I Spy, You Spy is a new CBeebies show that brings the much loved game to life.
Each episode, lovable puppet Elsee invites little ones to pause, look closely and delight in the world around them through the fun of I Spy.
Watch along with speech and language therapist Asma Khanum as Elsee encourages children to experiment with new words and sounds through I Spy.
Speaker 1: When we play I spy, we're helping our child identify the first sound in words. This is great for phonological awareness. These are really important skills for helping our child to learn to read and spell.
Speaker 2: I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘c.’
Speaker 3: Carrots.
Speaker 2: It's not a carrot, that's a great sound, but it is something that you can eat.
Speaker 3: Cake.
Speaker 2: Cake, you got it!
Speaker 1: Even though they didn't get the word right the first time, they kept going and they were able to use the same sound and link it to another word that also begins with that sound.
That's phonological awareness in action.
In this next game of I Spy, keep watching Ellie Mae to see what she does at the end.
Speaker 4: I spy with my little eyes something beginning with ‘c.’
Speaker 2: Is it Carrot?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's right. Because it begins with a c.
Speaker 2: Yeah!
Speaker 1: Did you see what she did there? Not only was Ellie May able to identify the first sound in the word, she was able to draw it out in the air, just like that, demonstrating early writing skills.
That's how a simple game of I spy can help your child start on their reading and writing journey.
How I Spy can help phonological awareness
Phonological awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of sounds and how these sounds work together to form words.
Children usually develop phonological awareness around the age of four or five. It forms the foundation for learning to read and spell.
Games like I Spy help children to recognise the initial sounds in words, strengthening their phonological awareness.
As their confidence grows, they begin linking sounds to letters and the movements needed to form letters.
These connections build foundations for their overall literacy development.
How I Spy creates improves children's communication skills
I spy is a wonderful way to build your child’s vocabulary and understanding of language by developing important skills such as active listening, turn-taking, and persistence.
Through taking turns, children learn how conversations work and practise key social and communication skills.
Games like I Spy encourage children to listen carefully and pay attention to their peers, teachers, and other adults . This is essential for further learning and forming positive relationships.
If your child is struggling to pronounce a specific sound, check out the advice in this article on pronunciation.
Other resources to support early reading growth
Here are some resources on the CBeebies Parenting website that are designed to help with early reading growth.
