Printing...It was delicious. “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” said Maria. She was not hungry anymore. She lay on her back, watched the moon, and rubbed her tummy. Mm Listen to the story. Rub your

NOT FOR SALE. NOT TRANSFERABLE

This book is distributed free of cost to students and teachers under the Government of

Belize Textbook Program and is the property of the Ministry of Education, Youth,

Sports and Culture.

My B-Z Phonics is a publication of the Quality Assurance and

Development Services (QADS) of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports

and Culture in Belize.

My B-Z Phonics is copyright of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports

and Culture. It may be freely copied for use in Belizean primary schools.

It may not be copied without permission for any other purposes. No part

of My B-Z Phonics may be sold by any entity other than the Ministry of

Education, Youth Sports and Culture or its nominated publisher.

This book was written and illustrated by John Newport, with assistance

from Lurleen Gamboa, Bryann Griffith, Guadelupe Beet, Grace Young,

Diana Azueta and Gabriel and Erei Newport. Additional material was

used from Fast Phonics, a previous QADS publication and the

contributors to that project are thanked for their work.

2020 Printing

My B-Z Phonics

Let’s Read

2

M

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the m sound.

3

m

Maria the Manatee

One Monday evening, Maria the Manatee was floating in the mangroves.

There was a big moon in the sky. A monkey was playing on the beach.

Maria the Manatee was hungry. She saw a man and a mouse in a fishing

boat. The man was drinking milk.

“Can I have some milk, please?” Maria asked the man.

Maria drank the milk, but she was still hungry.

“I have some meat,” said the man. “Do you want that?”

“No thank you,” said Maria. “Manatees do not eat meat.”

“I have some mangoes that my mother gave me this morning,” the

man said.

He gave Maria the Manatee a mango. She munched on the

mango. It was delicious.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” said Maria. She was not hungry anymore.

She lay on her back, watched the moon, and rubbed her tummy.

Mm

Listen to the story.

Rub your stomach and say mmm,

mmm, mmm every time you hear

the m sound.

Deep in the mangroves,

Watched by a monkey,

A manatee looked at the moon.

She drank some milk,

And dreamt of mangoes

That she could eat with a spoon.

4

M

Each object starts with the m sound. Point to each picture and say the

word. Colour in the letter and the pictures.

5

m

Draw a line from each letter to the pictures that begin with its sound.

6

M

M m m

m

m

M

M

m M

7

Let’s Read

Read the words.

Colour the pictures.

man

map

men

8

D

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the d sound.

9

d

A Dark Rainy Night

It was very dark night in Douglas Village. The wind blew hard and the

rain poured down. Many animals were scared but Debbie the Dog was

teaching Dan the Donkey to dance.

Suddenly, Dave the Duck flew in the door. “The water in the river

is too high!” he quacked. “We have to warn the villagers.”

Debbie the Dog put her drum on her desk and began to play the

warning signal. “D, d, d, d, d,” went the drum as Debbie the Dog and

Dave the Duck ran through the streets to warn the villagers. They quickly

packed their food and followed the animals to safety. They were all

happy that Debbie the Dog had played to warn them.

D d Debbie the Dog likes the chance

To double tap her drum.

Dan the Donkey learns to dance

As Dave the Duck sits and hums.


Pretend to play a drum every

time you hear the d sound.

10

D

Each object starts with the d sound. Point to each picture and say the

word. Colour in the letter and the pictures.

11

d


Read the words. Colour the pictures.

dip bed

12

D

Dd d

d

d

D

D

D

d D

13

Looking Back

Draw a line from each lower case letter to its capital letter.

Draw a picture that begins with each sound.

b

m

n

d

D

N

M

B

m d

14

Let’s Read

Read each word. Colour the pictures.

bat

cat

rat

15

Tricky Words to Learn

Read the sentence.

Colour the picture.

me be

A cat ran at me.

16

O

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the o sound.

17

o

Oscar Burns His Tongue

Olga the Ocelot was visiting her friends, Oscar the Octopus and Otto the

Ostrich. Olga liked to jump. She liked to jump onto the table and then

jump off it again. She liked to jump on different objects.

Oscar was in the kitchen cooking okra in an old pot. Okra was his

favourite food. He was cooking it in olive oil.

Oscar loved okra so much that he could not wait to eat it. He

licked it when it was still in the pot. The okra was so hot it burned his

tongue.

“O, o, o” shouted Oscar.

O o

Oscar the octopus likes okra a lot,

But the okra is getting very hot.

Oscar licks it off the pot,

And burns his tongue – o o o.


Put your hand to your mouth as if you

have burned your tongue every time

you hear the o sound.

