Learn to Read with Phonics: Phase 3 Phonics Sounds Part 1 (j, v, w, x, y, z)

If your children are starting phase 3 phonics, this lesson gives you a clear, friendly way to practise six new sounds, blend them into real words, and then use two sight words to read full sentences. You’ll hear each sound, sing along with simple Jolly Phonics-style songs, play a quick listening game, and finish with short sentences your children can actually read.

This is a great session to repeat over a few days. Children often need many small goes before the sounds feel easy, and that’s completely normal.

Welcome to Phase 3 Phonics: Introducing j, v, w, x, y, z

In this part of the series, you focus on these six sounds: j, v, w, x, y, z. You also practise blending (pushing sounds together to read words), using a mix of earlier phase 2 sounds and today’s new sounds. That mix matters because children don’t learn reading one sound at a time; they learn by building up a usable set of sounds they can combine.

Why these sounds matter

These sounds help your children read more words and feel more confident. Some are common at the start of words (like j, v, w, y, z), and one is often heard at the end (the x sound in fox). When children can hear and say the sound clearly, blending becomes much smoother.

Quick overview of what you’ll do in this lesson

You’ll move through the lesson in a steady routine that children usually enjoy:

• Practise each sound with examples (and a short song or chant)
• Play a sound guessing game using short video clips
• Blend sounds to read words (like jam and web)
• Learn two sight words, we and is
• Read simple sentences together

If you want extra practice with the earlier sounds that this lesson builds on, you can use the Phase 2 Phonics Sounds playlist.

Mastering each sound with songs and examples

A simple routine works best at home: say the sound, say a word, then say the sound again. Keep it light and quick. You’re aiming for clear sound practice, not perfect performance.

The j sound: jet, jelly, jam

You practise j as in jet. You also hear it in jelly and jam. When your children say j, remind them it’s a quick sound (not “juh”, just j).

The song in the lesson uses jelly and jam:

Jelly and jam, jelly and jam, jiddling on the plate…
Then you repeat the sound many times: j j j j j…

Words you practise with j:

• jet
• jelly
• jam

A good home extension is to point to something real if you can. A picture of a jet, a jar of jam, or even just pretending to spread jam on toast makes the sound feel meaningful.

The v sound: van, vet, vest (and Vin)

Next, you practise v as in van. You say the sound and connect it to a clear word your children can picture.

The song in the lesson goes:

V V is for van. Drive, fix van around the village… V v v van. Beep beep.

Words you practise with v:

• van
• vet
• vest
• Vin (with a capital letter, because it’s a name)

That detail about Vin is useful. It quietly shows your children that names start with a capital letter, even when the sound stays the same.

The w sound: web, wind, wet

Now you practise w as in web, like a spider’s web, and w as in wind. These are words children can act out, which helps the sound stick.

The song you sing along to describes wind:

I see the clouds moving… w w
I see the kites flying… w w
I see the trees bending… w w
The wind is blowing strong… w

Words you practise with w:

• web
• wind
• wet
• wig
• win
• wag

At home, it helps to add actions. Wiggle your fingers like wind, pretend to fly a kite, or make a spider web shape with your hands.

The x sound: fox, x-ray (often at the end)

This sound is a little different. You often hear x at the end of a word, like fox. In the lesson, you practise it in fox and also in x-ray. The letter name is “x”, and the sound you practise in words is the /ks/ sound.

The chant includes:

Take an X-ray, take an X-ray, take an X-ray, an X-ray of my hand.

Words used for practice around this sound include:

• fox
• box
• six

You also hear sick in the practice section. The key message for your children is simple: listen for that /ks/ sound, often at the end.

The y sound: yo-yo, yoghurt, yak

You practise y as in yo-yo and yoghurt. (You’ll hear “yogurt” in the lesson, both spellings are used in English, but the sound practice is the same.) You also hear yak.

The song in the lesson is:

I like to eat eat yoghurt and bananas…

Words you practise with y:

• yo-yo
• yoghurt
• yak
• yes
• yet
• yum

This is an easy one to extend at snack time. If your children eat yoghurt or bananas, you can repeat the y sound naturally.

The z sound: zebra, buzz, zip

You practise z as in zebra. You also learn that you can have one “z” or two “z” letters, and they can still make the same sound, like in buzz.

The chant helps children hear and repeat the sound:

Did you ever hear a buzz? A buzz, a buzz.
Did you ever hear a bee buzz like this?
Then you try buzzing like a bee.

Words you practise with z:

• zebra
• zip
• zigzag
• zap
• zag
• buzz

The buzzing part is more than just fun. It helps your children feel the vibration of the sound, which can make z easier to remember.

Play the sound recognition game

After the sounds, you play a listening and guessing game. This is great for children learning ESL because it links a sound to meaning quickly. You can play along at home by pausing and letting your children call out the sound.

