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 |