18

O

Each object starts with the o sound.

Point to each picture and say the word.

Colour in the letter and the pictures.


mop pot rod

19

o

Oo o

o

o

O

O

O

o O

20

Middle Sounds

Write “o” or “a” on the line in the middle of each word.

Colour in the pictures.

r a t p d m p

d t m n b t

v n p t cr b

21

Let’s Read

Draw a line from each word to its picture.


pen

rip

tin

net

pot

run

22

H

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with a h sound.

23

h

Henry the Horse is in a Hurry

Henry the Horse was eating hay. Suddenly Hana the Hen rushed up to

him.

“Help! Help!” she said. “Harriet the Hare needs her medicine.

You must take it to her as fast as you can. Please hurry!”

Henry the Horse ran off as fast as he could to Harriet’s house,

which was on a high hill. Harriet was not there.

“Perhaps she is in the hotel,” said Harry the Hawk who was flying

above the hill hunting for food. However, Harriet was not in the hotel.

“I must find her soon,” said Henry the Horse, “otherwise she will

end up in the hospital.” Suddenly, Henry saw Harriet the Hare sitting by

a hut wearing a hat. He hurried over and gave her the medicine.

“Hello,” he called, “I have your medicine.”

Harriet the Hare was so happy to see Henry that she hopped up

and down five time as high as she could. Hop, hop, hop, hop, hop.

H h Henry the Horse is out for a run

With a hat upon his head.

He wears his hat in the sun

And is happy when he’s fed.

Listen to the story. Hop on one foot

every time you hear a h sound.

24

H

Each object starts with the h sound.



25

h


Colour the letters and the pictures.

Read each word. Colour the picture.

hat ham hen

26

H

H h h

h

h

H

H

H

h H

27

Looking Back



b

p

d

h

H

D

P

B

pot

crab

bed

28


m h

d

o

29


Read the sentence.

Colour the picture.

His hat is on

the bed.

the his her

30

G Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with a g sound.

31

g

Gabriel the Gibnut

Gabriel the Gibnut lived in Gales Point. He was a very happy gibnut. He

loved to grow plants in his garden. His favourite plants were ginger and

garlic. Every day, after he finished digging, Gabriel the Gibnut sat under

a great big guava tree playing a green guitar.

One day, Gabriel the Gibnut saw his friend, Gloria the Goat by the

garden gate.

“Please play a song for me,” said Gloria.

Gabriel plucked his guitar, “g, g, g.” He sang all the songs the

villagers loved. They were so happy they brought him gifts of grapes and

guava for his supper.

G g

A gibnut sat under a guava tree

With a green guitar.

A goat ran after a bumble bee,

As a gator grabbed his car.


Pretend to play a guitar every

time you hear the g sound.

32

G

Each object starts with the g sound.



33

g


Read these words.

dog bag gas

34

G

G g g

g

g

G

G

g G

35

Looking Back



g

t

m

o

T

O

G

M

g d

36

Ending Sounds

Write the letter that goes at the end of each word.


ba__

be__

mat

di__

37


It is so hot.

go no so

38

F

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with a f sound.

39

f

The Fishing Festival

One Friday, Felix was taking part in a fishing festival. He wanted to win. He

attached a fat fly to his line and flicked his fishing rod. The line flew over the

water before flopping in. Felix watched his float. He knew that if the float

moved, he had caught a fish. For fifteen minutes, nothing happened. Suddenly,

Felix saw a huge fin in front of his boat. His float disappeared. His boat began

to move. An enormous fish was pulling his boat. It went faster and faster.

Felix closed his fists over his fishing rod.

“I will fight this fish,” he thought. “I will not let go! I will not fail!”

After five minutes, the huge fish was tired. Slowly at first, Felix began

to pull it into his boat. It weighed more than fifty pounds.

Felix won the competition. All his friends said he was a fantastic

fisherman.

F f Felix the fisherman fixes a fly

To his fishing line

He flicks his rod with a cry

And the line spins f f f f.


Pretend to flick a fishing rod every

time you hear the f sound.

40

F

Each object starts with the f sound.



41

f Draw a line from each letter to the pictures that begin

with its sound. Colour the letters and the picture.

Read these words.

fan fin frog

42

F

F f f

f

f

F

F

F

f F

43


Read the sentence. Colour the picture.

The dogs are on the mat.

she are

he

44

L

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the l sound.

45

l

Lisa lived in Ladyville but she liked to travel to all parts of Belize. One

day, she visited the Crooked Tree Lagoon. She ate her lunch under a lime

tree and watched two little lambs playing. Later, she went to Lemonal

where she saw a large lizard lying in the sun.

