Phonics Builder 1 basic vowels and consonants
Phonics Builder 2 adding consonant blends Flip one
Phonics Builder 3 adding double-letter soundsGuess the word
Some activities with Phonics Builders
Faster and faster
One child flips letters and the other children try to read them. The children can take turns to do this in pairs, groups or as a whole class. Encourage the children to do this faster and faster.
The children play with a Phonics Builder in pairs or they pass it around a group. They take turns to read the word/non-word that is currently being displayed on the Phonics Builder, receive the Phonics Builder, flip one letter over for the next child to read and pass the Phonics Builder on. This activity also works as a race in teams or against the clock - how many words can they read within a time limit? The end of the time limit can be indicated by a fun sound, an explosion, the class mascot such as a fluffy animal doing something silly or very quietly dropping a tissue or putting his/her finger on his/her lips etc.
One child sets a Phonics Builder to a real word or a non word. The other child/children try to guess what it is. One way they could do this is by calling out letters (with phonic pronunciation), and each time a letter is wrong the child who has the hidden word draws part of a picture (like hangman but with a picture that's more fun). The aim is to discover the word before the picture is finished.
Spin
Two children each have a Phonics Builder and face each other. One child (either one of the two children or a third child) counts to five. On '1' they spin around to face away from each other, on '2,3,4' they set their Phonics Builder, and on '5' they spin around to face each other and read what's on the other child's Phonics Builder. Instead of counting 1,2,3,4,5, the child who is calling out the timing could say five words of the same category, 'animals, colors, vegetables, words beginning with d etc...'. These categories could always be different. Either the children take turns to call out, and have to use a different category each time, or the categories are decided in some other way.
Instructions
One child instructs another child on how to adjust her Phonics Builder. The sophistication of the instructions depends on the level of the children. For example, 'left, middle, right' or 'first, second, third/last' could be used to indicate the three positions on the PB or, at a higher level, this could be 'the first one, the second one...' or 'the one on the left, the one in the middle...' The instructions could be given like in the game 'Cassette Player', 'Left - Play!' means the other child has to start moving the letters on the left, and the instruction can be changed to 'Fast forward!', 'Rewind!', 'Stop!'. Or, more transferable English such as 'Go!', 'Faster!', 'Slow down a bit!' etc... could be used. One of the children - which one depends on how you are playing the game - then reads the final word they've worked so hard for! With some classes, there may need to be a time limit, otherwise the instructions will go on for ever and little reading will take place.
Real words
The children take turns to make a real word with a Phonics Builder. This could be all they do, or they could mime or draw a simple picture to illustrate the word. This activity can be played in pairs, a group, or teams (with team members helping each other), and continues until they can't find any more words. One of the aims of this activity is for the children to extend their vocabulary and spelling. After they run out of words they know, they will experiment with other letters and either ask us, saying something like 'is this a word?', or look at us with curiosity. If the word does exist (and is achievable), we give some hint, half draw a picture etc... so they think and guess until they discover the word. Again, they gain a sense of achievement and ownership because they have really stretched themselves in order to get the word.
In a row
One child or team put a series of Phonics Builders in a row so as to make a very long word, and challenges another child/team to read it as quickly as possible. The aim is to encourage children to see the reading/deciphering of new long words as fun and encourages an active approach to reading.