Use Sentence Maker To Reinforce Initial & Final Consonant Blends (3 years +) - Teacher Notes

The Sentence Maker is a valuable tool for teachers and parents to help children aged three years and above reinforce their understanding of initial and final consonant blends. By constructing sentences with words that incorporate these blends, children can practise and enhance their reading skills. The Sentence Maker is part of the Pre Reader Work Packs from Guinea Pig Education, which is an innovative scheme designed to teach children to read within six months to a year, challenging the traditional notion that learning to read must take years.

The Pre Reader Work Packs focus on phonics, the sounds in words, providing children with a foundational 'tool' to decode approximately 80% of words in the English language, with the remaining 20% learned through recognition and repetition. These packs encourage children to identify initial consonant sounds like 'b' and 'd', as well as vowel sounds as in 'a' for 'c...a...t'. They are guided to blend these sounds to form words and eventually sentences. The material is structured, incorporating word games such as snap and bingo to make learning enjoyable. The packs come with clear instructions and can be used by an adult working with an individual child or a group. Children are advised to personalise the materials with their own drawings and to repeat the exercises until they are confident with the words, making the learning process both effective and fun.