Lisa also liked the sea. She loved visiting Laughing Bird Caye.

She liked to watch the men catching lobsters in their nets.

One day, Lisa stayed too long at sea. “I am lost!” she cried. “I

don’t know the way home. It is getting late and soon it will be too dark

to see”

Just then, Lisa saw a bright light. A police woman had seen her

little boat lost at sea. She had run as fast as she could and lit the big

light at the top of the lighthouse.

Lisa followed the light. Soon she reached the shore. Lisa thanked

the police woman for helping her get home safely.

L l

Lisa was lost at sea,

In her little boat,

But she saw a light in the sky,

And got safely to the coast.


Open and close your hands like

a light going on and off every

time you hear the l sound.

46

L

Each object starts with the l sound.



47

l



Read these words.

lips leg log

48

L

Ll l

l

l

L

L

L

l L

49


Read the sentences. Colour the pictures.

Here is a log.

here some

Here are

some taps.

50

Let’s Read


Here is a big flag.

51

Looking Back



e

f

l

i

I

L

E

F

fan lamp

52

U

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the u sound.

Find the objects that have the u sound in the middle.

53

u

Uncle Umberto the Umpire

Uncle Umberto had an ugly umbrella. He put his umbrella up

when it rained. He put his umbrella up when the sun was hot.

Uncle Umberto was also softball umpire. He was the main judge

for the under ten’s cup. Every time a batter scored a run, Uncle

Umberto put two hands up above his head.

It was the day of the final game. Ulrika was the star

player for the Ultra’s team. The captain of the other team threw

the ball. Ulrika swung the bat and hit the ball high into the air.

Up, up, up it went!

Uncle Umberto put two hands high in the air. “Ulrika has

scored the winning run,” he said.

Uu An ugly umpire is having great fun

Under an umbrella in the sun.

And when the umbrella falls,

He laughs out loud and calls

“Up, up, up, up, up.”


Lift your hands up in the air every

time you hear the u sound.

54

U

This object starts with the u sound.

Colour it in.

Each object has the u sound in the middle.



55

u


Read these words. Colour the pictures.

pup cup bug

56

U

Uu u

u

u

U

U

u U

57

Middle Sounds

These words have a u sound in the middle.

Write in the missing letter in each word and colour in the picture.

c _ p

p _ p b _ s

b u g

s _ n

h _ t

58

K

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the k sound.

59

k

Kim the Kicking Kiskadee

Kim the Kiskadee was a black belt in karate. Every day she practised her kicks. She

was so good at kicking she was chosen for the Belize Karate team for a contest

against Australia.

It was near the end of the competition. “Whoever does the highest kick will be

the winner,” the judge said.

Katrin the Kangaroo said, “Watch me. I will do the highest kick.” She

bounced and bounced until she was very high up and did a beautiful karate kick.

“I can get even higher,” said Kendra the Koala. She ran to the tallest tree she

could find and went up to the very top.

“That is a very high kick,” said the judge. “I am sure nobody will beat that.”

“Yes I will,” said Kim the Kiskadee. She took a deep breath and began to fly.

She flew higher than the jumping kangaroo. She flew higher than the koala in the

tree. She flew higher than a kite in the breeze. Up and up she flew until she was high

in the sky. Then she did an amazing karate kick.

K k


Kick out your leg every time you

hear the k sound.

Kim the Kicking Kiskadee

Likes to play karate

She lifts her wing

Kicks out a leg

And sings, “K k k k k.”

60

K

Each object starts with the k sound.



61

k



62

K

K k k

k

k

K

K

K

k K

63

Looking Back



r

d

u

k

U

K

R

D

k e

64

Ending Sounds

These words end in ck.

Write the letters c and k in the spaces.


kick

lo _ _

so _ _

sti _ _

65


Here are four bugs.

one

four

+

+

+

+

+

66

Middle Sounds

Write a letter on the line in the middle of each word.


r a t p __ g c __ p

b g

l ps

h t

dr m

s n

h nd

67



The duck is big.

Ken has four caps.

to do

has

68

J

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the j sound.

69

j

Jack and the Jaguar

Jolly Jack was a famous photographer. He wanted to take a picture of a

jaguar. One day he put on his blue jeans and leather jacket. He packed

some bread and a jar of jam in his jeep and set off to the jungle.

On the way he saw a jabiru stork. He took a great picture and

continued on his way.

Jolly Jack drove his jeep deeper into the jungle. He drove all day

without seeing a jaguar.

On the way home, Jack saw a jaguar. He stopped his jeep and got

out his camera. Suddenly the jaguar jumped into the jeep and sat down

right next to Jack. Jack was very frightened. He jumped out of the jeep

and ran into the jungle.

