Phonics actions
Here is a list of the actions we teach in Reception to help the children recall their phonemes. We are partway through learning these – please check our latest newsletter to see where we are up to.
| s | Make snake movement with hand and arm |
| a | Hand at mouth like eating an apple |
| t | Bend arm at elbow and turn into a ticking hand |
| p | Point with your index finger |
| i | Make fingers crawl up arm like an insect |
| n | Touch your nose |
| m | Rub tummy and say ‘mmm’ |
| d | Play a drum |
| g | Walk fingers along (‘go’) |
| o | Put hands together to make an octopus |
| c | Pretend to cough into hand |
| k | Flick index finger as if flicking a ball |
| ck | Quack your hands like a duck |
| e | Make an elephants trunk with your arm |
| u | Put up an imaginary umbrella |
| r | Indicate a roaring animal with hands |
| h | Pant into hand as if out of breath |
| b | Bounce a ball |
| f | Wrap your arms around yourself as if freezing |
| l | Pretend your finger is a lolly to lick |
| j | Wobble like a jelly |
| v | Pretend to drive a van |
| w | Wave! |
| x | Cross your arms in front of you to form an x |
| y | Punch the air, yes! |
| z | Do up a zip |
| qu | Make a queens crown on your head |
| ch | Karate chop with your arm |
| sh | Put your finger on your lips to shush |
| th | Stick up your thumb |
| ng | Show the strong muscles in your arms |
| ai | Make falling rain with fingers |
| ee | Point to cheeks and teeth and show a cheesy grin |
| igh | Point up high |
| oa | Look shocked |
| oo (long) | Peekaboo |
| oo (short) | Open hands like a book |
| ar | Punch arm like a pirate |
| or | Pretend to beep a horn |
| ur | Stroke fur on arm |
| ow (cow) | Shake hand as if hurt |
| ow (snow) | Blow snow from palm of hand |
| oi | Point aggressively! |
| ear | Touch ear |
| air | Wave the air |
| ure | Hold chin (Are you sure?) |
| er | Roll hands around each other like a mixer |
