Sounds in Focus is a whole-school phonemic spelling programme from Junior Infants to 6th Class. Use Sounds in Focus at each class level, to develop language proficiency by continually developing:
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 great 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.
The whole-school nature of the programme means that pupils are revising and building upon the same sounds each year from Junior Infants up to 6th Class.
The Sounds in Focus programme has been structured to assist teachers with multi-age classrooms. For example, each Sound Unit is on the same page in Pupil Books 1 to 6. Teachers can teach the focus sound to the whole class then direct pupils to work on the same Sound Unit, but with words and concepts appropriate to their level, making classroom management easy.
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 Pupil Book to stimulate more able pupils.
The Sounds in Focus programme has been written to support pupils of varying abilities, from Infants through to 6th Class. The combination of graded List Words and activities provides plenty of material for a range of pupil abilities.
The Sounds in Focus programme is most effective when used in conjunction with Sounds in Focus Online, which has a wide range of support materials including:
Sounds in Focus is priced from as little as €14.99 per pupil for a 12-month annual subscription. We can tailor the programme 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.
Complete this short form or call us on 051 441627/051 441628 and a member of our team will talk you through the process.
If you would like to explore and experience first-hand the features of Sounds in Focus Online, we offer a 30-day free trial to all schools.
Please note: Preview versions of all PDFs 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 programme.
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:
12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION: To begin using Sounds in Focus Online:
School Account Holder:
Teacher Account:
FREE TRIAL: To begin using Sounds in Focus Online:
Your Access Code identifies the Sounds in Focus programmes you can access as part of your subscription. It also identifies whether you have a teacher or pupil view of the online portal.
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 school email address provided upon registration.
If you did not receive your Access Code, please check your spam mail or call us on 051 441627/051 441628.
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.
Once you are logged in to your Sounds in Focus Online account, you can find the Pupil Access Code for your class on the programme home page of the relevant Sounds in Focus class level.
Pupils use the Pupil Access Code to login and access the sound info kit, segmenting tool, interactive games, downloadable copymasters (BLMs) and more for each Sound Unit.
Call us on 051 441627/ 051 441628 or email sales@prim-ed.com to purchase and we will supply you with a further Access Code to activate this programme in your account.
Of course! Our dedicated sales team have a wealth of knowledge about how the Sounds in Focus programme could benefit you and are here to answer any questions you have.
Call 051 441627/ 051 441628 or email sales@prim-ed.com
Yes, Sounds in Focus can sit comfortably alongside exisiting phonetic reading programmes (such as Jolly Phonics) and complements the sounds in these programmes, placing an emphasis on spelling.
You can start by reading the preliminary pages of your Teacher Guide (pages 4 to 14). These pages explain what Sounds in Focus is all about, and give step-by-step instructions on how to implement the programme.
At Sounds in Focus Online, you’ll also find documents in the Preparation and Planning and Assessment section to help you and your pupils throughout the programme.