The jaguar got into the driver’s seat and drove away.

J j


Jump on the spot every time

you hear the j sound.

Jolly Jack is driving a jeep

When a jumping jaguar takes a leap.

The jaguar is juggling jelly beans,

And Jack has on a shirt and jeans.

70

J

Each object starts with the j sound.



71

j


Colour in the letters and the pictures.

Read these words.

jug jet jump

72

J

J j

j

j

j

J

J

j J

73



for said

He said, “I

can jump for

it.”

74

Sh

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the sh sound.

75

sh

The Shark and the Ship

Shajida the Shark was swimming through the barrier reef hunting for

shrimp and shell fish. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. A big ship was

blocking out the sun. There was a cruise ship a short distance away.

“The water is too shallow for a cruise ship,” thought Shajida. “It

will hit the reef. I must find a way to stop it.”

Shajida the Shark saw a big red shirt floating on the shallow

water. She took hold of the shirt in her sharp teeth and began to swim

backwards and forwards very quickly. She even waved it like a flag, up

and down and side to side. At first the ship did not stop, but then

Shajida heard shouts from the people on the ship.

“It is the reef!” they shouted. “The water is too shallow!”

Very slowly, the ship turned around. Shajida the Shark had saved

it from crashing into the sharp rocks around the reef.

Sh sh Don’t say “sh” and don’t be quiet,

Sherman and Shelly are on a seafood diet.

Shout that they are eating shellfish:

Shrimp and lobster on a shiny dish.


Put your hands to your mouth

and pretend to shout every

time you hear a sh sound.

76

Sh

Each object starts with the sh sound.



77

sh

Draw a line from each of the letters to the pictures that begin with its

sound. Colour in the letters and the pictures.


ship shell

78

Sh

Sh sh sh

sh

sh

Sh

Sh

Sh

79

Ending Sounds

All the words end with the sh sound.


fish

dish

smash

push

80


Read the sentences. Colour the picture.

little all

His pen is in a

bag.

All the bags

are little.

81

Word Families

Read the words.

old c cold

old f

old g

old h

fold

gold

hold

bold sold told

old

82

V

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the v sound.

83

v

Vicky drove a very big van. Her job was to deliver

vegetables. When she drove her van, she was always

followed by Vance the Vulture. Vicky liked Vance the

Vulture. He was very funny.

One day, however, Vance was not flying in the sky.

He was lying on the floor.

“He is sick,” thought Vicky. “I must take him to

Veyda the Vet as fast as I can.”

She revved her engine, v,v,v and arrived at the vet’s

house five minutes later.

Veyda the Vet gave Vance the Vulture a

vaccination. “Soon he will be better,” she said.

V v Vicky the vegetable seller

Puts a vulture in her van.

She drives to Veyda the vet

Going as fast as she possibly can.


Pretend to drive a van every time

you hear the v sound.

84

V

Each object starts with the v sound.



85

v



Read these words.

van vet

86

V

Vv v

v

v

V

V

V

v V

87



The vet has a dog.

I have five fish

in a tank.

have five

88

W

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the w sound.

89

w

Walter and the Well

Walter was a waiter. He worked at a café on West Street. It

was Walter’s job to keep the café clean. Every Wednesday, he

had to wash the walls and wipe the windows.

One day, Walter came to work but there was no water.

“How can I wipe the windows and wash the walls without

water?” he wailed.

His friend William asked, “Why don’t you walk to the well

on West Street?”

Walter went to the well and saw that it was full of water.

He was happy. “Now I can wash the windows and wipe the

walls,” he said. “The café will be clean again.”

W w

Walter the whistling waiter

Went to wash a window.

He wet a rag in some water

And whistled as he wiped.


Pretend to wipe a window every

time you hear the w sound.

90

W

Each object starts with the w sound.



91

w


Colour in the picture.

wet

well

swim

web

92

W

Ww w

w

w

W

W

w W

93

Word Families

Read each word. Draw a line from the word to its picture.


ink

sink

wink

link

drink

94

Looking Back


j g

f

v

95



We have

two

hands.

Her hand is

wet.

we was

two

96

x

Look at the picture. Find the objects that have the x sound in them.

97

X

Max and His Camera

Max woke up on his birthday. There was a small box by his bed. Max

opened the box. There was a camera inside. Max took a picture. The

camera made a “ks, ks, ks” sound.

That day, Max took a picture of a fox, an old ox, a taxi and a big,

red axe. Each time Max took a picture the camera went “ks, ks, ks.”

Max decided to climb a tree to take a picture of a bird. He pressed

the button and the camera made a “ks, ks, ks” sound.

