🧠 Multi-sensory decoding with longer ‘ir’ words
This printable resource targets the /ɜː/ phoneme with the spelling ‘ir’, using high-utility words with 5–7 sounds. It’s designed to stretch decoding skills while supporting memory, attention and motor learning. Each tile features a single word — ideal for use in multi-sensory games, spelling practice, or movement-based reading tasks. Use on a nature walk, with window pens, or as part of a word hunt — activity suggestions included.
Suitable for home learning, tutoring, or specialist literacy intervention.
🧩 Words included:
circuit, swirling, birthday + 40 others (e.g. thirsty, circling, whirlwind, squirted, virtual, skirmish, chirping, dirtier, firmly, birthplace)
✅ Learning focus:
• Supports blending and sound–symbol mapping
• Strengthens fluency with 5–7 sound words
• Builds confidence through repetition and variation
• Reinforces memory and attention through sensory activity
• Can be adapted for movement-based or visual learners
🖨 What’s included:
• 48 printable word tiles
• Progress tracker (blend/automaticity/notes)
• Extensive multi-sensory activity suggestions
• Terms of use and guidance
Recommended age:
KS2–KS3, or any learner working on extended /ɜː/ words with the ‘ir’ spelling
Format:
PDF download – black-on-white word tiles + colour activity pages
Use:
Phonics practice, tutoring, home learning, or intervention settings
Licensing:
For personal/single-teacher use only. Please do not share, adapt or upload.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
This printable resource delivers 30+ ‘ur’ word tiles for learners tackling complex spellings of the /ɜː/ sound — perfect for multisyllabic vocabulary, Latinate forms, and subject-specific terms. Use the tiles in any of the included activity ideas (tactile tracing, flash-card races, story builders, and more). Each tile encourages reading, blending, and discussion.
Use in 1:1 tutoring, small groups, whole-class multisensory sessions, or independent practice.
furnace, nurture, surgeon + 28 others
• Reinforces decoding and reading fluency
• Builds word recognition and confidence
• Strengthens morphological awareness
• Encourages creativity, focus, and collaborative play
• 1 printable PDF of 30+ ‘ur’ word tiles
• Progress-tracking sheets (blend & automaticity)
• Detailed multi-sensory activity ideas and clear setup instructions
• Zero extra prep beyond printing and cutting
Recommended age:
KS2–KS3, or any learner working on advanced /ɜː/ representations
Format:
PDF download – colour word tiles
Use:
Phonics revision, tutoring, home learning, SEND intervention, literacy warm-ups
Licensing:
For personal/single-teacher use only. Please don’t share, adapt, or upload.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
A versatile resource for beginning readers of /ɜː/ words
This printable word-tile set focuses on the ur spelling of the /ɜː/ sound — ideal for learners who are developing reading skills and tackling single-syllable words. Designed to accompany multi-sensory activities, these cards add a tactile and visual component to phonics lessons.
Use in 1:1 tutoring, at home, or as a warm-up in structured intervention sessions.
🧩 Words included:
curve, blurb, spurt + 20+ others
✅ Learning focus:
• Reinforces decoding accuracy and automaticity
• Builds word recognition and reading confidence
• Strengthens phonological awareness through focused practice
• Encourages engagement through multi-sensory learning
🖨 What’s included:
• 1 printable PDF of 30+ word cards
• Clear instructions and suggested activities
• Ready to print — no extra prep required
Recommended age:
KS1–KS2, or any learner beginning to read /ɜː/ words
Format:
PDF download – colour word cards
Use:
Phonics revision, flashcard drills, home learning, SEND intervention, or multi-sensory classroom activities
Licensing:
For personal/single-teacher use only. Please do not share, adapt, or upload.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
This printable phonics game focuses on complex and less frequent spellings of the /ɜː/ sound — ideal for learners exploring multisyllabic vocabulary, Latinate forms, and subject-specific terms. Players take turns choosing words and aiming to claim four in a row.
Use in 1:1 tutoring, at home, or as a warm-up in structured intervention sessions.
🧩 Words included:
furnace, hurtling, murmur and 20+ others
✅ Learning focus:
Reinforces decoding and fluency
Builds word recognition and confidence
Strengthens morphological awareness
Encourages strategic thinking and collaboration
🖨 What’s included:
1 printable PDF game board
Clear instructions for play
No extra prep or printing required
Recommended age:
KS2–KS3, or any learner working on advanced /ɜː/ representations
Format:
PDF download – colour game grid
Use:
Phonics revision, tutoring, home learning, or SEND intervention
Licensing:
For personal/single-teacher use. Please don’t share, adapt or upload.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
A strategic reading game for phonics, vocabulary and morphological fluency
This Four in a Row game targets the /ɜː/ sound spelled ‘ur’, using real multisyllabic and morphologically rich words. Learners take turns reading words aloud and claiming squares in an effort to connect four — across, down, or diagonally. Word knowledge, decoding fluency and pattern recognition all in one easy-to-print game.
