Written language turns the continuously changing sounds of spoken language into visually discrete blocks of symbols separated by spaces on paper or on screen. These discrete blocks are words. Words are the smallest units of meaning needed for verbal thought. They are combined into larger units of phrases and sentences when we are thinking about the world and everything in it.
An audible puff of air is given out when we try to articulate these, thus, making them into syllables, so that we say
The first Jelly and Bean books were written in 1998 to accompany the National Literacy Strategy. They were developed with the help of staff and pupils at Saltergate Infant School and Beckwithshaw Primary School in Harrogate. In 2000 they were discovered by the Special Educational Needs advisory teachers in North Yorkshire and Leeds who recommended them to other local schools. Between 2000 and 2005 their use spread across schools in all areas of the UK and also worldwide.
Jelly and Bean Ltd was set up in January 2006. The company moved to business premises overlooking the fields at Follifoot Ridge Business Park in 2007. The view from the office window became the inspiration for the Follifoot Farm stories published later in 2010.
After a parliamentary consultation on the teaching of reading, the Rose Report was published in 2006. This report advised schools that children should be taught to read using systematic phonics and that children should be given phonically 'decodable' books. The Jelly and Bean books fitted this recommendation and more schools in the UK began using them.
Philosophy
In written language, our thoughts and our speech are represented by visual symbols to convey the meaning of what we are writing and saying. In an alphabetic language like English, the 'visual symbols' are letters. These are combined together into words which have meaning for us. Sometimes these 'letters' correspond to our perception of the sounds we hear in the words we speak. Sometimes they do not.
How do we learn which spelling goes with which sound in which word? We can only do that if we know the meaning of the word and we have this extra information to help us. The sound of the word alone will not tell us how to spell it. We need to visually memorise it also.
It is not made up of separate sounds which we are consciously aware of when we are speaking and listening.
Is Jelly and Bean a synthetic phonic teaching programme?
No. Jelly and Bean is not a synthetic phonic teaching programme.
The first Jelly and Bean stories were written with the smallest number of letters and words that the author could manage. Other letters and words were added in a progression of phonically regular CVC words and, at the same time, the most common irregular words in the English language.
This is why Jelly and Bean books begin with the simplest words that mean something to children and never use pseudo-words. The development of the first books coincided with the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy in 1998. It made sense to ensure that the words in the stories followed the phonic progression of this strategy and that the high-frequency words to be taught in the Reception Year and Years 1 and 2 were included.
In the late 1970's Marlene studied drawing and painting and gained another GCE A Level in Art. By 1980 she was ready to embark on the next stage of life and went to the local FE college to retake GCE A Level Mathematics. This lead to a degree course at Leeds University in Mathematics and the History and Philosophy of Science, where Marlene gained a BSc Honours degree in 1984.
After suffering from 'burn out' in 1996, she retired from teaching. By this time she had two young grandchildren and she became interested in how children learn to read. She wrote and illustrated some books based on phonics in 1997. These have progressed into the complete Jelly and Bean phonic reading scheme of 140 books available today.
Is Jelly and Bean a reading scheme?
A. Yes. Jelly and Bean books have been structured to form a reading scheme for children of 4-7 years old learning to read in nursery and infant schools or at home.
The stories provide children with small achievable steps when they are learning to read. They learn without any difficulty and enjoy the process. Each series of stories introduces written words with new phonic content and more common irregular words. Each series reinforces the work of the previous series.
The phonic phases that underpin the Jelly and Bean books are those of Letters and Sounds (2007). The phonic teaching strategy on which they are based is that of the National Literacy Strategy (1998).
The reason I am writing is to say that the books are fantastic. They progress at a great pace. The pictures are perfect, as they do not distract the child from reading, but help support the writing and give something to discudd. You have hit the nail on the head with the scheme. Congratulations. I shall certainly be recommending the scheme.
I should just like to let you know how impressed I have been with the Jelly and Bean books. As a teacher and development psychologist I can honestly say that it is the best series I have met.
The headmistress at the school I am associated with has asked me to email you to tell you how impressed the school is by the Jelly and Bean books. After starting to use the scheme from reception, this year they have had their best reading results ever. The reception teacher could not praise the books enough.
I have seen a great improvement in the children’s reading and writing. The children who have been introduced to Jelly and Bean have shown increasing fluency and confidence throughout each series. The children are eager to complete the worksheets and adore the books... Thank you from all your Jelly and Bean fans.
I just wanted to write to you and tell you how pleased I am that I ordered the Jelly and Bean books. The illustrations are beautiful…
I borrowed the B Series from my granddaughter’s school as she is having great problems with reading. However, the progress she has made with almost daily help has been astonishing. Excellent books.