Max was so excited that he fell out of the tree. He hurt is hand.

Max's father rushed him to the hospital. The doctor put Max’s hand

under a big machine and took an x-ray. The big machine made a “ks, ks,

ks” sound.

The doctor looked at the x-ray. “Don’t worry,” he said. “Your

hand is not broken. Be more careful next time.”

Max took a picture of the doctor. His camera made a “ks, ks, ks”

sound.

X x


Pretend to take a picture with a camera

every time you hear the x sound.

Max took a picture

Of Felix the Fox

Sitting on a box

With an old, grey ox.

98

x

Each object ends with the x sound.



+

+ +

+

+ +

99

X

Read the words. Colour in the pictures.

ox

box fox

axe taxi

100

x

X x x

x

x

X

X

X

x X

101


Write about each picture.

b

s

102

Let’s Read



mop

pen

bag

step

axe

hand

103


Colour in the question mark.

who what

when

104

Ch

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the ch sound.

105

ch

]

Charlie the Chimpanzee loved to chop food. One day, he was in the

kitchen. First, he chopped some cheese. Next, he chopped some

chocolate and cherries. Finally, he chopped some plantain to make chips.

Suddenly, Chelsea the Chicken ran in from the yard. She jumped

on the table and began to chew on Chelsea’s food. First, she chewed on

the cheese, then she chewed on the chocolate, the chips and the cherries.

When Charlie the Chimpanzee saw this, he got mad and began to chase

Chelsea.

Chelsea the Chicken hid under a chair. “Please don’t chase me,”

she squawked. “If you promise to stop, I will lay a delicious egg for you.”

Ch ch


Chop with your hand every time you hear

the ch sound.

Chelsea the Chicken chewed on chips

With chocolate and cheese on top

Charlie the Chimp chased her,

Shouting, “Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop.”

106

Ch

Each object starts with the ch sound.



Read this word.

chin

107

ch

]

Draw a line from the letters to the objects that begin with their sound.


108

Ch

Ch ch ch

ch

Ch

Draw a picture of an object that begins with the ch sound.

109



I saw a duck on a desk.

saw come

110

Z

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the z sound.

111

z

Zaza the mosquito lived in the zoo. She liked to buzz around the heads of

the animals. She would zip into their ears and say, “zzz, zzz, zzz.”

One day, Zaza was zig-zagging around the zoo. She buzzed in the

ears of Zara the Zebra, Charlie the Chimpanzee and Larry the Lizard. She

buzzed Gabby the Gazelle who was grazing in the green grass. After that,

she saw a great big grizzly bear lying lazily in the sun. Zaza flew round

and round the head of the grizzly bear saying, “zzz, zzz, zzz.”

Z z

Zaza the mosquito

Buzz, buzz, buzz

Zips around the zoo.

Zigging and zagging.

Stinging and tagging

Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz.


Flap your hands like the wings of a

mosquito every every time you hear

the z sound.

112

Z

Each object starts with the z sound.

Point to each picture and read the word.


zip zebra

zinc

113

z



114

Z

Z z z

z

z

Z

Z

Z

z Z

115

Looking Back



g

j

i

z

I

Z

G

J

zip

box

jug

116

Let’s Read



zebra

fox

yam

vet

witch

chick

117


Read the sentences.

Colour the picture.

Dan always

has a mop.

Max also

has a mop.

always also

118

Y

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the y sound.

119

y

Yassir the Yeti

High up in the mountains, there lived a yeti called Yassir. A yeti

is a big, hairy creature that lives in a cave. One day, Yassir rode

his yak into the local village. He wanted to buy yampi and

yoghurt.

When the villagers saw Yassir the Yeti and his yak, they

got very frightened. “We have to run away!” they yelled.

This made Yassir very sad because he was really a very friendly

yeti. He took a yo-yo out of his pocket and began to play with

it.

When the villagers saw Yassir playing with a yo-yo, they

were happy. They gave Yassir some yellow yoghurt. It was very

tasty.

“Yum, yum, yum,” said Yassir.

Y y A yeti with a yo-yo

Rode up on his yak

He ate some yellow yoghurt

And galloped right on back.


Pretend to play with a yo-yo every

time you hear the y sound.

120

Y

Each object starts with the y sound.



Read these words.

yam yak

121

y



122

Y

Y y y

y

y

Y

Y

y Y

123



You have a

dog.

Is it your pet?

you

of

your

124

Q

Look at the picture. Find the objects that begin with the q sound.

125

q

The Queen’s Quiz

A queen, a quail and a duck were doing a quiz. The questions were quite

hard.

“What covers a bed to keep you warm?” asked the queen.

