Blend Sounds Together To Make Words With Initial Consonant Blends (3 years +) - Teacher Notes

The Teacher Notes for the "Blend Sounds Together To Make Words With Initial Consonant Blends" pack from Guinea Pig Education outline a swift and innovative approach to teaching reading skills. It is suggested that with this scheme, children as young as three years old can begin to read within six months to a year. The pack employs phonics, which is the method of learning to read by sounding out phonemes, and it provides children with the tools to decode approximately 80% of English words. The remaining 20% are to be learned through recognition and repetition.

The Pre Reader Work Packs are designed specifically for non-readers and introduce the 26 sounds of the alphabet. They focus on the recognition of initial sounds and vowel sounds, teaching children to blend these sounds to form words, and eventually sentences. Instructions within the packs are straightforward, ensuring that adults can effectively guide children through the learning process. The packs include engaging activities like word games to make the learning experience enjoyable. The course is structured so that each new phonic sound builds upon the last, and children are encouraged to personalise their learning by adding their own creative touches to the drawings. Regular practice is emphasised, with the recommendation that children should only move on to the next stage once they are familiar with the current material, ensuring a solid foundation for reading development.