet.com.au) of an article by Mark S. Seidenberg: ‘The Science of Reading and its Educational Implications’. This is a useful summary for busy teachers as it raises some really important issues: 1. The rift between the scientific research academic approach and […]
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