“A quilt,” said the quail very quickly. The duck stayed quiet.

“What shape has four sides?” asked the Queen.

“A square,” said the quail. The duck stayed quiet.

“This is the last question,” said the Queen. “What sound does a

duck make?”

The duck said, “Quack, quack, quack.”

Q q


Open and close your fingers like a

duck quacking every time you hear

the q sound.

The queen asked a question,

Her duck asked one back.

The Queen said, “That’s a good one.”

Her duck said, “Quack, quack, quack.”

126

Q

Each object starts with the q letter.



127

q



Read these words.

quack quilt

128

Q

Q q q

q

q

Q

Q

q Q

129

Looking Back


Draw a line from each word to its picture. Colour the pictures.

y

j

q

g

Q

G

Y

J

yam

axe

chin

swim

130

Let’s Read



zebra

wagon

two

ship

van

frog

131



by

my

sky

The sun is in the sky.

132

Th

Each object starts with the th sound.



133

th

Each object ends with the th sound.

Read each word. Colour in the pictures.

th

th

Th

path

bath

math 2+2=4

134

Looking Back


q g

th

z

135

Numbers

three

one

two

four

seven

five

six

eight

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

136

oa

Each object has the oa sound in the middle.

Read each word and colour the picture.

boat

toad

road

goat

coat

137

oa

oa

If you take the road to the coast

And catch a boat in your coat

You’ll see Mister Toad eat his oats

Floating on a piece of toast

oa

oa

oa

oa

138

ee

Each object has an ee sound.


bee

tree

feet

teeth

three

139

ee

Read the sentence.

Colour the picture.

Draw a picture that has the ee sound in it.

Write about the picture.

ee

I can see a green tree

Full of bumble bees

Three are wide awake

And two are fast asleep.

The queen has

big feet.

140

ai

Each object has the ai sound in the middle.


rain

train

tail

sail

chain

141

ai

ai

ai

Draw a picture that has the ai sound in it. Write about the picture.

ai

Gail the snail went out in the rain

Got all wet and went out again.

When she got home she began to wail.

The rain had stained her lovely tail.

142

ou

Each object has the ou sound in the middle.


cloud

shout

house

mouse

143

ou

Draw a line from the letters to the pictures that contain the sound.


ou

ou

ou

144

Middle Sounds

Write a letter in each space in the middle of the words.


s a i l r __ __ n

sh __ __ t cl __ __ d

f __ __ t c __ __ t

145



there these

why

Why is

the boat

there?

146

ie

Each object has the ie sound at the end.



pie

lie

tie

147

ie

Draw a line from each letter to the pictures that end with its sound.



There are

three pies left.

148

ng

Each object has the ng sound at the end.


Read the words.

wing

ring

swing

song thing bang

149

ng

Tricky words to learn


only once

She sang a

long song.

She only sang

it once.

150

oo

Each object has the oo sound in it.


moon

spoon

broom

boots

151

oo

Draw a line from the letters to the pictures that contain the sound.


oo

oo

152

ar

Each object has the ar sound in it.


car

star

arm

153

ar


I went to the

moon in my

car.

ar

ar

ar

154

Ending Sounds

Write a letter on each line in the words.


p __ __ c __ __

st __ __ tr __ __ ri __ __

t __ __ wi __ __ thr __ __

b __ __

155

Looking Back



moon

road

arm

train

cloud

swing

156

or

Each object has the or sound in it.


fork

corn

horn

stork

157

or

Read the sentence and colour the picture.

or

or

This is a

black

orchid.

158

er

er

er

letter

river

corner

159



high low

This hill is

high. These are

low.

160

oi

Each object has the oi sound in it.


oil

boil

coin

point

161



Which light is lit?

It is the one on the right.

right light

which

162

Middle Sounds

Write a letter on each line in the middle of the words.


b o i l f __ __ t

c __ __ n t __ __ l

ch __ __ k c __ __ n

m __ __ n

g __ __ t

r __ __ d

Final Assessment

163

Test One – Sounds and Letters This test is administered orally to each student one at a time.

a d r e n

s g m f i

t sh z ee b

ch o oa j p

ie u q p h

Total

25

Final Assessment

164

Test Two – Word Reading This test is administered orally to each student one at a time.

Part One:

Read each word.

man bed

pot

drum

zip

fish thin

rug

fox

boot tree fork

Tick if

correct.

12 Total

Final Assessment

165

Part Two:

Read each word.

Part Three: Read the sentence.

A dog is in my van.

the one

somen

no

why have

7 Total

6 Total

saw

Final Assessment

166

Test Three – Written Test For this test, the teacher should read the instructions. The students answer in their work

book. This test can be administered to the whole class.

