Year 1 Phonics Adventure: 10-Week Australian English Sequence

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard, paper, or reusable writing board
• Marker or pencil
• Letter cards and sound cards
• Magnetic letters or letter tiles, if available
• Small counters, blocks, or buttons for sound counting
• Word cards made from the weekly word lists
• Decodable books or short decodable passages
• Notebook or phonics workbook
• Coloured pencils or highlighters
• Paper for making a word sort or word wall
• Optional: tablet or computer for recording the learner reading

Course Overview

Age: 7 years

Level: Australian Curriculum Year 1, suitable for a Queensland homeschool setting

Length: 10 weekly lessons, approximately 45–60 minutes each

Theme: The learner becomes a “Sound Detective” who solves word puzzles, reads decodable texts, and writes simple sentences.

Australian Curriculum Alignment

This sequence supports the Australian Curriculum: English, Year 1, particularly learning in:

• Phonological and phonemic awareness: hearing, blending, segmenting, deleting, and substituting sounds in words
• Phonic knowledge: using letter–sound relationships, consonant digraphs, vowel patterns, and split digraphs
• Word reading: decoding unfamiliar words and building reading fluency
• Spelling: encoding sounds and applying known spelling patterns
• Reading and creating short decodable texts
• Using Australian English pronunciation and spelling conventions, such as colour, favourite, and centre

Overall Learning Objectives

By the end of the 10-week sequence, the learner will be able to:

• Blend sounds to read regular one- and two-syllable words.
• Segment spoken words into sounds and choose letters or letter groups to spell them.
• Read and spell words containing common consonant digraphs.
• Read and spell words containing common long-vowel patterns and split digraphs.
• Recognise that one sound can sometimes be represented by different letter patterns.
• Read short decodable texts with growing accuracy and expression.
• Write simple sentences using taught spelling patterns, capital letters, spaces, and full stops.
• Explain which sound pattern helped them read or spell a word.

Success Criteria

The learner is successful when they can:

• Say the sounds clearly without adding an extra “uh” sound.
• Blend sounds from left to right.
• Read new words rather than guessing from the picture.
• Spell words by listening for each sound.
• Identify the focus sound or spelling pattern.
• Read a short decodable text accurately.
• Write a sentence that makes sense and uses correct basic punctuation.

Recommended Weekly Lesson Routine

1. Sound warm-up: 5 minutes
2. I do: Adult models the new skill, 10 minutes
3. We do: Adult and learner practise together, 10–15 minutes
4. You do: Learner reads, spells, sorts, or writes independently, 15–20 minutes
5. Decodable reading: 5–10 minutes
6. Exit check: 2–5 minutes

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Week 1: Short Vowels and CVC Words

Learning Objectives

• Say and identify the short vowel sounds in a, e, i, o, u.
• Blend and read simple consonant-vowel-consonant words.
• Segment and spell simple CVC words.

Focus Sounds and Words

Sounds: /a/ as in cat, /e/ as in bed, /i/ as in sit, /o/ as in hot, /u/ as in sun

Words: cat, map, bed, hen, sit, pin, hot, log, sun, cup

Introduction and Hook

Say: “Today we are sound detectives. We will listen carefully to the middle sound in each word. Can you hear the difference between cat and cut?”

Say the words cat, cut, cot, and kit. Ask the learner to listen for the changing middle sound.

I Do: Model

1. Write m-a-p.
2. Point to each letter and say: “The sounds are /m/ /a/ /p/.”
3. Slide your finger under the letters and blend: “mmmaaap, map.”
4. Model segmenting: “To spell map, I hear /m/ /a/ /p/. I need three letters.”

We Do: Practise Together

• Build sat, sit, and set with letter cards.
• Change one letter at a time and ask, “What changed? What new word did we make?”
• Use counters to push one counter for each sound in fish, dog, and sun.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Read these words: nap, red, pig, fox, bus, jam, web, lip, top, mud.
2. Sort the words by their middle vowel.
3. Choose five words and write one sentence using two of them.

