The Day Before School - Learn Long u (-ue, u_e, -u, -ui, ew) - Teacher Notes

The "Day Before School" reading pack is part of a comprehensive phonics-based program designed to teach children the long 'u' sound, with variations such as -ue, u_e, -u, -ui, and ew. The pack is suitable for children aged 4 and above, including those who may be reluctant readers aged 7 to 9+, as well as children with learning difficulties or for whom English is a second language. The structured approach of the pack makes it an ideal tool for one-on-one or small group learning settings, involving a teacher or a parent/guardian working alongside the child.

The reading packs are meticulously crafted to integrate 44 phonic sounds into engaging stories about a charming boy named Sam, allowing children to discover hidden sounds and progressively build their phonics knowledge. This methodical approach aims to enable children to read 80% of words in the English language by breaking them down into sounds or syllables. Additional stories, such as "The Bouncing Castle" and "The Famous Cousin From The Country," help reinforce more complex sounds. The ultimate goal is to prepare children for independent reading of books like Roald Dahl's "George's Marvellous Medicine" and "Fantastic Mr Fox." The packs also include cut-out practice pages to solidify the association between sounds and words, and their colourful illustrations and simple text are designed to captivate young readers. Users are advised to start with initial sounds for complete non-readers and then progress through a suggested order of phonic sounds for optimal learning.