Sounds in Focus is a word study program designed to develop reading, spelling and writing skills through phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is essentially a knowledge and understanding of the sounds and sound patterns of the English language.
The Sounds in Focus approach uses a sound-to-letter strategy, which acknowledges that sounds can be represented in more than one way in written form. The Sounds in Focus approach focuses first on the basic units of sound in English – phonemes. It then explores the letters that represent these sounds and how they can be put together to form English words.
The phonemic approach is effective because it promotes deeper understanding by replacing rote learning with strategies for reading, writing and spelling. It includes clever ideas for direct instruction and play-based learning activities.
Sounds in Focus Student Books have been designed to make teaching multi-age classes easy. Each Student Book follows the same structure, with every sound unit appearing on the same page number across levels 1 to 6. The layout of the pages is also consistent throughout the series, making it easier to highlight different activities to your class.
Extra and Extension activities are included with every Sound Unit in the Teacher Guide, while Extension Word Lists are included in the back of every Student Book to stimulate accelerated learners.
The Sounds in Focus program has been written to support students of varying abilities. The combination of graded List Words and activities provides plenty of material for a range of learner abilities.
- Student Books Foundation - Level 6
- Teacher Guides Foundation - Level 6
The Sounds in Focus program is most effective when used in conjunction with Sounds in Focus Online, which has a wide range of support materials including:
- Weekly lesson plans
- Brainstorm kickstarters
- Warm-up and other teaching slideshows
- Projectable Learner Book pages – and answers
- List and extension word segmenting tool – and answers
- 200+ downloadable BLMs per year
- Content and diagnostic tests with remediation
We can tailor the program to best suit your school or individual classroom requirements. Make an enquiry today and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss the best option for you and your students..jpeg)
Complete this short form or call us on 08 00448162 and a member of our team will talk you through the process.
Yes, we offer a 30-day free trial of Sounds in Focus. This trial allows you to access the full features that Sounds in Focus has to offer.
Please note: Preview versions of all documents and Units 1-8 of each level are only available to view in the trial version. To access the full content, you must purchase a 12-month subscription.
After the 30 days, your access to Sounds in Focus Online will expire. A member of our team will contact you prior to this date to determine whether you wish to continue with the program.
Sign up for a free trial here.
Sounds in Focus Online has been designed for use in and outside the classroom, and can be used on interactive whiteboards, laptops, iPads or tablets.
To gain access to our Sounds in Focus Online resources or start a free trial:
- Complete a short form to Sign up for 12-month Subscription or Start a Free Trial.
- A member of the team will contact you shortly after to register the school account.
- Once registered, a welcome email is sent to the email address provided upon registration. This email will provide details on how each educator in the school can access Sounds in Focus Online (also outlined below).
12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION - To begin using Sounds in Focus Online:
- Create an Account and enter an Access Code to activate Sounds in Focus Online for the level(s) required. This is a one-time process.
- Proceed to My Programs to access the programs you are subscribed to.
- For subsequent logins, please proceed directly to the Login page and use the username and password provided in the "Create an Account" process.
FREE TRIAL - To begin using Sounds in Focus Online:
- Login using the school email address and password provided upon registration. No Access Code required.
- Proceed to My Programs to access the programs you have signed up to trial.
Your Access Code identifies the Sounds in Focus programs you can access as part of your subscription.
Once the Access Code is entered, this will activate your subscription. Your Access Code is unique and can only be used once to register. Do not share this code.
Your Access Code has been emailed to the email address provided upon registration.
If you did not receive your Access Code, please check your spam mail or call us on 08 00448162.
Should you wish to purchase Sounds in Focus, please complete the Make an Enquiry form and a member of our team will call you back.
Call us on 08 00448162 or email info@ricpublications.co.nz to purchase and we will supply you with a further Access Code to activate this program in your account.
Of course! Our dedicated sales team have a wealth of knowledge about how the Sounds in Focus program could benefit you and are here to answer any questions you have.
Call 08 00448162 or email mail@ricpublications.co.nz.