Decodable Reading

Read a short text containing CVC words, such as: “A cat sat on a mat. The cat had a nap. A dog ran past.” Ask the learner to underline one word with each short vowel.

Formative Assessment and Exit Check

Ask the learner to read fin, hop, cup and spell map, red, sit. Record which vowel sounds need more practice.

Differentiation

• Support: Use only two short vowels at a time and provide sound buttons under each letter.
• Extension: Ask the learner to write a silly sentence using four CVC words.

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Week 2: Consonant Digraphs sh, ch, th, wh

Learning Objectives

• Recognise that two letters can work together to represent one sound.
• Read and spell words containing sh, ch, th, wh.
• Use digraph words in simple sentences.

Focus Words

ship, shop, fish, chin, lunch, much, thin, this, whip, when

Introduction and Hook

Whisper “sh” and ask: “What sound might we make when we want someone to be quiet?” Explain that a digraph is two letters working together to make one sound.

I Do: Model

Write ship. Circle sh and say: “The s and h are a team. They make /sh/. I will not read them as /s/ /h/.” Blend the whole word: /sh/ /i/ /p/, ship.

We Do: Practise Together

• Make a sound gesture for each digraph: finger to lips for sh, pretend to cut for ch, thumb and finger for th, and a question pose for wh.
• Sort word cards into sh, ch, th, wh groups.
• Read word chains: shop–chop, thin–chin, when–wh en using the correct word cards.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Read: shell, shut, chat, chick, bath, then, whip, whiz.
2. Write the missing digraph: __ip, fi__, __in, __en.
3. Write two sentences using at least three focus words.

Decodable Reading

Read: “The fish is in the shop. The chick is on the ship. When will they shut the shop?” Ask the learner to find and read every digraph word.

Assessment

Check whether the learner can read eight focus words and spell at least four after hearing them spoken.

Differentiation

• Support: Highlight each digraph in the same colour throughout the lesson.
• Extension: Introduce the two sounds of th in thin and this without requiring formal terminology.

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Week 3: Consonant Digraphs ck, ng, nk

Learning Objectives

• Read words ending in ck, ng, and nk.
• Hear the difference between /ng/ and /ngk/ at the end of words.
• Spell words by listening carefully to the final sounds.

Focus Words

back, duck, kick, sing, ring, long, bank, sink, pink, trunk

Introduction and Hook

Make a pretend “kangaroo jump” while saying kangaroo. Ask: “What sound do you hear at the end of sing? What about sink?”

I Do: Model

Model duck: “I hear /d/ /u/ /k/. At the end, the /k/ sound is written ck in this word.” Model ring and sink, showing that the final sounds are different.

We Do: Practise Together

• Tap the sounds in back, bang, bank.
• Sort words by their endings: ck, ng, nk.
• Play “Sound Detective”: the adult says a word and the learner holds up the correct ending card.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Complete: ba__, ri__, pi__, du__, lo__, si__.
2. Read a list of focus words.
3. Draw and label a picture containing a pink duck and a long trunk.

Decodable Reading

Read: “The duck went back to the bank. A pink fish was in the sink. The duck had a big snack.”

Assessment

Dictate back, ring, pink, duck. Ask the learner to explain which ending they used.

Differentiation

• Support: Stretch the word orally and use counters for each sound.
• Extension: Compare sing and sink and write a sentence for each.

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Week 4: Split Digraph a_e

Learning Objectives

• Recognise that a final e can help the first vowel say its name.
• Read and spell common a_e words.
• Compare short a and long a_e words.

Focus Words

cap–cape, tap–tape, mad–made, kit–kite, can–cane, plan–plane

Introduction and Hook

Show the words cap and cape. Ask: “What changed when the magic e arrived?” Explain that the e is silent, but it helps the vowel say its name.

