Hot Dots Phonics Fun

Fun is the key word for learning phonics with this program. As children use the Talking Hot Dots Pen along with the Touch and Learn cards, they will begin to learn letter sounds.

The Hot Dots Jr. Phonics Fun set includes the Ace the Talking Dog Hot Dots Jr. Pen, a lesson guide, and 80 two-sided lesson cards. Children use the talking pen to touch dots next to pictures on the cards. If they touch a hot dot (a correct answer), the pen lights up green and either gives a word of praise or makes a triumphant sound. When a cold dot (an incorrect answer) is touched with the pen, it lights up red and again makes a sound or gives a spoken word. The pen requires 2 AAA batteries which aren't included. The lesson guide gives step-by-step instructions for teaching phonics skills. There is a lesson to go along with each set of cards. Within the lesson you will find a section about what you will find on the cards, guidelines for using the cards, ideas to help with learning, suggestions to help make learning more effective, and activities to go with that set of cards. The Touch & Learn cards are laminated, double-sided cards that measure 5"x 8". Let's Learn the Sound Alphabet teaches the sounds of all 26 letters and matches them with corresponding pictures. Short Vowels presents short vowel sounds, identifying matching pictures, and children begin reading 3-letter words. Long Vowels introduces long vowel sounds and shows the many ways they are spelled. Blends & Digraphs teaches the sounds of blends and digraphs and children begin to read more challenging words. In the set Let's Read!, children read a sentence and find the picture that illustrates it. Upon completion of the Phonics Fun card sets, children will have been introduced to the foundational phonics skills needed for reading.

There are also 6 sets of Phonics Hot Dots Activity Cards. Each set includes 36 double-sided, laminated cards. These cards are 3 ½"x 5" and can be used with the Hot Dots Pens (regular or Jr.) or as flashcards. The Hot Dots Pen is not included in the flashcard sets. Each set covers a different area of phonics. The Reading Readiness set covers letter sounds A to Z, colors, shapes, numbers and number words, rhyming words, and beginning sounds. Consonants covers initial, medial and final sounds. Short and long vowel sounds, reading words, and phrases with short and long vowels are covered in the Vowels set. Blends & Digraphs includes beginning and ending blends and digraphs, as well as reading words and phrases with blends and digraphs. Read words with the 37 most common phonograms including -at, -ank, -et, -ell, -in, -ing, -ot, -ock, -un and -unk in the Word Families set. Variant Vowels and More includes r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, vowel diphthongs, silent letters, variant spellings of the /f/ sound and words ending in -le and -y. If you're using them as flashcards, the answer is on the reverse side at the bottom of the card. This will be helpful since some of the matching activities use pictures that are a little tricky, such as jellyfish and jet. Each set of flashcards comes in a sturdy plastic storage box. The Hot Dots flashcards reinforce skills essential for reading success. There are some skills covered in the flashcard sets that aren't in the Phonics Fun set, such as Word Families and Variant Vowels and More. These could be used after completing the Phonics Fun set.

With the Hot Dots Power Pen in hand, phonics practice becomes an exciting game to be played independently or with adult guidance. ~ Donna