Speed Sounds

After learning the Set 2 sounds, your child will have learnt one way in which each long vowel sound is written. When learning their Set 3 speed sounds, they will be taught that there are more ways in which the same sounds are written, e.g. ee as in tree, and ea as in tea.

• The letters that represent a speed sound e.g. 'ea'

• A simple picture prompt linked to the ‘speed sound’ and a short phrase to say e.g. ‘cup of tea’

There are 20 Set 3 speed sounds that are made up of two or three letters which represent just one sound, e.g. ea as in tea, ow as in cow, an are as in care. As before, it is important that your son/daughter does not pronounce these as 2 or 3 separate sounds. When your son/daughter sees the ‘speed sound’ letters together in a word, s/he must say just one sound for these letters. When a sound contains two letters that makes just one sound e.g ‘ea’, we call it a ‘digraph’. When a sound contains three letters that make just on sound e.g. ‘ure’, we call it a ‘trigraph’. When a sounds has two letters, which work as a pair to make one sound, but are separated with the word e.g. ‘a-e’ (cake), we call it a ‘split digraph’. There are videos on Ruth Miskin’s YouTube page to model how to say each sound correctly.

How to Practise Set 3 Speed Sounds

Only practise Set 3 speed sounds once your child’s knowledge of the Set 2 ‘speed sounds’ is secure. Your son/daughter should know all the Set 2 sounds and the letters that represent them without having to rely on the picture prompt.

Example of how to practise Set 3 speed sounds:

• Review the similar sound from the Set 2 cards e.g. show the ee, what can you see, sound say – ee

• Hold up the letter side of the new speed sound e.g. show the ea, cup of tea, sound say – ea ask your son/daughter to repeat the sound ea

• Show the pictures for each sound e.g. say the phrase ea, cup of tea. Repeat

• Show your child the written sound and the picture your son/daughter must say either ea, cup of tea

Some cards have three different spellings e.g. ‘ir’ in bird, ‘ur’ in burn, and ‘er’ in fern. It is important you do not introduce all the sounds together for the first time. For the ‘ir’ speed sound, practise ‘ir’ and ‘ur’ first and then practise ‘er’. Practise the Set 3 speed sounds in these groups. Those in bold are Set 3 sounds. Those not in bold, your child will have learnt in Set 2.

oy and oi

ay and a-e (as in make)

igh and i-e (as in smile)

ow and o-e (as in home)

oo and u-e (as in huge)

or and aw

air and are

ir and ur

ay and a-e and ai

ow and o-e and oa

oo and u-e and ew

ire

ure

tion

cious/tious

Please do not practice all the Set 3 green words until your son/daughter knows all their Set 2 sounds. Concentrate on one sound at a time and when they know it, move onto the next.