I Do: Model

Write tap and tape. Draw an arch from the e to the a. Say: “The e is quiet. It helps the a say /ā/. So tap becomes tape.”

We Do: Practise Together

• Build word pairs: at–ate, mad–made, tap–tape, plan–plane.
• Read each pair and discuss how the meaning changes.
• Use a “magic e” wand, pencil, or finger to add e to words.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Add e to make a new word: tap, cap, kit, can, plan.
2. Read: game, same, shape, chase, brave, flame.
3. Write a sentence using one short-vowel word and one a_e word.

Decodable Reading

Read: “The brave man made a cake. He put the cake on a plate. The cake was safe from the cat.”

Assessment

Ask the learner to read and spell tap, tape, kit, kite, plan, plane.

Differentiation

• Support: Keep the silent e highlighted and use word pairs.
• Extension: Ask the learner to create three new short-word/long-word pairs.

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Week 5: Split Digraphs i_e, o_e, u_e

Learning Objectives

• Read and spell common i_e, o_e, and u_e words.
• Explain how the final e changes the vowel sound.
• Apply the patterns when writing simple sentences.

Focus Words

kit–kite, rid–ride, hop–hope, rob–robe, cub–cube, tub–tube, use, huge

Introduction and Hook

Say: “The quiet e is back! It can help i, o, and u too.” Ask the learner to predict what will happen when e is added to hop.

I Do: Model

Model hop–hope, rid–ride, and cub–cube. Point out that the letters between the vowel and the final e do not stop the vowel from saying its name.

We Do: Practise Together

• Sort words into i_e, o_e, u_e groups.
• Play “Change the Word”: change not to note, pin to pine, and cut to cute.
• Read the new words aloud and use each in a sentence.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Complete word pairs: fin–____, rob–____, tub–____.
2. Write four i_e, o_e, or u_e words.
3. Write a sentence such as: “The cute cub rode a bike.”

Decodable Reading

Read: “Mike rode his bike home. He had a huge kite. The kite rose high in the sky.”

Assessment

Dictate ride, hope, cube, huge. Ask the learner to underline the vowel and circle the final e.

Differentiation

• Support: Practise one split digraph at a time.
• Extension: Find examples of split digraphs in a decodable book and record them.

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Week 6: Long Vowels ai, ay, ee, ea

Learning Objectives

• Read words containing ai, ay, ee, and ea.
• Notice that the same vowel sound can have different spellings.
• Use the patterns to spell and write words.

Focus Words

rain, train, snail, play, stay, day, feet, green, sheep, sea, leaf, clean

Introduction and Hook

Say: “The long /ā/ sound can wear different spelling costumes. It can dress up as ai or ay.” Explain that spelling patterns help us choose the right letters.

I Do: Model

Write rain and play. Say: “The /ā/ sound is in the middle of rain, so ai is useful. The /ā/ sound is at the end of play, so ay is useful.” Model feet and leaf in the same way for /ē/.

We Do: Practise Together

• Sort words by spelling pattern.
• Complete: “Today I can ___.” Choose play or paint.
• Read word pairs such as rain–train, green–sheep, and clean–leaf.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Write three ai words, three ay words, two ee words, and two ea words.
2. Choose four words for a short silly story.
3. Underline the focus spelling patterns.

Decodable Reading

Read: “The green sheep saw a train in the rain. It went past the green tree. The sheep did not play in the rain.”

Assessment

Ask the learner to read paint, stay, sheep, clean and spell train, day, feet, leaf.

Differentiation

• Support: Use sound boxes and provide the first letter group.
• Extension: Discuss why ay is often used at the end of a word and ai is often used in the middle.

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Week 7: Long Vowels oa, ow, igh, y

Learning Objectives

• Read words containing oa, ow, igh, and final y.
• Identify the spelling pattern in a word.
• Read a short text containing these patterns fluently.

