Phase 2 · Set 1
Sounds: s a t p
Tap a card to hear its sound, then say it. Look at the pictures. Tap the letters to blend a word.
Listen and say
Look and say
tap
Tap to blend
Tap a letter to hear its sound. Tap the play button to blend the sounds into a word.
Read it
Pat sat at a tap.
Now play
For grown-ups
What to do: let your child tap a card, listen, and say the sound back. Then look at the pictures and say each word. Finish by blending a few words and reading the sentence together. Ten minutes is plenty.
Mouth tips
- s (/s/): Teeth almost closed, tongue behind them. Let the air hiss out. No voice, just a quiet hiss.
- a (/æ/): Open the mouth wide, tongue low. A short, bright sound, as in cat.
- t (/t/): Tongue tip taps the ridge behind the top teeth, then a tiny puff of air. Keep it short and quiet.
- p (/p/): Lips pressed together, then pop them open with a small puff of air. Keep it short.
Tricky words in this set: a, the. See the tricky words page.
Follow your own programme. This order follows the general Letters and Sounds phase order (GOV.UK, 2007, now historical). Schools in England choose their own phonics programme. The DfE publishes a list of validated programmes (there is no legal requirement to use one), and each programme orders the sounds a little differently. If your school has one, practise in its order and use these pages for extra listening and reading.
More: phonics notes for parents and teachers, phonics phases explained.