English / Year 1 / Language / Phonics and word knowledge

Curriculum content descriptions

Understand that a letter can represent more than one sound and that a syllable must contain a vowel sound (ACELA1459)

Elaborations
  • recognising that letters can have more than one sound, for example the letter ‘u’ in ‘cut’, ‘put’, ‘use’ and the letter ‘a’ in ‘cat’, ‘father’, ‘any’
  • recognising sounds that can be produced by different letters, for example the ‘s’ sound in ‘sat’ and ‘cent’
General capabilities
  • Literacy Literacy
ScOT terms

Phonics

Text

Phonics instructional model for reading and spelling

This documents includes information about a phonics instructional model for reading and spelling, it outlines the attributes of instruction, provides a lesson and review model, and a sample systematic synthetic phonics lesson that includes examples of skill application tasks.

Audio

Phonemes and graphemes daily review

This slide pack provides recorded pure sounds for each letter–sound correspondence in line with the Literacy Hub phonics progression. It is ideal for use within phonics instruction using a systematic synthetic phonics approach.

Text

Phonics progression

This evidence-aligned phonics progression includes a sequence of letter-sound correspondences and phonics skills for development across Foundation to year 2.

Video

Introduction to SSP - Module 4: features of a systematic synthetic phonics approach

This 23-minute professional learning video, presented by literacy expert Jocelyn Seamer, discusses the features of a systematic, synthetic approach to teaching phonics. It includes information on decodable texts, alphabetic code, and how to teach new sounds. The other videos in the series are; The research base of structured ...

Video

Introduction to SSP - Module 3: key understandings

This 13-minute professional learning video, presented by literacy expert Jocelyn Seamer, discusses key understandings of a systematic, synthetic approach to teaching phonics. It includes information on alphabetic code, sight words, blending and how to meet the needs of all children in the classroom. The other videos in ...

Video

Introduction to SSP - Module 2: framework for evidence-informed reading instruction

This 14-minute professional learning video, presented by literacy expert Jocelyn Seamer, discusses the framework for evidence-informed reading instruction. It includes information on the Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope model and the Big Six of reading instruction (oral language, phonological awareness, ...

Video

Introduction to SSP - Module 1: the research base of structured literacy

This 13-minute professional learning video, presented by literacy expert Jocelyn Seamer, introduces the Science of Reading and explains the implications this body of research has for teaching reading. You will learn about the evidence base that supports the Science of Reading, Sweller's cognitive load theory and Dehaene's ...

Interactive

Syllabus bites: types of sentences

A web page resource with information, teacher guides and activities on types of sentences to support the Australian Curriculum in English K–10. It has detailed activities, links to resources and quizzes.

Video

Teaching spelling generalisations: Floss rule - ff, ll, ss or zz.

This short video (5 mins 32 seconds) explains how to teach the spelling generalisation known as the floss rule so that students learn when to use the letters ff, ll, ss and zz to represent the sounds /f/, /l/, /s/, and /z/.

Video

Explicit instruction for phonics - an instructional model: coaching webinar questions

Literacy specialists Rebecca McEwan and Elaine Stanley present this question and answer session about using explicit instruction principles within your phonics lesson.

Video

Demonstration of a daily review

This video provides a demonstration of a phonics daily review using explicit instruction principles. It is presented by literacy specialists Elaine Stanley and Rebecca McEwan.

Downloadable

Steps to spelling accuracy infographic

This infographic highlights the knowledge and skill areas students need to develop for early spelling accuracy, and the key role of spelling generalisations in this development.

Downloadable

Phonics lesson student worksheet: Spelling generalisation for soft g and soft c

This worksheet is for independent student practice of concepts taught in the phonics lesson for the soft g and soft c sounds (sometimes known as the ‘Gentle Cindy’ rule).

Downloadable

Phonics pair-game template

The pair games and activities in this document can be used as part of your systematic synthetic phonics program to encourage students to develop their phonics skills with peers during independent practice.

Video

Explicit instruction for phonics overview

This video provides an overview of a phonics instructional model for reading and spelling. It is presented by literacy specialists Elaine Stanley and Rebecca McEwan.

Downloadable

Phonics lesson slides: Spelling generalisation for ff ll ss zz

This sample slideshow presents a ready-to-use phonics lesson to teach the spelling generalisation for the ff ll ss zz spelling pattern (sometimes known as the 'floss' rule), with teacher notes indicating how to teach each part of the lesson.

Downloadable

Phonics lesson slides: Spelling generalisation for letter-sound correspondences ai and ay

This sample slideshow presents a ready-to-use phonics lesson to teach the spelling generalisation for the ai ay spelling pattern, with teacher notes indicating how to teach each part of the lesson.

Assessment

Progress monitoring tools Tracker Phases 16-20

This spreadsheet assists teachers to analyse the data collected in progress monitoring tools, to plan next steps for student learning. This file aligns with Phases 16-20 of the Literacy Hub phonics progression.

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Progress monitoring tools Phases1-5

These tools support teachers to monitor individual and whole-class student progress in Phases 1-5 of the Literacy hub phonics progression, and instructional notes for the teacher are provided. Each phase has a student reference page and a teacher marking sheet.

Downloadable

Word and code complexity continuum

This diagram shows the gradual progression of skills that students need to develop so they can read and spell words with increasing complexity.