Focus Words

boat, road, goat, snow, grow, yellow, night, light, high, fly, my, try

Introduction and Hook

Ask: “How many ways can we spell the sounds in boat, snow, and night?” Let the learner be the “pattern finder.”

I Do: Model

Model boat: “I hear /ō/ in the middle, written oa.” Model snow: “I hear /ō/ at the end, written ow.” Model night and explain that igh represents the long /ī/ sound.

We Do: Practise Together

• Sort cards into /ō/ and /ī/ groups.
• Play “Find the Pattern”: the adult says a word and the learner points to its spelling pattern.
• Read words with a steady beat, then reread them smoothly.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Complete: b__t, sn__, l__t, fl__, r__d.
2. Write a four-sentence story about a goat on a road.
3. Circle every oa, ow, igh, and final y pattern.

Decodable Reading

Read: “At night, a goat went on the road. The moon was bright. A yellow kite flew high.”

Assessment

Ask the learner to read road, snow, light, fly and explain the spelling pattern in each word.

Differentiation

• Support: Use two pattern groups per activity rather than all four.
• Extension: Ask the learner to find words where final y represents the long /ī/ sound.

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Week 8: Long oo and Related Patterns

Learning Objectives

• Read words with oo, ew, ue, and u_e.
• Notice that oo can represent more than one sound.
• Spell and use focus words in meaningful writing.

Focus Words

moon, food, boot, book, good, chew, few, blue, glue, tune, cube

Introduction and Hook

Say: “The letters oo are tricky twins. In moon they say /oo/, but in book they say a shorter sound.” Have the learner listen and sort the words.

I Do: Model

Model moon and book. Say: “Both words have oo, but they do not sound exactly the same. I look at the word, say the sounds, and check that the sentence makes sense.”

We Do: Practise Together

• Sort oo words into “long oo” and “short oo” groups.
• Read and build blue, glue, chew, few, tune.
• Play “Word Builder”: change blue to glue by changing one letter.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Read the focus word list.
2. Complete sentences: “I can see the ___.” “The ___ is good.”
3. Write a short list of things found in a “blue room.”

Decodable Reading

Read: “The moon was blue. A few sheep stood by the pool. They had good food.”

Assessment

Ask the learner to read and sort moon, book, blue, chew, tune. Dictate food, good, glue.

Differentiation

• Support: Practise only oo and ue before adding ew and u_e.
• Extension: Find both types of oo in a decodable book and explain the difference.

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Week 9: R-Controlled Vowels and Soft c and g

Learning Objectives

• Read common words containing ar, or, er, ir, ur.
• Recognise that c can represent /k/ or /s/ and g can represent /g/ or /j/.
• Use word parts to decode unfamiliar words.

Focus Words

car, farm, star, fork, storm, her, fern, bird, shirt, turn, curl, city, cent, gem, giant

Introduction and Hook

Say: “Today the letter r changes the vowel sound. It is like a sound boss!” Compare ar in car and or in fork.

I Do: Model

Model farm, storm, and bird. Point to the vowel and r together. Then model city and gem: “Sometimes c says /s/ before e, i, or y. Sometimes g says /j/ before e, i, or y.”

We Do: Practise Together

• Sort words into ar, or, er, ir, ur groups.
• Read word pairs: car–card, bird–shirt, turn–curl.
• Make a “soft sound” list with city, cent, gem, giant.

You Do: Independent Practice

1. Read: park, corn, fern, shirt, burst, curl.
2. Underline the vowel and r in each word.
3. Write three sentences using at least one ar, one or, and one er/ir/ur word.

Decodable Reading

Read: “The bird sat in the fern. A girl went to the farm. She saw a storm in the dark sky.”

Assessment

Ask the learner to read farm, fork, bird, turn, city, gem. Ask, “What sound does the c make in city?”

Differentiation

• Support: Teach ar and or first, then add the other patterns.
• Extension: Find words with soft c or soft g in a book or around the home.

