Phonics Phase 5: Alternative Spellings

Phase 5 is taught in Year 1 and introduces alternative spellings for sounds children already know. For example, the 'ay' sound can be spelled "ai" (rain), "ay" (play), "a-e" (cake) or "ey" (grey). Children learn to choose the right spelling for the right word.

Split digraphs (sometimes called magic 'e') are a key part of Phase 5: "a-e" (make), "i-e" (like), "o-e" (home), "u-e" (cube), "e-e" (theme). Children learn that the 'e' at the end changes the vowel sound from short to long.

Phase 5 also covers alternative pronunciations -- the same letters making different sounds in different words. For example, 'ow' says 'ow' in "cow" but 'oh' in "low".

Phase 5 is where English spelling really opens up. Children move from reading and spelling simple words to handling the complexity of English, where the same sound can be spelled many different ways.

Phase 5 is directly assessed in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, which takes place in June. Children who are confident with alternative spellings and split digraphs are well prepared for the check and, more importantly, for fluent independent reading.

1. 1

   Make spelling choice cards: write different ways to spell a sound (ai, ay, a-e) and practise choosing the right one.

2. 2

   Highlight the tricky part of each word: in 'rain' the tricky part is 'ai', not the 'r' or 'n'.

3. 3

   Practise split digraphs by adding 'e' to CVC words: 'cap' becomes 'cape', 'pin' becomes 'pine'.

4. 4

   Read a variety of books to expose your child to the same sounds spelled different ways.

5. 5

   Don't worry about perfect spelling -- the goal is to make plausible attempts using known phonemes.

6. 6

   Practise the Phonics Screening Check format: reading a mix of real words and nonsense (alien) words.