Part One:

Listen to the teacher say each word. Then write the missing letters on the lines.

__at __en

c__p p__g

__an __rum

m__ __ n r__ __n

ha__ fi__ __

10 Total

Final Assessment

167

Complete the first two letters by tracing and then to continue writing letters until you

reach the end of the line.

d

h

w

J

Write a sentence about this picture.

Teachers’ Instructions for the Final Assessment

168

Test One: Sounds and Letters This test is administered orally, one student at a time. It is designed to evaluate whether students know the link between letters and sounds.

Point to each letter. Ask, “What sound does this letter make?” or “What sound do these letters make?” Place a tick or a cross in the box below each letter. If the student gives the alphabet name of the letter, prompt him or her for the sound instead.

Test Two: Word and Sentence Reading This test is administered orally, one student at a time. Part one evaluates whether students can read phonetically regular words, including those with digraphs. Part two evaluates whether students can read a selection of tricky words. Point to one word at a time and ask the student to read it. Allow the student plenty of time but do not give prompts or hints. For the sentence, award one point for each word that is read correctly.

Notes for Test One and Test Two

If the student makes an error, pause to give them another chance. If he or she self-corrects, still place a tick in the box and award a full point. If the student does not self correct, ask them to try again and give half a point for a correct answer.

The tests are easier to administer if the charts are printed on a separate cards. They can also be administered by showing each letter or word individually using a set of flashcards.

Test Three: Written Test

This test can be administered to a whole class, to small groups or to individual students. The teacher should read each instruction at least twice. In the missing letters section the items should be done one at a time. The teacher should show the students the page in the book and point to each item.

Once the teacher has given the instructions, the students can complete the letter tracing and sentence writing at their own pace.

If a student can give the correct sound for most of the single letters, then he or she is

ready to progress to the next work book.

This assessment should not, by itself, be used to determine the student’s final grade for

language arts. This final grade should reflect the student’s progress in attaining the

listening, viewing, speaking, reading and writing learning outcomes in the national

curriculum.

It would also be inappropriate to decide that a students should repeat Infant One solely

based on this assessment.

Instructional Planning using My B-Z Phonics

169

Introduction

My B-Z Phonics is a phonics program designed for Infant One students in Belize. It is based on the belief that a good foundation in alphabet code knowledge is essential for learning to read and that a carefully sequenced systematic phonics program is the most effective way of ensuring that all students acquire it.

The Phonics Segment and the Three Part Lesson Plan

My B-Z Phonics is designed to be used every day in a phonics segment that lasts between twenty and thirty minutes. The phonics segment should be active, fun and multisensory, (see work book one for more details). Following the phonics segment, it is good practice for the lesson to have two further parts: an oral language segment that focusses on listening and speaking and a text-based segment that develops reading comprehension and writing skills.

Letters and Sounds

The central purpose of a phonics program is to teach students the connections between speech sounds (phonemes) and symbols (single letters or digraphs). The term letter-sound is often used to describe this relationship.

In the first work book, students were introduced to ten letter-sounds. This, second, work book builds on this foundation and introduces students one way of writing the thirty remaining sounds that are used in spoken English.

It is very important that the focus of teaching and assessment is the letter-sound relationships. If students are struggling to link a particular sound to the relevant letter, teachers should slow down, re-teach and reinforce.

Consonant Blends

In My B-Z Phonics consonant blends are taught as combinations of two sounds. Beginner readers should be taught to read the consonant blend “dr” by sounding out each letter separately: d + r.

Consonant and Vowel Digraphs

A digraph is when two letters represent a single sound. This work book introduces the three most common consonant digraphs: sh, ch & th. Both the voiced and unvoiced /th/ sound are included as if they were the same.

Most English vowels can be written using a variety of digraphs. For example, “the long e” sound can be written as ee (bee), ea (read, ie (chief), ei (relieve) and so on. In this work book, only one way of writing each vowel digraph is introduced. The variations are taught in Infant One.

Silent E

With the exception of tricky words, the silent e is not introduced in this work book except in a small number of words where it does not change the sound of the vowel, for example axe, mouse & house. Silent e spellings such as a_e, & o_e, are introduced in Infant 2.

S-Plurals

Some of the words introduced, for example “dogs” have a /z/ sound at the end. The teacher should ensure that student do not mispronounce these words. This is particularly important in Belize where most students are learning English as a second language and where the s-plural is not commonly used in Kriol

Tricky Words

Tricky words are those that are not spelt according to the rules of phonics that the students are learning. These are the words that appear in the cloud shape at the end of most sections. Since these words do not follow the rules of phonics, they need to be learnt separately.


