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Alien Words

A word appears in the middle of the screen. Pupils read it and drag it to the green alien if it’s a real word, or the red alien if it’s a made-up word. Each right answer scores points; there are no minus points. The aliens smile when they get a word that belongs to them, look puzzled when they don’t, and the right alien lights up to show the answer. Pupils can also tap an alien instead of dragging.

For KS1–KS2. About 5 minutes. Literacy & communication. Low sensory, works without sound.

What pupils practise

• Blend sounds to read simple and harder words
• Tell real words from made-up words, as in the Year 1 phonics check
• Read made-up words by sounding them out, not guessing
• Use drag, tap or a switch to make a choice

Tips for teachers

• Model it first: sound out a word aloud, then decide which alien wants it.
• Keep “Read each word aloud” off for reading practice. Turn it on to focus on listening.
• Start with Simple words. Move to Harder words with digraphs like sh, ch and ai.
• Talk about the made-up words: “Could this be a word? Does it mean anything?”

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