Get Kids Reading: A Literacy Campaign by Sooper Books

Kids, Cuddles and Muddy Puddles are proud to support a new Literacy campaign called Get Kids Reading, by Sooper Books. The driving force behind the campaign is husband and wife team Simon and Charlene, who are passionate about raising standards of reading in children.

The Get Kids Reading initiative was launched in January this year, due to research that showed young people's growing use of social media is negatively impacting levels of literacy, and increasing levels of depression, sleep-related problems and cyber-bullying.

The campaign aims to help parents bridge the gap between modern technology and the need to get kids reading. The Sooper Books mission is to provide free bookshop quality children's stories to families all over the world using an online platform.

Image Credit: Sooper Books

Traditional tales and well-loved children's stories are creatively retold by Simon (there's some Sooper Books originals in there too!), and beautifully illustrated by the talented Charlene. Together they have already produced an extensive online library of bedtime stories for 5-12 year olds! Perfect for busy, modern families who want access to quality reading resources anytime, anywhere!

Phonics Fun with Mrs Mactivity: Phase Five Activity Pack

(Review / Gifted)

I can't believe the school year is almost over! My son is quickly coming to the end of Year One and will soon be taking his Phonics Screening Check. As I also teach Year One, revising all we have learnt in phonics is high on the agenda both at home and at school!

Phonics is the systematic approach to learning to read and spell, with the 44 phonemes (sounds) being taught in different phases throughout Reception and Year 1.

By the end of Year 1, children are given a Phonics Screening Check to assess whether they have mastered the basic phonics system, and identifies any areas they need help with as they go into Year 2. It checks that your child can:

• Sound out and blend graphemes (the letter/letters that represent a sound) in order to read simple words.
• Read phonically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, e.g. cat, sand, windmill.
• Read a selection of nonsense words which are referred to as pseudo (or alien) words.

When your child learns phonics, they will also be taught "tricky words." I wrote a post explaining why these words are classed as tricky, and how you can help your child learn tricky words in a fun, multisensory way, which is full of easy ideas.

A - Z of Multisensory Language Learning for Kids: Letter E

As you may know, in this series, I'll be sharing some multisensory language learning ideas, which will help you to teach languages to your young children in a fun, engaging way. If you're not teaching languages however, most of these activities can be adapted to fit many themes in your own language too! I'm sorry there's been such a big delay in getting the letter E to you - life just seems so busy at the moment!

You can find quick links to our previous posts in this series, including other language learning blog posts on our Language Learning Adventure page. 

E is for...

Phonics: How to Teach your Child "Tricky Words" - A Multisensory Approach

If you have a child in Reception or Year 1, you may have been thrown into the world of Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP) or Phonics for short. Not only are there 44 sounds (phonemes) to learn, there are also "tricky words" to get your head around too!

For first time parents, supporting your child on this learning journey may seem like a daunting prospect. So I'm hoping this post will explain things in an easy to digest way, and give you some ideas to help your child learn to spell tricky words in a multisensory way.

What is Phonics?

Phonics is a systematic approach to learning to read and spell. Children are taught approximately 5 sounds (phonemes) a week in an explicit, rapid way. Most schools will have a daily phonics lesson (approximately 20 minutes), and each day follows the same format - Introduce, Revisit, Teach, Practise, Apply, Assess.