Designed for 1:1 tutoring, home learning or small group use.
Includes curtail, cursor, blurted, and 20+ other ‘ur’ words with real-world spelling patterns and rich vocabulary links.
Reinforces decoding of /ɜː/ words with the ‘ur’ spelling
Builds vocabulary and morphological awareness
Encourages collaborative play and strategic thinking
Flexible for use in reading warm-ups or fluency intervention
1 printable Four-in-a-Row board (PDF)
Clear instructions for how to play
Easy to use with counters, highlighters, or annotation tools
No additional setup required
Recommended age:
KS1–KS2 (or any learner working on the /ɜː/ phoneme)
Format:
PDF download – colour game board
Use:
Home education, tutoring, phonics warm-up, spelling intervention
Licensing notice:
This product is licensed for individual or single-teacher use only. No redistribution or uploading allowed.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
A strategic decoding game for advanced /ɜː/ words
This printable phonics game focuses on complex and less frequent spellings of the /ɜː/ sound — ideal for learners exploring multisyllabic vocabulary, Latinate forms, and subject-specific terms. Players take turns drawing lines and reading each word aloud. Complete a box? It’s yours.
Use in 1:1 tutoring, at home, or as a warm-up in structured intervention sessions.
submerge, verbatim, vertical, terminal, verbose
…plus others like Sherlock, serving, thermal, superb, vermin
Spellings explored include ‘er’, ‘ir’, ‘ur’, ‘or’, ‘ear’, and endings like -al, -ous, -um, -us, -ic.
Supports decoding of longer, less familiar /ɜː/ spellings
Reinforces phoneme–grapheme mapping in subject vocabulary
Builds fluency through structured repetition
Encourages concentration, turn-taking, and spoken rehearsal
1 full-colour printable Dots and Lines grid (PDF)
Instructions for play
Ideal for annotation or printing
No prep beyond the download
Recommended age:
KS2–KS3, or any learner working on advanced /ɜː/ representations
Format:
PDF download – colour game grid
Use:
Phonics revision, tutoring, home learning, or SEND intervention
Licensing:
For personal/single-teacher use. Please don’t share, adapt or upload.
Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
A strategic decoding game for phonics practice at home or in tutoring sessions
This printable Dots and Lines phonics game helps learners focus on the /ɜː/ sound (as in her, nurse, turn), exploring a wide range of spellings and word types. Designed for one-to-one or home use, the game builds fluency through strategic play. Players take turns drawing lines and reading words aloud — claiming boxes as they complete them.
exert, avert, internal, concern, herbal, assert, convert, expert, alert, eternal
…plus 20+ others with the /ɜː/ sound
Strengthens phoneme–grapheme mapping for /ɜː/
Builds word recognition through repetition and exposure
Supports strategic thinking and turn-taking
Ideal for fluency games in tutoring, intervention or home education
1 full-colour printable grid (PDF)
Simple gameplay instructions
Designed for pencil, pen or on-screen annotation
No additional prep or printing needed
Recommended age:
KS1–KS2 or any learner working on /ɜː/ spellings
Format:
PDF download — colour game board
Use:
Phonics intervention, home learning, literacy warm-up
Licensing:
Single-user or single-teacher licence. Please do not copy, share, or upload. Copyright: Joanna Whale, Great Expectations Education.
A home-friendly phonics game to support reading fluency and decoding of words with the /ɜː/ sound (as in ‘her’). This printable Dots and Lines activity invites learners to practise mixed spellings of /ɜː/ while playing strategically against a parent, tutor or peer. Ideal for 1:1 literacy support, with an easy-to-follow structure that encourages turn-taking, decoding aloud, and visual pattern spotting.
This resource contains complex words such as ‘curtain’, ‘herbal’, ‘emerge’, ‘fertile’ and ‘clergy’.
Four in a Row – ‘ir’ Sound (/ɜː/)
A fun way to practise reading words with the /ɜː/ sound, as in bird and shirt. This printable game helps children strengthen decoding skills while playing against a parent, sibling, or friend.
Each player chooses a colour, takes turns reading a word aloud, and claims that space on the board. The goal is to make four in a row — across, down, or diagonally. Every word read correctly reinforces confidence, accuracy, and fluency.
How it helps
Builds confidence reading ‘ir’ words aloud
Supports clear pronunciation and fluency
Encourages turn-taking, focus, and strategy
What’s included
Printable game board (colour and blackline)
Easy-to-follow instructions
All words aligned with the /ɜː/ sound spelt ‘ir’
Format
PDF for home printing or tablet use
Best for
Parents supporting children at home, home-educating families, and tutors working with early readers.
