The Letter S
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Basics on the topic The Letter S
Introduction to the Letter S
Dive into the serpentine world of the letter s! Not only is it the 19th letter of the English alphabet, but it also mimics the slithering of a snake with its shape and sound. Whether it's in words like sun or snake, the letter s plays a crucial role in language learning, offering a unique sound that enhances our speaking and reading skills.
Understanding the Letter S – Definition and Sounds
The letter s is the 19th letter of the English alphabet and is known for its hissing /s/ sound, similar to the sound a snake makes.
This distinctive character appears in countless words, and learning its sound is vital for literacy. The letter s can sometimes be tricky because it also appears to make a /z/ sound in some words like rose or nose, depending on its placement and the surrounding letters.
Writing the Letter S – How to?
Writing the letter s can be a smooth and enjoyable experience. To write the capital S, start at the top and draw a curve that goes down and to the left, then loops back to the right and down. For the lower case s, begin just below the middle line, draw a small curve to the left, then loop it back to the right and down, creating a smaller version of the uppercase S. Follow the steps below to write a pre-cursive letter s.
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line |  |
| 2 | Whoosh to the blue line. |  |
| 3 | Curl back round to form a small curly c shape. |  |
| 4 | Curl back round the other way. |  |
| 5 | Keep your pencil on the paper and come back over the bottom line creating a small lead out. |  |
The Letter S – Example Uses and Applications
Let’s explore the usage of the letter s in various contexts. The capital S is often used at the beginning of sentences or proper nouns, while the lower case 's' could appear anywhere in a word.
Words with the Letter S
The letter s is versatile, appearing at the beginning, middle or end of words. Here’s a table showcasing various words categorised by where the letter 's' appears:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| sun | desert | class |
| snake | castle | dress |
| sail | listen | bus |
The Letter S – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter s is the 19th letter of the English alphabet and commonly makes a hissing /s/ sound.
- It can appear at the beginning, middle or end of words, adding versatility to its use.
- Recognising the letter s in different words and contexts is crucial for effective communication and literacy skills.
- It is often spotted in adjacent consonants. Learn about those here and here.
Continue enhancing your understanding of the letter s with interactive activities and games available on our platform. Explore, practice and master the letter s through engaging resources!
The Letter S – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter S
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /s/. This is the letter S, it makes the sound /s/. This is a capital /S/ and this is a lowercase /s/. They both make the /s/ sound like in sun, stick and sock! Let's practise the /s/ sound with Kala! "/s/, /s/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /s/? "There's a swan, that starts with /s/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /s/? "There's a spider, that also begins with /s/!" Uh-oh! /S/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /s/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /s/,we listened to and made the /s/ sound! We found words that begin with /s/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and see if you can find the skirt, the straw and the spoon hidden in the garden! Comment below when you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!
The Letter S exercise
-
Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
We can see the ___ in the sky.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is s. This makes the /s/ sound.
-
What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word sock starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word sit?
SolutionThe correct sound is /s/.
-
Find the objects that begin with s.
HintsThere are 5 items that start with s to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe five items that begin with s are:
- strawberry
- slug
- snowman
- seal
- salad
-
What is the word?
HintsListen carefully. Does the word start or end with s?
What other sounds can you hear?
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- sack
- sit
- sock
- bus
-
Help Kala find the objects that begin with s.
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /s/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionSaw and sad start with /s/.
-
Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear s at the beginning or at the end?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it s or a different sound?
There are 3 words that begin with s and 3 words that end with s.
SolutionScooter, seed and sink have s at the beginning.
Bags, glass and plus have s at the end.
Rhyming Words
The Letter S
The Letter A
The Letter T
The Letter P
The Letter I
The Letter N
The Letter M
The Letter D
The Letter G
The Letter O
The Letter K
The Letter H
The Letter E
The Letter R
The Letter U
The Letter L
The Letter B
The Letter F
The Letter J
The Letter Q(u)
The Letter W
The Letter V
The Letter X
The Letter Y
The Letter Z
Consonant Letter Sounds
Matching Letters to Consonant & Vowel Sounds— Let's Practise!
CVC Words: The Initial Consonant
CVC Words: The Middle Vowel
CVC Sounds: The Final Consonant
CVC Words
Long and short Vowel sounds
Words, Syllables & Sounds
Consonant Blends
Onsets & Rimes
Decoding: Look at the Picture
Decoding: Stretch out the Word
Counting & Segmenting Syllables
Final 'E' and Split Digraphs
Adjacent Consonants _r
Adjacent Consonants s_
Adjacent Consonants _t
Adjacent Consonants l
The Soft C
The Soft G
Alternative Pronunciation y (I)