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Week 10: Review, Fluency, Spelling, and Sound Detective Challenge

Learning Objectives

• Review and apply the phonics patterns from Weeks 1–9.
• Read unfamiliar decodable words using a step-by-step strategy.
• Spell words and write a short piece using taught patterns.
• Read a decodable passage with accuracy and expression.

Review Patterns

a, e, i, o, u; sh, ch, th, wh; ck, ng, nk; a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e; ai, ay, ee, ea; oa, ow, igh, y; oo, ew, ue; ar, or, er, ir, ur

Introduction and Hook

Say: “You have completed your Sound Detective training. Today you will solve word clues, read a secret message, and write your own mini-story.”

I Do: Model the Decoding Strategy

Teach this four-step routine:

1. Look: Look carefully at all the letters.
2. Spot: Find a known sound pattern.
3. Blend: Say the sounds from left to right.
4. Check: Ask, “Does that sound like a real word and make sense?”

Model the word sunshine: identify sh, i_e, and the two word parts sun and shine.

We Do: Sound Detective Stations

Complete the following activities together. If working in a classroom, the learner may move between stations. If working at home, complete them one at a time.

1. Pattern Sort: Sort word cards by their vowel or digraph pattern.
2. Word Building: Build words such as train, sunshine, playground, birthday.
3. Spelling Detective: Adult says a word. The learner taps each sound, writes the word, and checks the pattern.
4. Sentence Fix-It: Correct a sentence such as “the bird flew high” by adding a capital letter and full stop.

You Do: Summative Performance Task

The learner completes all three parts:

1. Read: Read 15 mixed words, including regular words and words from the focus patterns.
2. Spell: Spell 10 dictated words, such as ship, pink, plane, hope, rain, sheep, night, blue, bird, city.
3. Write: Write a short story of four to six sentences titled The Strange Sound. The story should include at least six taught-pattern words.

Decodable Reading

Read a short text such as:

“One bright night, a small bird flew over the farm. It saw a blue boat on the road. The bird flew down and sat on the boat. What a strange sight!”

Ask the learner to reread the text and improve their smoothness and expression.

Assessment Rubric

Skill	Achieving	Developing	Next Step
Sound knowledge	Identifies most taught patterns accurately	Recognises some patterns with prompts	Review two or three patterns regularly
Word reading	Blends unfamiliar words accurately	Needs help with longer or less familiar words	Practise blending and rereading
Spelling	Uses sounds and patterns to spell most words	Represents some sounds but misses patterns	Use sound boxes and word building
Fluency	Reads mostly smoothly and accurately	Reads word by word or needs frequent help	Reread short decodable texts daily
Writing	Writes clear sentences with basic punctuation	Needs reminders about sentence structure	Use oral rehearsal and sentence frames

Conclusion and Reflection

Ask the learner:

• “Which sound pattern is easiest for you?”
• “Which pattern is still a little tricky?”
• “What can you do when you meet a word you do not know?”
• “Which word are you proud of reading or spelling?”

Finish with the learner explaining the decoding routine: “I look, spot, blend, and check.” Celebrate effort, careful listening, and improvement.

Ongoing Practice Between Lessons

• Read a decodable book for 5–10 minutes most days.
• Practise five focus words using letter tiles or handwriting.
• Look for the week’s spelling pattern on food packets, signs, books, or labels.
• Play “I Spy a Sound”: “I spy something with the sh sound.”
• Keep a personal word wall with new words the learner can read and spell.
• Reread familiar texts to build accuracy, pace, and expression.

Adaptation for Different Learning Contexts

• Homeschool: Use household objects, personalised sentences, and short one-to-one practice sessions.
• Classroom: Use partner reading, small-group word sorts, literacy stations, and shared dictation.
• Training or tutoring: Use the same sequence with a brief diagnostic check at the beginning of each lesson.
• Digital option: Display word cards on a screen, use a shared digital whiteboard, or record the learner reading for self-feedback.