Parent guide
What your child learns
- The pure sounds of the first six letters: s, a, t, i, p and n
- A picture to remember each one by: snake, apple, tiger, insect, popcorn and nest
- How to blend sounds into a word, s a t, sat
- That the same six sounds make more than one word, like p i n, pin
What happens in the video
Zaviyar has a secret. He has found six magic sounds hiding in a row of wooden blocks, and he can't wait to show Zimal. Bulbul flaps down from the bookshelf to join in.
First they sing all six together, s, a, t, i, p, n. Then they take them one at a time. Sss for a snake, a for a shiny red apple, t for a tiger, i for a tiny insect, p for a bowl of popcorn and nnn for a cosy nest. After each sound there is a little pause so your child can say it back.
At the end Zaviyar slides the blocks together and the sounds turn into words. s a t, sat. p i n, pin. Zimal reads her very first word, everyone cheers, and they wave bye bye.
Before you press play
Hold up six fingers and tell your child you are going to learn six sounds today, one for each finger. Counting them off as you go makes a long list feel small.
Getting the sounds right
Say each sound short and clean, with nothing added on the end. sss, not suh. t, a quick tap of the tongue, not tuh. p, a little puff of air, not puh. The a is the a in apple, and the i is the i in insect.
Two of the sounds can be stretched, sss and nnn, so hold those ones for a moment. The others are quick. If your child adds an uh, just say the clean sound back to them with a smile and keep going.
Where this fits
These six are the first group taught in schools that use synthetic phonics, and they are chosen on purpose. With just s, a, t, i, p and n you can already build lots of real words, like sat, pin, tap, nap, sit, tip and pan.
Our first video, Sss is for Snake, was all about the s sound. This one brings all six together and shows the big idea of reading: sounds join up to make words.
While you watch
- Use the pauses. After each sound, stop talking and let your child fill the gap.
- When a picture appears, point at it together. Snake, apple, tiger, insect, popcorn, nest.
- At the blending part, run your finger under the letters as the sounds join up, s a t, sat.
- Watch it more than once. Most children know two or three sounds the first time and all six by the third.
Three things to do after
- Make six sound cards. Write s, a, t, i, p and n on scraps of card. Hold one up and say the sound together, then mix them up and play again.
- Build words on the floor. Lay out s, a and t in a row and blend them slowly, s a t, sat. Swap the s for a p and you have pat. Then try pin, tip, nap and sit.
- Go on a sound hunt. Pick one sound and find things at home that start with it. A spoon and a sock for s, a pan and a pillow for p. Say the first sound of each one together.
Words to practise
Sing along
Sounds, sounds, little sounds,
let us say them all around.
s, a, t, i, p, n,
say them once and say again.