Make phonics practice engaging with Dots and Lines – ‘ir’ Sound (ɜː). This printable word game helps home-educated learners and parents practise decoding while playing. Take turns drawing lines between dots, saying each word aloud as you go. Complete a box to claim it – the player with the most boxes wins!
Designed for 1-to-1 learning at home, this activity strengthens reading fluency, supports sound–spelling links, and builds confidence through play. Perfect for literacy sessions, interventions, or family learning time.
Words like dough, although, and furlough can be tricky to spell and decode—especially when the letters ‘ough’ make the /əʊ/ sound. This reading and spelling card pack is designed to help.
Created by a qualified dyslexia specialist, this set supports your child to notice patterns, explore word meanings, and practise spelling with confidence. The pack includes two sets of word cards—one with the ‘ough’ spelling highlighted in red, and one without—plus a progress tracker and suggestions for multi-sensory activities.
These cards aren’t flashcards in the traditional sense. They’re designed for use during active, hands-on learning. Think play-dough word shaping, silly sentence building, or a kitchen scavenger hunt for ‘ough’ words. Each idea builds confidence, curiosity, and familiarity with this less common but important spelling pattern.
Suitable for children with dyslexia, slow processing, or simply those who enjoy learning through play.
Support your child’s spelling and decoding skills with this engaging, multi-sensory pack focused on the /əʊ/ sound spelled using the letter ‘o’. Designed by a Level 7 qualified dyslexia specialist, these cards are ideal for learners working on vowel spellings and reading fluency.
Use the cards in a variety of interactive ways—from window writing and memory games to echo reading and snakes-and-ladders-style spelling. The target sound is clearly highlighted in red on one version of the cards, with a duplicate set in plain black for additional flexibility.
Also included is a tracking sheet to help monitor your child’s blending and automatic reading over time.
Whether you’re a home educator, tutor, or parent supporting a struggling reader, this pack is designed to bring confidence and clarity to learning tricky spelling patterns—without relying on rote memorisation.
This downloadable set helps your child practise reading and spelling words containing the /əʊ/ sound spelled ‘oe’, using proven, multi-sensory strategies.
Designed by a dyslexia specialist, these cards support learners who benefit from seeing, saying, hearing and moving as they learn. Each word card is provided in two versions: one with the ‘oe’ spelling pattern clearly highlighted in red, and one without – making it easier to tailor support as your child grows in confidence.
This set includes:
Carefully selected /əʊ/ words like toe, oboe, potatoes, roe
A wide range of multi-sensory activity ideas, from jumping games and silly sentence building to spelling with window pens
A simple progress tracker to help you note when words are blended and read automatically
The cards can be used at home alongside your usual phonics scheme or as part of a structured intervention. They’re ideal for supporting children with dyslexia, slow processing speed, or those who need lots of overlearning and movement-rich practice.
For extra ideas and video examples of ways to use this resource, check out my social media pages or blog. You can also browse the shop for other resources exploring different /əʊ/ spellings or root words.
Help your child grow confident with the /əʊ/ sound – as in banjo, metro, and only – using this structured, dyslexia-friendly activity pack.
Created by a dyslexia specialist teacher, this downloadable resource supports children who need extra help with spelling and decoding. Each activity is designed to reinforce the /əʊ/ sound at home.
You’ll find:
Carefully designed wordsearches with and without support
Cloze sentence sheets with simple sentence structures
Ideal for home education, spelling practice, or revision at home.
🎯 Especially helpful for children with dyslexia or slow processing
📥 Instant download – no prep needed
For more ideas on how to use the activities in multi-sensory ways, follow Great Expectations Education on social media.
This interactive resource explores the sound /əʊ/ spelt with the letter ‘o’, through a collection of reading and spelling cards, sentence work, and multi-sensory activities designed for dyslexic and neurodivergent learners.
The words in this set—such as gecko, memo, bonus, and over—are grouped by shared spelling patterns to support phoneme-grapheme mapping, blending, and confident word construction. Learners are invited to build the words, read them aloud, and use them in context through sentence-writing prompts.
As a dyslexia specialist, I’ve included a wide range of practical, multi-sensory activity suggestions that go far beyond basic flashcard drills. From Jenga word games to chalk writing and silly sentence prompts, this resource encourages exploration of sound, structure, and meaning in a way that’s both engaging and evidence-informed.
👂 Suitable for home and 1:1 use
🧠 Structured for learners who benefit from repetition, pattern spotting and hands-on practice
🎯 Includes ideas for visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learners
✍️ Encourages sentence-level fluency, not just decoding
📚 Use alongside other morpheme and sound packs for cumulative learning
👉 Check my Instagram or Facebook for photos and extra ideas for using these cards in creative, multisensory ways.
