The split digraphs ‘a-e’, ‘e-e’, ‘i-e’, ‘o-e’, ‘u-e’ are very common spellings. They have different names: Silent e, Magic e, Vowel Consonant e, Bossy e, Split digraphs. Many children struggle to read words with these spelling patterns, so we need to teach them explicitly. Why do we have these spelling patterns in English? The ‘e’ […]
Read MoreI recently listened to the much-anticipated webinar given by the Reading Ape. (If you haven’t heard of the elusive Reading Ape, do check out the website which has fantastic research-based articles about reading.) Anyway, the Reading Ape discussed the research of Cattell, 1886, that showed that we read words quicker than we read individual letters. […]
Read MoreAll phonics programmes should have a ‘scope and sequence’ but what does this actually mean? ‘Scope’ means what you are teaching When teaching reading with systematic phonics, ‘scope’ means teaching the Alphabetic Code. English has 44 sounds and more than 175 spellings for those sounds. So, do we need to teach them all? Which are […]
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See our Dragon Eggs series in action! A shining example of teaching with our Dragon Eggs Series… Observe how the reader practises decoding, but also encounters new words that develop vocabulary. Note the exemplary teaching: the teacher makes sure new words are explained and that decoding is accurate. This is a great example of the […]
Read More The Dragon Eggs Series is a set of 10 decodable books that combine revision of those tricky vowel digraphs and an exciting, beautifully-illustrated quest with dragons in it! Designed to engage children and secure their Alphabetic Code knowledge and reading skills at the same time, this series is ideal for children who have just returned […]
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Older, struggling readers often have gaps in the their phonics knowledge and skills. They find alternative spellings particularly confusing. Many suffer from low self esteem so offering them decodable materials that are age-appropriate is vital. Vital because if the reading materiasl can engage the disaffected reader, his/her motivation to try and read will grow. Without […]
Read MorePhonic Books Ltd has collaborated with TTS to create 5 new packs of reading games. But who needs more phonic games? Educational catalogues are packed with phonic games! What is different about these new games?
Read MorePhonic Books have collaborated with TTS and in creating new phonic board games that help children practice and consolidate vowel spellings that many children struggle with. The games are linked to our Dandelion Series so the characters and stories set a context for the games. What is different about these board games? Drawing on our […]
Read MoreWe often hear people calling for a ‘back to basics’ approach in education. But is synthetic phonics really backwards-looking, or has it some new elements that differ from how reading was taught in the past?
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