2.5y–4.2y10 minReadingStory timeDevelopmental play
Big Print Pointer: Sound It Out Together
A guided shared-reading routine where you keep the text visible, point to print, and demonstrate phonics-first decoding (sound then blend) using large, clear words from a big book or homemade ‘big print’ cards.
What you'll need
Essentials
- a big book OR any book with large clear print (or a printed/handwritten ‘big word’ card)
- paper
- a marker or pen
Nice to have
- a pointer (your finger, a spoon, or a pencil)
- sticky notes (to cover pictures briefly if needed)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Enjoys rhyming and rhythmic activities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of rhyme and alliteration.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Continues a rhyming string.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Hears and says the initial sound in words.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Demonstrate using phonics as the prime approach to decode words while children can see the text, e.g. using big books.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)