These CVCC word cards can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
These cards are not intended to be used as traditional flashcards – rather, they are to be used during multi-sensory activities – e.g. practising spellings using ‘window pens’ or playing Snakes and Ladders and reading a word with each go. Please check through this album of ideas.
Strictly speaking, ‘nd’ is a ‘consonant blend’ or ‘consonant cluster’. This is where two or three consonants appear in a syllable without being separated by vowels, and they are usually found at the end of words. More traditional phonics programmes require learners to ‘learn’ a blend much in the same way as they would a single grapheme. However, this strategy puts a burden on working memory, and effectively means that learners have to learn a much greater number of letter-sound correspondances.
This resource targets ‘nd’ ending words. However, learners should be taught to decode and blend each letter-sound correspondance in the word.
At the end of the document, there is a table to enable you to record your learner’s progress.
These CVCC word cards can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
These cards are not intended to be used as traditional flashcards – rather, they are to be used during multi-sensory activities – e.g. practising spellings using ‘window pens’ or playing Snakes and Ladders and reading a word with each go. Please check through this album of ideas.
Strictly speaking, ‘nd’ is a ‘consonant blend’ or ‘consonant cluster’. This is where two or three consonants appear in a syllable without being separated by vowels, and they are usually found at the end of words. More traditional phonics programmes require learners to ‘learn’ a blend much in the same way as they would a single grapheme. However, this strategy puts a burden on working memory, and effectively means that learners have to learn a much greater number of letter-sound correspondances.
This resource targets ‘nd’ ending words. However, learners should be taught to decode and blend each letter-sound correspondance in the word.
At the end of the document, there is a table to enable you to record your learner’s progress.
Three wordseaches to help consolidate fluency when reading CVCC words.
All of the words in my wordseaches read ‘Left to Right’, as you would find in a book. None of the words will be diagonal, backwards or vertical.
Strictly speaking, ‘nd’ is a ‘consonant blend’ or ‘consonant cluster’. This is where two or three consonants appear in a syllable without being separated by vowels, and they are usually found at the end of words. More traditional phonics programmes require learners to ‘learn’ a blend much in the same way as they would a single grapheme. However, this strategy puts a burden on working memory, and effectively means that learners have to learn a much greater number of letter-sound correspondances.
This resource targets ‘nd’ ending words. However, learners should be taught to decode and blend each letter-sound correspondance in the word.
These VCC word cards can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
These cards are not intended to be used as traditional flashcards – rather, they are to be used during multi-sensory activities – e.g. practising spellings using ‘window pens’ or playing Snakes and Ladders and reading a word with each go. Please check through this album of ideas.
At the end of the document, there is a table to enable you to record your learner’s progress.
These /l/ - ‘il’ resources can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
The sound in this set is /l/. These symbols (bit.ly/40fNja3) are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In English, this sound can be written in a number of ways.
These /l/ - ‘il’ spelling sheets can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
The sound in this set is /l/. These symbols (bit.ly/40fNja3) are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In English, this sound can be written in a number of ways.
These /l/ - ‘il’ wordsearches can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
The sound in this set is /l/. These symbols (bit.ly/40fNja3) are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In English, this sound can be written in a number of ways.
These /l/ - ‘il’ word cards can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
The sound in this set is /ɔɪ/. These symbols (bit.ly/40fNja3) are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In English, this sound can be written in a number of ways.
These cards are not intended to be used as traditional flashcards – rather, they are to be used during multi-sensory activities – e.g. practising spellings using ‘window pens’ or playing Snakes and Ladders and reading a word with each go. Please check through this album of ideas.
At the end of the document, there is a table to enable you to record your learner’s progress.
These ɔɪ - ‘oy’ and 'oi' word cards can be used for spelling and decoding activities.
The sound in this set is /ɔɪ/. These symbols (bit.ly/40fNja3) are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet. In English, this sound can be written in a number of ways, including - ‘oy’ and ‘oi’.
These cards are not intended to be used as traditional flashcards – rather, they are to be used during multi-sensory activities – e.g. practising spellings using ‘window pens’ or playing Snakes and Ladders and reading a word with each go. Please check through this album of ideas.
At the end of the document, there is a table to enable you to record your learner’s progress.
Curious to try my resources? Start here.
This little set of ‘test’ themed resources is a gentle way to try out how I teach spelling, morphology and vocabulary, without committing to full price.
Each one is 75% off for a limited time and works well as a standalone activity or as a taster before diving into the other packs.
Ideal for: home educators, 11+ candidates and anyone wanting a low cost starting point.
