What is Phase 4?
Letters and Sounds is a phonics program used in many schools in the UK to teach children how to read and write. Phase 4 of the program is typically introduced in Year 1 (the second year of school) and is designed to build on the skills learned in Phases 1-3.
In Phase 4, children focus on consonant blends at the beginning and the end of words. The main focus of Phase 4 is on developing children’s ability to blend and segment longer words. The emphasis is on consolidating the knowledge and skills learned in Phases 1-3 and extending children’s phonics knowledge so that they can read and write more complex words with greater accuracy and fluency.
Some of the key skills and knowledge taught in Letters and Sounds Phase 4 include:
- Consolidating the knowledge of all the graphemes and phonemes learned in Phases 1-3.
- Practising blending and segmenting longer words with more complex graphemes, including consonant clusters (e.g. ‘st’, ‘bl’, ‘sp’) and vowel digraphs (e.g. ‘ai’, ‘ee’, ‘oa’).
- Learning to read and spell words with adjacent consonants (e.g. ‘spot’, ‘milk’) and polysyllabic words (e.g. ‘hamster’, ‘caterpillar’).
- Introducing more tricky words, including those with irregular spellings, such as ‘said’, ‘have’, and ‘like’.
- Practising handwriting skills and learning to join letters in a cursive style.
Overall, Letters and Sounds Phase 4 is an important stage in teaching children how to read and write, as it helps them to consolidate and extend their phonics knowledge and develop the skills needed to read and write longer and more complex words with greater fluency and accuracy.
Resources to support Phase 4 learning
Sound and Spell Puzzle
JumpingJumbo Sound and Spell is an educational board game designed for children aged 4-8 years old. It is a fun and engaging way for kids to learn spelling and phonics while playing with their friends and family.
The game includes a jigsaw puzzle with English letters and 80 spelling cards. Each card has a picture of an object and the word spelt out underneath it.
Phonics Dominoes: Digraphs and Blends
The Learning Resources Phonics Dominoes – Blends & Digraphs is an educational game designed to help children learn and practise blends and digraphs in a fun and engaging way.
The game comes with 84 dominoes, each featuring a different blend or digraph. Players take turns matching the dominoes to each other, with the goal of being the first to get rid of all their dominoes. Along the way, they practice blending and decoding words with common blends and digraphs such as “sh”, “ch”, “th”, and “qu”.
It helps children to build their vocabulary, improve their reading fluency, and develop their decoding skills.
Let's Learn to Spell
Jaques of London Spelling Phonics Games is an educational toy set designed for children to learn spelling and phonics in a fun and interactive way.
It is a great learning tool for parents and teachers who want to help young children develop essential spelling and phonics skills in a fun and interactive way.
Sight Word Swat
Learning Resources Sight Word Swat is an educational game designed to help children learn and practise sight words in a fun and engaging way. It is a great way to reinforce sight word recognition and improve reading fluency. It is also a fun and engaging way to promote hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as children swat the flies.
Power Pen: Blends and Digraphs
Power Pen Learning Cards: Blends & Digraphs are educational cards designed t o help children learn about blends and digraphs.
The Power Pen Learning Cards use an interactive pen to allow children to hear the correct pronunciation of each blend or digraph, and to check their answers as they learn. The cards include activities such as matching, fill-in-the-blank, and identifying the blend or digraph in a word.
Lowercase Lacing Alphabet
The Learning Resources Lowercase Lacing Alphabet is a great tool for parents, teachers, or anyone looking to help young children develop their literacy skills in a fun and engaging way. It is suitable for children ages 3 and up, and can be used for individual or group play.
Children can use the laces to practise threading the letters in alphabetical order, spelling out words, or creating their own patterns and designs.
Phase 4 Phonics Books
Learn to Read at Home with Bug Club Phonics: Pack 5 is a set of four reading books designed to help young children learn to read and develop their phonics skills. The set includes three fiction books and one non-fiction book, all with engaging stories and colourful illustrations.
Each book in Pack 5 focuses on a different set of phonics skills, such as blending sounds to read words, recognising common letter combinations, and understanding the relationship between letters and sounds. The non-fiction book provides an opportunity for children to apply their phonics skills in a real-world context, with informative text and vivid photographs.
Phase 4 Word Cards and Tricky Words
Orchard Alphabet Lotto is an educational board game designed to help children learn the alphabet and develop their letter recognition skills in a fun and engaging way. This game is suitable for children aged 3 and above and can be played with 2 to 5 players.
The game is designed to help children develop their letter-recognition skills and expand their vocabulary. The colourful illustrations on the alphabet cards provide visual cues to help children associate each letter with a specific animal or object.
Phase 4 Workbook
The “Letters and Sounds Phonics Phase Four Practice Pupil Book 4” is an educational resource designed for children in the Reception year.
The pupil book contains a range of activities and exercises that are designed to help children practice and consolidate their phonics skills. The activities in the pupil book are designed to be engaging and interactive and to help children develop their phonics skills in a fun and meaningful way.
Digraph Spelling Flip Book
A Digraph Spelling Flip Book is an educational tool designed to help children learn how to spell words using digraphs. This flip book includes simple consonants and short vowels, which are the building blocks of many words in the English language. The flip book allows children to practise spelling words with these basic components by flipping through the pages and combining the consonants and vowels to form words.
Reception Handwriting Workbook
The Reception Handwriting Targeted Practice Workbook by Collins Early Years Practice is a great resource for parents who want to support their child’s handwriting development at home. The workbook is designed for children aged 4-5 years who are in the Reception year of primary school.
The activities in the workbook are designed to be fun and engaging for children, with colourful illustrations and clear instructions. There are a variety of activities included, such as tracing letters, copying words and sentences, and completing simple handwriting exercises.
