Acing that phonics check

If you teach in a UK school in Year 1, you will be familiar with the oh-so-popular Phonics Check that has to be done in June. Not one of my favourite things as a teacher, but since it has to be done, obviously I want my kiddies to do the best that they can in it.

I'm a great believer in drip feeding or spiralling the strategies they need to be able to pass. Below are just a few of the activities that I use over the year.

iPad app 'Check Your Phonics' by Pearson Education

This app (unfortunately paid) generates both real and fake words. 

Lollypop word sort 

I made this product so the children could sort the real and not real words.

'Reading Robot' on Phonics Play
There are some other good themed games on here which are grapheme-specific, which generate selections of real and fake words such as 'Buried Treasure', 'Planet Pluto' and 'Dragon's Den'.

Flashcards from SmartKids

I have a box of these for each Phase so I can use throughout the year. 

Buried Treasure also from Smart Kids

Again, I also have this game for multiple Phases.

Monster Names

Since the 'real thing' will involve fake words with monster/alien pictures beside them, I get them used to reading 'names' of different monster characters. (You can find this product in my TpT store).

Three-in-a-row

For this game, I split my class into teams (usually 2/3) and they take it in turns to roll my large whiteboard dice to find a word for their team to read. Then they circle it on the board. The first team to get three words circled wins. (My current class are ace at the reading, but a lot to work on with strategy to win!)

And of course, lots and lots of shared, guided and individual reading!

Must Read Mentor Text - Willy the Wizard

Linking up (a little late) with Collaboration Cuties' Must Read Mentor Text link up.

Just coming to the end of an English unit based around the story 'Willy the Wizard' by former Children's Laureate, Anthony Browne. The children love this unit every year (possibly because its an incredibly boy friendly book, even with my two-thirds girls class!) so thought I would share some of my favourite activities I do over the unit. 

Synopsis

Willy the Chimp loves football, but doesn't have any boots. One day he meets a mysterious stranger who gives him some 'magic' boots. Willy is fantastic! But on the day of the match, he forgets the boots, will he still be able to play as well?

Lessons

Verbs

Look at all the different words for Willy's football skills. Get out onto the playground with some footballs, show off our mad football skills, then write as many verbs to describe what we have been doing as possible on post-its.

Similes

Using different pictures of the setting (my favourite is the one of the old pie factory) get the children to create simple similes to describe what they can see. Once they get the structure of a simile, they all have really interesting views for comparison.

Story map

Draw a story map of the main events from the book. Orally rehearse this together along with actions to help them learn the structure of the story. Then help them change character/setting/events to map out their own imitated version of the story.

Lollypop lollypop oh lolly lolly pop!

I have a new product just in my TpT store today to celebrate the TpT 3 million teachers sale which is on for only 2 days! You can get up to 28% off! Click on the image below to go to my store!

Graphic from Creative Clips

It's a lollypop-themed word sorting game. This is a game aligned to the UK Letters and Sounds in that I've created words for the different Phases, however, it will work for any children who are still needing practice in sounding out and blending words.

I've included a mixture of real and made up words to ensure they are not reading them solely as sight words, but are also using their sounding and blending skills. Much needed practice for the Year 1 Phonics Check!

Phonics is one of my favourite subjects, any ideas what I could create next?

Anyway, I'm off to see what bargains I can grab in the TpT sale... remember it is only on today and tomorrow (USA time). Check out the linky party below to see what everyone else is buying/selling!

Storybook Sunday - Giraffes Can't Dance

Linking up with Paula's Place for the first time to join in with Storybook Sunday.

The story I want to post about is one of my all-time favourite books. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae. 

Gerald is a giraffe who doesn't seem to be good at dancing, all the other jungle animals are holding a Jungle Dance and he gets laughed away, until a friendly cricket speaks to him and shows him that he is special too. This is such a fun book to read with rhyming verses and a very sweet message at the end of the story. 

Whilst I read it every year with my class, last year I decided to do it as my class assembly to parents. I dressed the children up as the different jungle characters and had them each say 2 line or a verse (depending on their public speaking ability!). They then sang the song 'Good to be me' to show that they recognised just like Gerald that they were special in their own ways!

Back to work... sigh

So we went back to school after the Christmas break this week. Despite the time going so quickly for me, it was great (mostly!) to get back into the swing of things in class. Here are the highlights of my week in another 'Five for Friday' (despite it being Saturday!) link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching.

1

I started off this week with reading 'Squirrel's New Year's Resolution' and then using a freebie from An Educator's Life called 'New Year, New Me' which was just the sort of fun, but meaningful activity to spend Monday morning doing with some excitable 5 year olds! I hung the finished mobiles across the back of my classroom. I have also referred to their resolutions multiple times over the week for behaviour management!

2

I also added the 'New Year totals' freebie from Kathy Romano and Christina Murphy to my Challenge Area along with the 'Word Sort' that I bought from Doodle Bugs Teaching way back during the Cyber Monday sale! These activities, along with some recount holiday writing scaffolds, are the 'challenges' that the quick finishers may choose from. They can also go to the book corner if they prefer. The Challenge Area is also available during free choice time, so that my slow finishers can also access them.

3

For my extra-curricular Crafty Kids club, I used this great 'New Year Craftivity' from A Cupcake for the Teacher. These were absolutely gorgeous when the whole group were wearing them (sorry can't post photo!)

4

Multilink Maths! Using multilink cubes to help decide if numbers are odd or even. 

5

I have a Reading Roundabout session where I split the class into small groups and they take it turns reading with me or my assistant. The independent groups do different reading based activities, this week one of them used the great 'Roll and read tricky words' that I got from Primary Classroom Resources, although I adapted it into a game that can be replayed by using counters rather than colouring the sheet.

I seem to have used most of my 5 to prove how much of my classroom teaching is now affected by resources and ideas I've found off teaching blogs! Loving this addiction of mine!!