Phonic Zoom encourages the learning of independent phonemes and graphemes through play and supports the development of independent reading for children in a fun and exciting way.
What are pure sounds?
Pure sounds in phonics are like the basic noises that letters make when we say them. For example, the letter “a” has the pure sound of “ah” and the letter “s” has a pure sound of “ssss”. These sounds help us read and say words correctly. The process is a little like knowing the different sounds in a song, so we know how to sing it. The pronunciation of each letter is clear and distinct without adding any additional sounds. For example, children can be tempted to say “suh” instead of “ssss” for the letter “s” and this is not encouraged in school. Adding sounds to pure sounds can make the process of learning to read a little bit trickier.
Teach your child the sounds of the alphabet before they learn the names of the letters. For example, the letter “S” makes the sound “ssss” (like a snake) and it’s name is pronounced “es”. This will help your child with their development of speech and reading as it avoids confusion when learning phonics. Choose simple words like “sun” and emphasise each sound when saying the word. Use this video as a framework to assist the learning and to also make it fun!
Home learning task:
Walk around the house or go for a walk outdoors. Encourage your child to find things that start with a specific sound. For example, “Can you find me something that starts with a b?”. This will help your child develop the skills to be able to identify the sounds that they are reading and learning in school, by applying them to objects they are surrounded by in everyday life.