What is Phase 3?
Letters and Sounds is a phonics program used in many schools in the UK to teach children how to read and write. Phase 3 of the program is typically introduced in the second half of Reception (the first year of school) and is designed to build on the skills learned in Phase 2.
In Phase 3, children continue to learn new graphemes (letters or groups of letters that represent a sound) and phonemes (the smallest units of sound in a word). The focus is on introducing children to more complex graphemes, including those with two or three letters that represent a sound, such as ‘ai’, ‘ee’, and ‘igh’. Children also learn to blend sounds together to read words and segment words into individual sounds for spelling.
Some of the key skills and knowledge taught in Letters and Sounds Phase 3 include:
- Learning the remaining single-letter graphemes, such as ‘j’, ‘v’, ‘w’, ‘x’, and ‘y’.
- Introducing more complex graphemes, such as ‘ai’, ‘ee’, ‘igh’, ‘oa’, ‘oo’, and ‘ar’.
- Practicing blending sounds together to read words with more complex graphemes.
- Introducing tricky words (words that cannot be sounded out using phonics alone) such as ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘we’, ‘me’, ‘be’, and ‘was’.
- Segmenting words into individual sounds for spelling.
- Practicing handwriting skills and learning to form letters correctly.
Overall, Letters and Sounds Phase 3 is an important stage in teaching children how to read and write, as it helps them to develop more advanced phonics skills and improve their fluency and accuracy in reading and spelling.
Resources to support Phase 3 learning
Learn to Read at Home Set of Books
This is a pack of four fiction books designed for children who are learning to read at home using phonics method. These books are part of the Phase 3 curriculum and are intended for Reception pupils.
The books feature the Alphablocks and cover a range of phonics skills, including blending sounds together to read words, recognizing common letter combinations, and learning tricky words.
Magic Spelling
“Orchard Toys Magic Spelling Game” includes a range of different cards featuring words that children need to spell correctly. To play the game, children select a card and use the special magic pen to write their answer on the card. When they’re finished, they use the magic ink reveal system to check their answer and see if they got it right.
Orchard Toys Magic Spelling Game is a fun and engaging way for children to develop their spelling skills, and is a great educational toy for parents and teachers looking to support children’s literacy development.
Magnetic Phonics Digraphs
Using the Fiesta Crafts Phonics Magnetic Letters can help children develop their letter recognition, phonics, spelling, reading, and writing skills. The toy is also great for fostering creativity and imagination, as children can create their own stories and words using the letters and pictures.
In summary, the Fiesta Crafts Phonics Magnetic Letters is an educational toy that offers an engaging and interactive way for children to learn how to read and write. The use of magnets, pictures, and phonics sounds makes learning more fun and enjoyable, while also helping children develop important literacy skills.
Magnetic Letters and Board
BrightMax UK is a company that designs magnetic letters for children as a fun and interactive way to learn phonics and the alphabet. These magnetic letters can be used in phonics games and activities that are suitable for early years foundation stage (EYFS) learners.
Using magnetic letters can help children to develop important skills such as letter recognition, phonics, spelling, and word formation. They can also be used to encourage children to practise their writing skills by tracing over the letters with their fingers or using a dry-erase marker.
Digraphs Wordsearch
“Digraphs Word Search Key for Kids” is a word search book designed to help children improve their vocabulary, spelling, and cognitive skills while having fun.
This book focuses on digraphs, which are pairs of letters that represent a single sound, such as “ch” in “chair” or “sh” in “sheep.” All the words hidden in the puzzles contain digraphs, making it a great educational tool for children who are learning about phonics and reading.
Phonics Blah Blah Game
The “Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game” is an educational card game designed for children aged 4-7, specifically for those in the early years and Key Stage 1. The game aims to accelerate every child’s reading skills through an engaging and fun gameplay.
The “Mrs Wordsmith Phonics Blah Blah Blah Card Game” is designed to be an effective way to improve children’s phonics and reading skills. It encourages children to recognise and sound out words based on their phonics sounds, improving their ability to decode words and build their reading fluency.
Match and Spell Game
The “Orchard Toys Match and Spell Next Steps” game is an educational spelling game designed for children aged 5 and up. This game aims to help children develop their phonics and word-building skills through a fun and engaging gameplay.
The “Orchard Toys Match and Spell Next Steps” game is designed to be a step up from the original “Match and Spell” game, with a greater focus on more advanced phonics and word building skills.
This educational spelling game can be used at home or in the classroom, either as an individual or group activity. It can help children build their vocabulary, improve their spelling skills, and develop their phonics abilities.
Ready To Spell
“Skillmatics Ready to Spell” is an educational toy designed for children between the ages of 4 to 7. This toy aims to help children improve their vocabulary and spelling skills through a stage-based learning approach that makes learning fun and engaging.
Children can use the marker pen to write on the cards, practising their spelling of each word as they go. The toy also includes a set of instructions and guidelines for parents to help children get the most out of the toy.
Sentence Building Game
“Sentence Building” is an educational tool designed to help young pupils develop their sentence-building and language skills.
The cards feature a variety of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and prepositions, as well as punctuation marks such as full stops and question marks. Children can use the cards to create sentences, either individually or in groups, and practise grammar and syntax in a fun and engaging way.
Digraph Flashcards
The “Little Wandle More Phonics Flashcards for Reception” cards are designed specifically for children in the Reception year group. These flashcards include additional phonics concepts such as digraphs (two letters that make one sound, such as “sh” and “th”) and trigraphs (three letters that make one sound, such as “igh”).
The illustrations and rhymes on the flashcards can be helpful for helping children associate the sounds with words and concepts they are familiar with.
Phonics Games: Digraphs
Digraphs is a book that contains a series of games and activities designed to help children learn and master digraphs.
The book is part of the Phonicability Games series, which focuses on teaching phonics skills in a fun and engaging way. The activities in this particular book are aimed at children who are just beginning to learn about digraphs, and are presented in a way that is easy to understand and follow.
The book includes a range of different games and activities, such as matching games, word searches, and picture puzzles. These activities help children to recognise digraphs in words, understand their meaning, and use them in their own writing and reading.
