Reception

Click here for Reception Curriculum Overview

Phonics – How do I pronounce the sounds?

⭐ Try to avoid putting an /uh/ at the end of the letter sounds. So try saying ‘mmmm’, ‘ssssss’ and ‘llllll’ not ‘muh’, ‘suh’ and ‘luh’.

⭐ Using the pure sounds (no /uh/) means that it is easier to blend the sounds together to form the whole word. It’s easier to merge ‘sssss, u, nnnnnn’ rather the ‘suh, u, nuh’.

⭐ To help say the sounds correctly try to avoid making big movements with your mouth and chin. Sometimes whispering the sounds can help.

⭐ Think of a word that contains the sound to help with how to pronounce it. For example, the word ‘strawberry’ when you say it you don’t say ‘suh’ at the beginning but ‘ssss’.

⭐’er’ is accent dependent. I teach it as making an /u/ sound in words where it is seen at the end like in ‘river’, ‘flower’, ‘letter’, ‘dinner’. The alternative pronunciation is taught in Phase 5 with words like ‘her’, ‘herb’ and ‘fern’. This avoids children spelling words and using an ‘u’ at the end. So trying to avoid ‘flowu’ and ‘rivu’.

Please use the link below focusing on the correct pronunciation of the sounds!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UCI2mu7URBc

Please click on the link below to view the new EYFS Framework – A Guide For Parents.