Phase 2 Tricky Words - to

Say the word to your child. Get them to repeat it. Count how many sounds are in the word (t-o)

Point out the tricky part. The o is making an oo sound.

Lots of the tricky words aren’t objects so it’s helpful to use the word in context when we introduce it. You could play the shopping list game to introduce the word. As you say the word to in the sentence hold up the flashcard.

I went to the shop and I bought a....

The first person says the sentence and adds an object e.g. a cake. The next person repeats the sentence and adds another object e.g. I went to the shop and I bought a cake and a loaf of bread. Keep playing, adding another object each time and see how many objects you can remember!

This game is a great way to develop your child's auditory memory. This will help when they blend sounds as they need to be able to listen to the sounds, store them in their mind and recall them in order to blend the sounds to make a word.

Stick the flashcard to your front door so that you see it every time you leave the house. Read the word then say where you are going e.g. To. We are going to school.

Create a tricky word maze to help your child to learn the word. Can you get to the word to?

If you have magnetic tiles use them to create a maze on a baking tray. If you don’t have magnetic tiles you could create a Lego/Duplo maze or use playdough to create the walls of the maze instead.

Place the tricky word flashcard in the maze. Get your child to wobble the baking tray to move the ball through the maze. Can they get it to the word to?

You could also place a t and an o flashcard in the maze and move the ball across the letters to spell the word.

Place one hand out to the left with your palm facing up as you say t (use the letter name).

Then place your right hand out with the palm facing up as you say o (use the letter name).

Then shrug your shoulders as you say where to?

T-O where to?

T-O where to?