'Phonics is Phun' - the definitive list of ideas please.....

[Gameboy]

Every year at about this time there are always a few threads along the lines of 'Help - how can I teach my Reception child phonics?' but all the advice is hidden away in numerous threads.

I am now that mother too - DS2 (just 4.3) is now faced with learning all 42 sounds by Christmas, and quite frankly I'm running out of ideas about how to keep reinforcing it and make it fun.

So far:

• Worksheets from school
• JP DVD
• JP 'Lotto game' (but with no instructions - can anyone tell me how to play this!?)
• have made cards of the Reception words
• subscribed to a website with games
• read every night and point outsounds and words that I think he should 'know' or be able to work out now.

He's doing fine, but has the attention span of a flea.

Please - more ideas please...

We have a built-in fridge, so please don't suggest fridge magnets

DS sang a phonic song (someone found a link to it recently for me on here)
He remembers the sounds by the JP action, but singing it along to the song really made a difference.

oh - can you post the link again - sounds good! Thx

JollyPhonic books- You can get them on ebay cheap. Dont know what age they are for or anything. Bought some for dn for her 5th birthday in sep.
she loves them.

i wouldn't push it at all, just let them learn at their own pace

instead of fridge magnets, sponge letters to stick on the bath (sorry this is about the fifth time i've posted this idea, yawn!)

DD loves spelling out words using (alphabet) flash cards.

She practises writing out the names of all her toy animals, too (traces using pen over what I write in hilighter)

why does he need to know them by christmas? he will be in reception till end july.

here is the phonics song. Use it with the jolly phonics actions to help jog his memory when singing it back to you.

www.stafall.com

is a good site if you havent used it already

You could play pairs or snap with two copies of each letter sound.

You can get foam letters in Tescos to use in the bath

Musical letters. You write the letter sounds on seperate pieces of paper. You need another person to play with your son (who is also prepared to let him win occassionally!) Play the music and the children dance around. You then stop the music and call out a letter sound. The children then have to jump of the letter sound. Another variation is to letter your child call out the letters and you have to jump of them.

You could make biscuits with alphabet cutters from the early learning centre. Get your child to say the letter sound as you cut the biscuit dough. When you offer your child the biscuits ask him to say the letter sound of the biscuit he wants.

You could have a treasure hunt where your lo has to look for something begining with a particular letter sound to find the next clue. (Prehaps you could combine it with an easter egg hunt. ie. your child find a small easter egg with each clue)

Phonic I-spy.

You might find some useful ideas on this website.

www.dyslexics.org.uk/

Don't worry its a long time until your lo starts school. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Lots of little boys have the attention of a flea. Little and often is better than long heavy sessions.

I have some free pages to download on my site .

Starfall is a great site too.

I used to pick a letter each morning on the way to playschool and we'd try and find things along the way that started with that sound.

A white board is also magnetic so if you had magnets you could used them on that. I usually use magnets on the kitchen table anyway and then put them away when I'm finished. I spell out words like 'fart' to get them interested

Just been out and bought my first scrabble for my DS1. he is the same age as yours and is pretty much there with his letters. Don't worry...it is nothing like the adult or even juniors scrabble. There are 3 different levels....we have just managed to spend half an hour spelling various 3 letter words....finding the letters and placing them in the grids. Just another string to your bow......certainly helped lengthen his attention span. Got it for £10 from Toys-R-Us.