Letters and Sounds: resources for phonics

The Letters and Sounds webpage

This site is used by the teachers in the Reception classes at my school (and undoubtedly many other British schools) and provides resources to help with the introduction of phonics to 4-5 year old children and onwards. In general, nursery classes (3-4 year old children) follow Phase 1 and reception (4-5 year old children) classes follow Phase 2 & Phase 3. Phase 1 is the listening and communicating stage and Phase 2 onwards starts to introduce letters and their sounds.

My daughter's first ever school report!!

Wow, just 2 months into her new nursery and my little girl brought home her first ever report!!

Of course, as she's only 3, it was very simple.

Positives were:

a sunny smile
sociable
wanting to do things by herself

To work on was:

writing her name
tidying up after finishing with toys (No surprises there!!!)

霜降りるのヘブデン・ブリッジ A frosty day in Hebden Bridge

It's become very cold recently. We've had snow and frost and some beautiful clear blue skies.
My daughter is loving her new nursery. There are some other bilingual kids there too, Italian/British and Mexican/British. She adores her teachers and her English is getting so good. We hope she will be able to continue there. The results of our application will be given at the end of April. Fingers crossed!!!

最近寒くなっている。雪が降って、霜も降りて、青空が広がるの最近の天気。
娘が新しい幼稚園大好きみたい。そこに、バイリンガルの子供達がいる。その子はイギリス・イタリアそしてイギリス・メキシカン。娘が先生たちのことをとても好き。英語も段々上手になっている。今のようちえん・小学校　（nursery and infant school 3-7 years old only) に続けるようにお願っている。申し込みの結果は四月末に出る。お願い！！

（イギリスのnursery(3-4歳）のはどこでもほとんどう申し込みが必要でわない。4歳になった年の9月から小学校の申し込みしないといけない。4歳から5歳のクラスはReceptionというクラス。5-6歳は小学校の1年生です。It's a bit confusing and odd procedure!）

The power of her peers!! 子供同士の力

Just after one week of being at nursery in the U.K....
My little girl can sing the whole of the nursery rhyme, Baa, Baa Black Sheep!!!
And she starts to play and talk in English too. She even says things in English that her daddy cannot catch.  He's going to have to do some studying to keep up with her in the future!!! It just goes to show how much language develops when surrounded by friends of her own age at nursery.
She is free to move from room to room at her nursery. Each area of the room has a theme, such as water and sand play, painting, a pretend house, computer corner and playdough and so on. There is also a good-sized playground with toys outside, as well as a small garden with apple trees and flowers. She has a nursery journal,called a Learning Jornal, which the staff update with my daughter's photos, drawings, and achievements.

My little boy is also starting to talk. He has the most beautiful, "Yes".

イギリスの幼稚園に入って、一週間が経ったの娘が。。。
こどもの遊び歌、”Baa, Baa, Black Sheep"　を全部歌えるようになった。
そして遊びながら、英語で自分に喋ったりする。　たまにお父さんが何を言っているか分からないだって。娘に残さないように、彼も英語を勉強しなくっちゃ！幼稚園の同級生のは言葉の力になるですね。
娘の幼稚園はとても自由です。たぶんもっと日本の保育園に似ている。部屋の中いくつかの遊びテーマがあって、たとえば水遊び、砂遊び、色塗り場、ママ事コーナー、パソコン・コーナー、ねんど遊びとかある。そして外のグラウンドにも遊び道具がたくさん。リンゴの木とかお花が植えているの庭もある。自分の幼稚園日記もある。写真、絵描きのこピーとか娘の達成できた事。
ところで、最近一歳になった息子も話始まっている。世界に一番美しいの"Yes"と言える。