How to make up the Teaching Materials
Items to make |
1. The 'ar' digraph block |
| 2. 12 Basic word cards |
| 3. Harder word cards |
| 4. Suffix cards |
| 5. The 'ed' fold-back cards |
The instructions given below are for making the materials from scratch. But if you want to save time, there are other options. We can supply packs of the materials to save you hunting around the shops, or packs of partly made-up cards to cut down on the work. We also have a limited number of fully made-up packs with everything you need to get started right away. Full details and prices are given at the end of this page.
Instructions for making up the materials from scratch are given below.
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| You will need ... |
1. Thin card, such as Canford card, obtainable from most art shops. This is strong and durable and easily cut on a trimmer or guillotine. The copymasters are designed to fit the A4 sheets of card but the larger sheets are just as suitable.
The instructions given here are for the 'ar' material, which is colour-coded orange.
For 'ou' the colour is light blue; for 'or' it is yellow.
Quantity: 5 or 6 sheets of A4 card per digraph.
Suggested colours in the Canford range are: 'ar' - tangerine 072; ' ou' - Kingfisher 036; 'or' - Buttercup 010.
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| 2. A4 sheets of paper the same colour as the card. Most shops carry a range of coloured card and matching paper so you should be able to buy both at the same time.
Quantitiy: 3 or 4 sheets per digraph. |
3. A good quality gloss or satin A4 paper in white for photocopying the words. Anything from 100-200 gsm is suitable. A useful source is flyer/brochure paper. If you don't want to buy a whole pack, we can send you a smaller quantity (see below). You will need 3 sheets for each digraph. |
4. A can of spray adhesive. |
5. Some means of cutting the card. A trimmer or guillotine is easy. If not, a Stanley knife used with a metal ruler on a sheet of glass will do the trick. |
1. The ‘ar’ digraph block
In due course, we shall supply a set of coloured wooden digraph blocks to go with the blocks in the SoundWorks case. In the meantime, it is necessary to improvise.
The simplest solution is to use the Canford card. Cut a piece of orange card 5 cm x 7.5 cm.
Photocopy the large ar (Copymaster D10) onto good quality paper. Cut just inside the dotted line and glue onto the orange card. Use it like this, or better still, if it is laminated, you'll have a more substantial ‘block’.
With a bit more effort, it is possible to make a wooden block closer to the actual SoundWorks blocks. DIY shops sell lengths of wood in different sizes. Choose a size that is close to the SoundWorks blocks and saw off a piece 7.5 cm long. The rest will be used for the other digraphs. Sand the block and paint the top surface orange. If you don’t have a suitable paint, the little tester pots of emulsion sold in DIY stores are a good source of attractive non-toxic colours. Finally, photocopy the large ar (Copymaster D10) onto a good quality paper. Trim just inside the dotted line and glue onto the orange block. Press firmly.
2. The 12 basic words for Unit 2
Cut an A4 sheet of orange card into four strips 5.2 cm x 29.5cm. Photocopy Copymaster D12 onto good quality gloss paper. Cut the copy into four equal horizontal strips, using the cut-marks A to E as your guide. Take care to keep the tiny cut-away strip at the top for use later on. Spray glue the reverse side of the words and position the strips on the pieces of card, leaving an even amount of orange top and bottom. Trim the right-hand edge of each strip, cutting just inside the dotted line. Then cut the strips into individual cards. It's not possible to give exact measurements for cutting the cards because of the variation in individual printers. To get around this problem, you'll need to use the division marks on the cut-away strip you saved from the top of the sheet. These will give you the exact size of the cards and show you where to cut. Finally, give the cards a good press. Tip: if you put a clean sheet of paper over the actual cards and rub them through the paper, there's less change of smudging the print.
3. The harder words for Unit 3
These cards need to look different from the 12 basic words above and are made in the following way. Photocopy the words onto the sheets of orange paper. Spray glue the back and stick firmly onto a sheet of matching card. Using the cut-marks A to D as your guide, cut into three equal horizontal strips, taking care to keep the tiny cut-away strip for the measurements as you did above. Trim the right-hand edge of each strip, cutting just inside the dotted line. Then cut the strips into individual cards using the cut-away strip as your guide. For the 'ar' words, use Copymasters D16, D17 and D18. You may not need all of these. The range of words you are likely to find useful will depend on the children you teach.
4. The Suffix Cards
Make these in the same way as 3 above. For the 'ar' words, you will need Copymaster D21.
5. The 'ed' fold-back cards
No need to make up all these cards, just the words you plan to use. Cut a piece of orange card 6cm x 15cm. Photocopy Copymaster D10 onto good quality paper. Cut out the word you need just inside the dotted line. Spray glue the reverse and stick onto the card. Press firmly. Score along the dotted line to make the fold.
Note
You may prefer to make all these items with ordinary paper and whatever card you happen to have, particularly if you’re not planning to use the material very often. If so, that’s fine. But bear in mind that large and well-made teaching materials do contribute to the success of lessons. They help to engage the children’s attention and also convey the idea that you care about what you're doing and that the task itself is something worthwhile. |
Packs of materials
If you don't want to spend so much time making the materials, the following items are available.
Please add £2.50 to each order for p&p.
- Pack of 25 sheets of A4 glossy paper in white - £2.50
- Pack of materials for all three digraphs, plus a few spares. Contains: A4 coloured card, coloured paper, white glossy paper, small laminating pouches for digraph 'blocks'.
Price: £12.00 + p&p
- Pack of partly made-up materials for all three digraphs to avoid the need for spray adhesive. The words are ready-printed on white label sheets (using 'crack-back' material for easy peeling). They require cutting and positioning only. The harder words and suffix cards come ready-printed, glued to the card, and require cutting up only.
Pack also contains small laminating pouches for digraph 'blocks'. Price: £26.50 + p&p.
- Wallet of teaching materials for all three digraphs fully made-up, including 3 wooden digraph blocks and a laminated fold-over prompt card.
Price: £47.50 + p&p. Stocks limited.
To order, either phone us on 01647 440703 or email your request by clicking the box below.
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