The fourth of four levels of decodable books, providing the best start for children just starting to read. With three lively series in each level, children are able to practise their phonic skills while developing key reading skills. The Bird House and other stories contains six engaging fiction stories and provides comprehension questions, discussion activities and guidance for parents. The stories in the book feature words that are spelled regularly, and can be sounded out with the 42 letter sounds first taught in Jolly Phonics. At every stage the words are within the reach of children as they use their letter sound knowledge and tricky words already taught. All the tricky words and letter sounds used are shown at the beginning of the book. Light type is used as a guide for any silent letters, such as /b/ in lamb. Level 4 provides revision of the alternative sound of /y/ used for the /ee/ sound at the end of words like funny and happy, the 'hop-over /e/' spellings of the long vowel sounds and introduces spellings of the long vowel sounds, /ay/ as in day, /ea/ as in seat, /y/ and /igh/ as in fly and high, /ow/ as in low and now, /ew/ as in dew, /oy/ as in joy, /ir/ and /ur/ as in bird and turn, and /al/, /au/ and /aw/ as in talk, pause and saw. Stories included in the book: The Bird House Daisy and Buttercup The New Kitten An Inter-Hive Match The Maize Maze Beach Resuce Additional extension activities: Say the Sounds Tricky Words Meet the Characters Book Review Character Review *The Bird House and other stories is a paperback edition of the popular Jolly Phonics Readers, combining stories previously published as six individual books in the Level 4 Inky & Friends series*