170

Word and Sentence Reading

By the end of Infant One, most students will be able to read short, regularly spelt words and about fifty sight words. Many will also be able to read short sentences. Although My B-Z Phonics usually provides picture prompts, teachers should discourage students from just looking at the picture and guessing.

Review

Good phonics instruction requires constant reviewing of the letters and sounds covered so far. It is good practice to use flashcards and short games and reinforcement drills at either the beginning or end of every language arts lesson. Additionally, My B-Z Phonics has review worksheets designed to be completed between letters and at the end of each unit.

Pacing and Unit Planning My B-Z Phonics Work Book Two is designed for the second and third terms of Infant One. It assumes that two letter-sounds can be taught in a single week. Note that this is a faster pace that the one recommended for My B-z Phonics Work Book One. My B-Z Phonics Work Book Two is best taught in four short units per term, each lasting two to three weeks. The chart below shows how this can be done if Work Book Two is started in second term. Second term can begin with a review of the ten letter-sounds introduced in the first work book. Thereafter, the recommended rate of is to introduce three sounds every two weeks followed by end of unit assessment, review, consolidation and re-teaching.

Second Term

Unit Letter-Sounds

New Regular Words for Reading

Review Words Tricky Words Sentences

1 Review of Work Book One.

2

m d o

man, men, map, dip, bed, bat, cat, rat pot, rod, mop, dot, pod,

bat, cat, rat pen, rip, tin, net, ran

me, be

A cat ran at me.

3 h g f

ham, hat, hen dog, gas, bag, egg, fan, fin, frog

pot, crab, bed mat, bed

the, her, his, go, no, so, are, he, she

His hat is on the bed. It is so hot. The dogs are on the mat.

4

l u k & ck

lips, leg, log, flag, lamp, pup, cup, bug, hut, bus, sun kick, lock, sock, kick

fan, big rat, pig, hat, hands, drum

some, here, one, four

Here is a log. Here are some taps. Here is a big flag. Here are four bugs. The duck is big. Ken has four hats.


171

Digraphs are introduced for the first time in the third term. Their introduction may require more teaching time. However, towards the end of the term it may be possible to increase the pace so that several letter-sounds are introduced each week. It is important that teachers adjust the rate of introduction to reflect the progress that students are making. The pace should not be forced. If the students needs more time to grasp letters and sounds, then it is better to slow down.

Third Term

Unit Letter-Sounds

New Regular Words for Reading

Review Words Tricky Words Sentences

1 J sh v w

jam, jump, jug, jet ship, shell, fish dish, push, smash van, vet wet, well, web, swim

cold, gold, hold, fold, bold, sold, told ink, sink, link, wink, drink

for, said little, all five, have, we, was, two

He said, “I can jump for it.” His pen is in a bag. All the bags are little. The vet has a dog. I have five fish in a tank. We have two hands. Her hand is wet.

2 x ch z y q

ox, box, taxi, axe, fox. chin, chick zip, zinc, zebra yak, yam quack, quilt

pen, rip, tin, net, pot, run, box, jug, mop, pen, bag, step, axe, hand, chin, swim, wagon,

two who, what, when come, saw, always, also of, you, your

I saw a duck on the desk. Dan always has a mop. Max also has a mop. You have a dog. Is it your pet? The sun is in the sky.

3

th oa ee ai ou ie

path, bath, math boat, toad, road, coat, goat bee, tree, feet, teeth, three rain, train, tail, sail, chain cloud, shout, house, mouse, lie, pie, tie

ship, van. frog my, by, sky Numbers one- eight why, there these,

Why is the boat there? There are three pies left. The queen has big feet.


172

4 ng oo ar or er oi

ring, wing, swing, bang song, thing moon, spoon, broom, boots car, star, arm, shark fork, corn, horn, stork letter, corner, river oil, boil, coin, point

road, train, cloud, swing

only, once high, low light, right, which

She sang a long song. She only sang it once. I went to the moon in my car. This is a black orchid. This hill is high. This one is low. Which light is lit? It is the one on the right.

Final Assessment

The Final Assessment

The final assessment combines a face-to-face element conducted by the teacher with individual students and a written part that can be administered to the whole class, (see page 168, above).

Note

It is not necessary for students to complete the entire

book in Infant One. The consonant and vowel digraphs

will be reviewed in Infant Two. Failure to complete My B-Z Phonics Work Book Two should never be used to

justify making a student repeat the year.

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Printing...It was delicious. “Mmm, mmm, mmm,” said Maria. She was not hungry anymore. She lay on her back, watched the moon, and rubbed her tummy. Mm Listen to the story. Rub your