Guess the sound from the video clips

1. A yummy bowl of yoghurt: y
2. Wind blowing (cold and breezy): w
3. Red sticky jam: j
4. A fox playing in the snow (listen for the sound at the end): x
5. Zebras (animals in Africa): z
6. A van on the road: v

If your children guess wrong, keep it gentle. You can simply say the word, then pull out the sound: “yoyurt”, “wind”, “jam”.

Tips for playing at home

• Use picture cards, toys, or items from around your house (jam jar, yoghurt pot, toy van).
• Keep the pace quick, five to ten seconds per guess is enough.
• Repeat the correct answer with praise: “Well done, w for wind.”

Blending sounds: from letters to words

Blending is where reading starts to feel real. In this lesson, you practise saying each sound, then pushing them together smoothly.

Step-by-step blending examples

Here are the word blends you practise, written in a clear “sound it out” way:

j words

• j-o-b: job
• j-e-t: jet
• j-a-m: jam
• j-o-g: jog

v words

• v-a-n: van
• v-e-t: vet
• V-i-n: Vin (capital letter because it’s a name)

w and x practice

• w-e-t: wet
• w-i-n: win
• w-a-g: wag
• b-o-x: box
• s-i-x: six

y and z words

• y-e-s: yes
• y-e-t: yet
• y-u-m: yum
• z-i-p: zip
• z-a-p: zap
• z-a-g: zag

A small tip that often helps at home is to slide your finger under the sounds as your children say them. It gives their eyes somewhere to go while they blend.

Practice words for your children

In the lesson, your children are invited to read first, then hear the word read aloud. You can copy that at home. Write each word on paper, cover it with your hand, then reveal it.

1. jam
2. web
3. fox
4. zip
5. box
6. van
7. yes
8. wag
9. six

If a word feels hard, go back to the sounds and blend again. The win is not speed, it’s the ability to try.

Sight words: we and is

Alongside phonics, you also practise two sight words: we and is. Sight words are common words that children learn to recognise quickly, so they can read sentences more smoothly.

The spider web game

You help a spider get to its web by reading the word above it. You repeat and practise:

We
is

You also get lots of repetition, like: “we, we, is, is”. This kind of quick reading builds confidence because children can succeed fast.

Why sight words help

Once your children know we and is, they can read more full sentences, not just single words. It’s one of the reasons reading starts to feel like real reading, not just sound practice.

Reading full sentences together

This final part pulls everything together, new sounds plus blending plus sight words. You read, repeat, and celebrate with a quick Hooray when a sentence is finished.

Simple sentences with the new sounds

1. We go to the v-a-n. (We go to the van.)
2. We w-i-n a b-o-x. (We win a box.)
3. The f-o-x is w-e-t. (The fox is wet.)
4. The b-o-x is b-i-g. (The box is big.)
5. We s-e-e a f-o-x. (We see a fox.)
6. The z-i-p is o-n. (The zip is on.)

When you practise at home, you can read the sentence once, then ask your children to read it again with you. After that, point to one word and ask them to “spot” it, for example “Show me we” or “Where’s fox?”

Practice tips you can use straight away

• Read each sentence twice, once slowly, once normally.
• Let your children whisper read first, then say it clearly.
• Put the sentences on the fridge and read one a day.

For printable activities you can use alongside your practice, you can join the Free Resource Library.

Extend the learning after watching (simple home activities)

You don’t need a full lesson plan to keep progress going. Two to five minutes here and there is enough, especially for young children.

Sound hunt: Pick one sound a day (like w) and hunt for it in books, food labels, or signs.
Action sounds: Make wind noises for w, buzz like a bee for z, pretend to spread jam for j.
Blending hop: Put three letter cards on the floor (j-a-m). Step on each sound, then jump forward and say the whole word.
Mini sentence swap: Keep the sentence shape and swap one word: “We win a box” can become “We win a van” (even if it’s silly, it’s still reading).
Bedtime recap: Ask, “Which sound was in jam?” or “Can you remember the sound at the end of fox?”

Next steps and more practice

You’ve now got a strong first set of phase 3 phonics sounds to practise at home: j, v, w, x, y, z, plus the sight words we and is. Re-watching the lesson is a smart move, because children learn through repetition, songs, and quick wins.

When you’re ready to continue, you can use the Phase 3 Phonics Sounds playlist to keep building the next sounds.

When you keep sound practice short, playful, and regular, your children start to blend with less effort and read with more pride. This lesson gives you songs for memory, a game for listening, and sentences that show your children what reading is for. Come back to these six sounds often, and celebrate the small steps, because that’s how strong readers are built. The next time your children read “We win a box”, you’ll hear confidence in their voices.

Related Posts

• Fun Phase 2 Phonics Sentences for Beginners
• Phase 3 Phonics Sentences: Simple Reading Practice (J, V, W, Z)
• Winter Reading Practice for Kids: Simple Sentences About Winter Weather and Nature
• A Guide to Helping Your Children Learn Phonics Sounds