trugs:
teach reading using games

by Joanna Jeffrey


Age Group: reading age 5 & up

trugs - for schools & professionals

trugs at home - for parents & 1:1 tutors

trugs Tricky Words

trugs Stage 0

What is trugs?

trugs is a system based on a synthetic phonics structure to allow anyone, who can themselves read, to help a child/student to progress their level of reading.

There are 15 stages that starts at stage 1 with words like ‘cat’ and ‘win’ and progresses to stage 15 with words like ‘nation’ and ‘substitution’. The interest level is ageless! For 5-95 year olds! It is divided into three boxes – beginning, middle and final stages of reading.

At each stage all that is required is to play card games that contain the words at that stage – you and they play the games, read the words, and they are so engaged in the card games that they don’t realise how much reading practise they are doing.

trugs is a high-quality synthetic phonics reading resource.

There is no need for prior teaching experience because the structure has been designed to be easy to follow.

The card games are multi-sensory enabling children of all ages to progress with their reading whilst having fun.

All readers, not just those with dyslexia, can improve their reading by playing trugs.


How does trugs work?

The synthetic phonics structure has been put into 15 stages. Each stage builds on the one before, making it easy to follow.

There is no manual or training needed because at each stage there is a Clue Card with information about that specific stage.

At each of these stages there are familiar-style card games to play. This means that it is easy to practise, reinforce and consolidate each stage.

If required progress can be monitored/assessed using the Monitoring Booklet and Reading Booklet for Assessing Pupil Progress (APP) – see trugs for schools & professionals.

So by playing these games parents, carers, grandparents, teachers and assistants can help improve a child’s reading ability.


How can I teach my child to read and enjoy the time together?

The trugs card games are deliberately designed with children and students in mind – in other words there is no mention of phonics, or letter clusters. The structure is there and it is phonics, but they don’t want to know that!

The card games, (called Guess it, Match it and Take it) are fun and competitive, where you guess, match, or take colours and numbers in order to win – they hardly notice the reading element and that’s why trugs works and that’s why your children will want to come back for more – to win or to beat you!

What is the trugs structure?

The trugs structure is divided into 15 stages and within those stages there are only those words relevant to that specific stage as follows:

• Stage 1 cvc
• Stage 2 ccvc
• Stage 3 ccvcc
• Stage 4 ar/or/er
• Stage 5 two syll words
  

• Stage 6 cve (magic e)
• Stage 7 vowel digraphs
• Stage 8 diphthongs
• Stage 9 open/closed sylls
• Stage 10 three syll words

• Stage 11 soft c
• Stage 12 soft g
• Stage 13 consonant/l/e
• Stage 14 four + syll words
• Stage 15 ti/ci/si

Does trugs follow any guidelines?

trugs follows specific aspects of the U.K. Government’s Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) Core Criteria as recommendations for a highly structured systematic phonic resource.

trugs can be used can be used on its own as well as alongside all phonic reading programmes used in Primary and Secondary Schools including Letters and Sounds and synthetic phonics.

• 490 cards making 20 Card Games
• 1 Instruction Booklet
• 1 Reading Booklet
• 1 Monitoring Booklet for APP

Box 1 (TS1)
Reading Age Approx 5½ - 7½ yrs
Item: 9780955805301

trugs at home - for parents & 1:1 tutors

• 360 cards* making 15 Card Games
• 1 Instruction Booklet

Box 1 (TH1)
Reading Age Approx 5½ - 7½ yrs
Item: 9780956802705

Each box contains:

• 72 cards making 3 Card Games
• 1 Clue Card
• 1 Instruction Leaflet

Practise, reinforce and consolidate these by playing Guess it, Match it and Take it.

These card games are intended as back-up resource material for those beginning to learn to read these decodable and tricky words, using a phonics first approach.

The other ‘decodable’ regular high-frequency words and can be found within trugs Boxes 1, 2 and 3.

Each box contains:

• 64 cards making 3 Card Games
• 1 Instruction Leaflet

Introducing consonant and vowel recognition according to the Letters and Sounds s/a/t/p/i/n letter order.

You can e-mail your order to products@spedsg.com,
fill up an order form and fax to (65) 6899 8477,
or call (65) 6899 8377.