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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.

What sound does the letter s typically make?
Can you name two words that start with the letter s?
Is the letter s ever silent in words?

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 27746_WritingTheLetterS-12.svg
2 Whoosh to the blue line. 27746_WritingTheLetterS-11.svg
3 Curl back round to form a small curly c shape. 27746_WritingTheLetterS-10.svg
4 Curl back round the other way. 27746_WritingTheLetterS-09.svg
5 Keep your pencil on the paper and come back over the bottom line creating a small lead out. 27746_WritingTheLetterS-02.svg

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

What are the common sounds of the letter s?
Can the letter s appear at the end of words?
Why is the letter s shaped like a snake?
How can I teach my child to write the letter s?
Is the letter s important in learning phonics?
What are some activities that can help practise the letter s?
Can the letter s be silent in any words?
How does the letter s contribute to plural forms?
Are there any special types of s, like symbols or special characters?

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

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learnt? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video The Letter S.
  • Which one is the correct letter?

    Hints

    Listen 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?

    Solution

    The correct letter is s. This makes the /s/ sound.

  • What sound does the letter make?

    Hints

    The word sock starts with the sound.

    Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word sit?

    Solution

    The correct sound is /s/.

  • Find the objects that begin with s.

    Hints

    There 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.

    Solution

    The five items that begin with s are:

    • strawberry
    • slug
    • snowman
    • seal
    • salad
  • What is the word?

    Hints

    Listen 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.

    Solution

    The words are:

    1. sack
    2. sit
    3. sock
    4. bus
  • Help Kala find the objects that begin with s.

    Hints

    Listen 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.

    Solution

    Saw and sad start with /s/.

  • Can you put the words in the correct group?

    Hints

    Listen 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.

    Solution

    Scooter, seed and sink have s at the beginning.

    Bags, glass and plus have s at the end.