First Class Phonics - Book 8

Introduction

First Class Phonics is a series of books designed to help children quickly become proficient readers and writers.

These books use ‘Synthetic Phonics’, which is a high quality teaching method recognised all over the world. In synthetic phonics children focus on the skills that enable them to read and spell words accurately. They recognise the importance of every sound they hear in the spoken word and learn to blend these sounds so that they can read words from the very beginning of the program.

It is essential that children develop the ability to hear, identify and manipulate individual sounds in order to read fluently. This book provides a range of fun activities to ensure this happens.

Book 8 introduces more digraphs (two-letter sounds) and trigraphs (three-letter sounds). It also introduces alternative graphemes for phonemes already learnt. It covers the sounds ou (soup), ui (fruit), u (ruby), u (uniform), a (acorn), er (grey), eigh (eight), ea (steak), eer (deer), ere (sphere), ier (pier), ea (bread), ai (said), ear (pear), are (square), ere (there), al (calf), a (father), gh (laugh), ture (picture), tion (fraction), cian (musician) and sion (explosion).

In this book some earlier words taught cease to be ‘tricky words’ as children learn new sounds and understand their spelling pattern. Other words remain as ‘tricky words’ and are still written in italics so children know they cannot ‘sound them out’.

The last chapter contains a story that uses only words built from the sounds taught in this and previous books. In this chapter words are not written in italics.

*Instructions to be read by adults are starred with an asterisk and written in italics.

Notes for Parents and Teachers

How do I use this book?

When a new sound is introduced you will see the following format:

ou

oo soup

Each time a new letter is taught ask your child to say what the picture represents, e.g. soup.

With your finger, trace the letter shape in the air, over a plastic letter, on a blackboard, table or on the floor. Ask your