Read with an adult. Take your time. You can say, point, draw or write your answer.
1 Let's look together
These letters are called vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u. Say their names with an adult.
Listen to the middle sound in cat. Look at its letter a. Now listen to pen. The letter e helps write its middle sound. Letter names and sounds are not always the same.
a — cate — peni — sito — dogu — cup
Look, point and talk with your adult.
2 Watch how I do it
My adult says cat slowly. I hear three sounds. I point to a for the middle sound. We say the whole word again: cat.
3 Your turn
Which vowel letter is in the middle of sit: a, i or u?
Have a go before opening the answer.
Let's check together
i. The word is s-i-t: sit.
4 Try it away from the page
Make cat and cup with letter cards. Point to the vowel letter in each. Ask your adult to model the sounds.
Open your writing and drawing pad
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Adult notes · prerequisites, safety and coverage
Foundation/revision, not a replacement for systematic phonics. Distinguish the five vowel letters from the many vowel sounds. The letter y can also represent vowel sounds; introduce that later through known words.
Read instructions aloud. Word-reading practice must match the child's taught sounds. The phonics pages support, but do not replace, the school's systematic synthetic phonics programme. Shared stories are adult-read unless the child can decode them. Re-read and practise daily.