Phonics - is there a website where you can hear how to pronounce the letters?

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

That's it really. Thanks.

[nickelbabe]

i don't know of any, i just wanted to add a warning about differences in regional accents - if the sites are in RP and you're a northerner, they won't make sense.

[Cathpot]

cbeebies' alphablocks is veeeery good and has an introductory song where you hear all the letters. (Starfall is an american one- so you get the sounds but in an american accent...)

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Thanks nickelbabe. We're Londoners so not an issue. We've bought the Jolly Phonics books but just not 100% on how to say the letters.

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Thanks very much Cathpot. Have just looked at Alphablocks and it's great - just what I was looking for.

[primarymum]

If you have a look at www.phonicsinternational.com/ and scroll down to near the bottom there are some video links where you can hear the sounds clearly and precisely!

[caffeinated]

I'd highly recommend the jolly phonics book that comes with a cd. I think it's called Jolly Jingles. DS learned all his letter sounds from learning the songs that go with each letter and the songs have the correct pronounciation. We got ours for £5 on Amazon and the songs are so catchy I get stuck singing them at unopportune times.

[BetsyBoop]

try www.jollylearning.co.uk & click on the "audio" button

[Belle03]

Try readwrite inc- very good site

[maverick]

Or, www.focusonphonics.co.uk/index2.php?action=underestand

[aegeansky]

OP, I would only recommend Read Write Inc. This reproduces the sounds correctly, unlike other systems, and also teaches the phonemes in the correct order (not alphabetical order).

Be very careful as some systems may confuse children by naming the letter sound instead of the phoneme.

This is very hard (time-consuming) to reverse and will hold your child back later on.

[maizieD]

ageansky, why only ReadWrite Inc?

Jolly Phonics sound clips are fine, the Phonics International ones (not linked to)would be fine and I know that Maverick wouldn't recommend an inaccurate site!

What do you mean by 'naming the letter sound' and who says that the RWI order is is the 'correct' one?

You are confusing me, and I work with phonics for a living !

[Butterpie]

www.bookwormery.co.uk Click on special offers and then very first reading, there are links on there to the sounds plus free activities.

[mumbar]

personally I agree with pp about read write inc. The order you learn the sounds and digraphs is important (aparently) but this approach does it that way and it has worked amazingly for ds.

[Mowgli1970]

www.communication4all.co.uk used to have jolly phonics songs and pronunciation.

[mrz]

m - a - s - d - t - i - n - p - g - o - c - k - u - b - f - e - l - h - sh - r - j - v - y - w - th - z - ch - qu - x - ng - nk

s - a- t- p- i- n- c- k- e- h- r- m- d- g- 0- u- l- f- b- ai- j- oa- ie- ee- or- z- w- ng- v- oo- y- x- ch- sh- th- qu- ou- oi- ue- er- ar

s- a- t- i- p- n- c- k- ck- e- h- r- m- d- g- o- u- l- ll- b- f- ff- ai- ay- j- oa- ow- ie- igh- le- ee- or- z- zz- w- wh-

not a great deal of difference in the order really (the same sounds are covered in the first two or three weeks) I prefer using the Jolly Phonics order in reception and the Phonics International order with slightly older children. Personally not a fan of Read Write Inc and don't think it is any more effective than other programmes when delivered correctly.

[Sammiez]

mrz,i need to ask this please... Do kids ever get familiar with these phonics? Or when do they not need them anymore? This is my first contact with phonics and I wonder if some of the sounds aren't confusing?
For example: 'ai' in 'train'
and 'a' in 'skate'
sound alike. How can kids tell the difference?

[Ineedsomesleep]

extremely, is your DC due to start school in September or already at school?

If they are about to start, then you may want to leave trying to teach them phonics unless they are really interested and asking to learn.

DS picked it up very quickly at school but some of his friends, whose parents had tried to teach them phonics before starting school, really struggled. Before I get flamed, I'm not saying this is everyone's experience. Its just the experience of us and a few of his friends.

[YourCallIsImportant]

Sammiez, Starfall explains the difference between 'ai' (train) and 'a' (skate) by showing how the 'e' at the end of skate turns the 'soft a' (like apple) into the 'hard a'. Hope that makes sense.

I like Starfall. My DD practically taught herself to read before starting school using the activities and games on this site.

[maizieD]

Sammiez,

'Phonics' is all about how the sounds in words are represented by a letter, or group of letters. In English some(most) 'sounds' are represented more than one way. The /ay/ sound in skate and train are both the same sound, they are just represented differently.

There are 44 sounds and about 160 -180 common ways to represent them in English. Most children don't have a great deal of difficulty with this if they are taught it systematically from the start. It is adults who don't know much about it who have the biggest problems

[Ineedsomesleep]

I'd agree with that MaizieD, I found it difficult, DS picked it up really quickly

[Sammiez]

I agree too. I have found it very tricky but DD has picked it up real good. Just wondered about the 'exceptions' if you can call it that!
For example,I have seen an adult write 'said' as 'sed' and I blamed it on the phonics! DD is learning her tricky words okay but she's written 'skate' as 'scat' using phonics which was 'beautiful writing' by her teacher.
I guess they eventually get used to them then. It's my first contact with it so seems more convoluted to me.

[notyummy]

Just marking my place so I can look at some of the websites at home with DD!

[Sammiez]

Yourcallisimportant thanks for 'Starfall' tip! Just had a look and it looks good.

[Sammiez]

I needsomesleep, dd has started already and her reading and writing are okay but just wondered about the 'exceptions' if you can call it that!
For example,I have seen an adult write 'said' as 'sed' and I blamed it on the phonics! DD is learning her tricky words okay but she's written 'skate' as 'scat' using phonics which was 'beautiful writing' by her teacher.
I guess they eventually get used to them then. It's my first contact with it so seems more convoluted to me.

[mrz]

Sammiez I would recommend looking at phonics international it gives a very good overview of how the different sounds can be written which you should find helpful. Phonics Play provides lots of activities to help reinforce spelling patterns most are free.
Personally I would avoid Starfall because it is an American site with American spellings, vocabulary and voices