Practising in Sentences

Writing a single word is often easier than writing it within a sentence. Please feel free to make up sentences for your child's spelling sets. Use spellings from across sets already learnt. 

The sets below are very short sentences, most of which use each spelling in the set. They also try only to use phonic knowledge up to Phase Four. Please be aware that they are not meant to illustrate excellent sentences, but are  intended for efficient practise of each set within a sentence. Please acknowledge when they are a little daft.

Do improve by using words that your child already knows. Giving them repeated experience of being able to correctly tackle each word will help them to trust that they can keep drawing on the phonics already known when writing in sentences. 

Please ensure that your child is using a capital letter when needed (such as at the start of the sentence and with words like 'Mrs'). There is a useful formation guide at the bottom of the page. Your child is learning to use exclamation marks and question marks. Please do not expect them to use speech marks and commas correctly at this stage. 

Supporting Learners

It may be that your child has specific needs and writing these sentences will put unnecessary strain on their time practising. If this is the case, please reduce the load by saying the word, saying it within a sentence that would interest your child and then say the word again. Your child will keep hearing great quality, full sentences and then write the word. Encourage them to read the words back to you and to say them in sentences. 

Set 29 (boxer, hammer, bigger, could, would):

1. They could use a bigger hammer and it would work.
2. Would the bigger boxer like to win a hammer if he could?
3. I would get a bigger hammer if I could.

Set 30 (play, spray, crayon, should, our):

1. We should play with our crayon and spray paint outside.
2. Should we spray our picture or play with the crayon first?
3. Our children should play and use the spray or crayon.

Set 31 (about, sound, cloud, house, mouse):

1. The mouse in our house made a sound about the dark cloud.
2. I heard about a sound near the house where the mouse lives.
3. What about that sound? Is there a mouse in the house?

Set 32 (boy, annoy, enjoy, water, want):

1. I did not want to annoy the boy but I enjoy playing in the water.
2. I want the boy to enjoy the water and not annoy his sister.
3. We want to enjoy the water and not annoy the boy.

Set 33 (read, least, treat, any, many):

1. At least I can read about the treat and any of the many sweets.
2. Many children read about the treat and any of them can have at least one.
3. Can any of the many books read win at least one treat?

Set 34 (bird, girl, first, again, who):

1. The girl who saw the bird first can feed it again.
2. Who was the first girl to see the bird again today?
3. Who will see the bird again? The first girl over there!

Set 35 (untie, lies, fried, whole, where):

1. Where is the whole cake? It lies there and I will untie the fried ribbon.
2. The whole dog lies down where I untie the fried fish box.
3. "Where did the whole bag of fried chips go?" "It lies there and I must untie it!"

Set 36 (blue, true, rescue, two, school):

1. Is it true that two children at school will rescue the blue bird?
2. The two teachers at our school rescue the true-blue bird.
3. "It's true! Two people came to rescue the blue boat from school," said Tom.

Set 37 (unit, tuna, music, call, different):

1. Call the class because this unit has different music and we have tuna for lunch.
2. In this unit, we call out and listen to different music while eating tuna.
3. Today our unit will be about tuna and music. You can call it different!

Set 38 (most, both, only, thought, through):

1. I thought most children went through both doors but only three came.
2. Both of us thought only the most interesting path went through the woods.
3. Most people thought both roads went through, but only this one does.

Set 39 (mind, find, kind, wild, friend):

1. My kind friend helped me to find the wild animal and I don't mind at all.
2. Do you mind if your friend and I find the kind wild dog?
3. "I don't mind!" said my friend. "Let's find the kind wild deer together."

Set 40 (behind, child, climb, once, work):

1. Once, the child left behind her work and went to climb the tree.
2. The child once had to work behind the shed and climb over the fence.
3. Did the child climb once? Yes, behind the house after her work was done!