Nurturing Nook Academy

Did you know that ui can make the long oo (/uː/) sound? 🤯

Just listen:
🍎 fruit
🚢 cruise
👔 suit
🎻 fruitful

Even though we see two letters, they work together to make the same sound we hear in moon and spoon! 🌙🥄

Phonics is all about spotting these hidden spelling patterns that make reading easier and faster for children. 💜💛

Save this reel for your next phonics lesson and follow for more simple phonics tips!

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Just when your child learns the Soft G Rule, English throws a curveball! 😅

We teach that:

✅ g + e, i, y usually says /j/

Examples:
gem, giant, giraffe, gym

But then children meet words like:

❌ gift
❌ girl
❌ give
❌ get
❌ tiger
❌ gear

And suddenly the rule doesn't seem to work! 🤔

A confident reader knows:
✅ Most words follow the rule.
✅ Some words are rule breakers.
✅ Both can be learned.

Save this reel for later and share it with a parent or teacher who has ever wondered why gift doesn't sound like giraffe! ❤️📚

Did you know there are 6 different ways to spell the Long O sound?

Most children learn that o_e says /ō/ in home and oa says /ō/ in boat...

But what happens when they come across words like:
🤔 snow
🤔 go
🤔 toe
🤔 though

That's where understanding alternative spellings becomes a reading superpower! ✨

🔹 oa → boat
🔹 ow → snow
🔹 o_e → home
🔹 o → go
🔹 oe → toe
🔹 ough → though

💡 Pro Tip:
When teaching alternative spellings, don't teach them all at once.

Start with the most common patterns:
✅ oa
✅ ow
✅ o_e

Then gradually introduce:
✅ o
✅ oe
✅ ough

This helps children recognize spelling patterns instead of memorizing words one by one.

For example:
📖 boat, coat, soap → oa
📖 snow, crow, window → ow
📖 home, rope, nose → o_e
📖 go, no, so → o
📖 toe, foe, hoe → oe
📖 though, although → ough

Remember:
🔑 One sound can have many spellings.
🔑 One spelling can make different sounds.

Teaching these patterns helps children become stronger readers, better spellers, and more confident learners. ❤️

Save this reel for later and share it with a parent or teacher who loves phonics!