Songbirds is a new Phonics series from Oxford Reading Tree. It comprises real stories written by the best-selling author of The Gruffulo, Julia Donaldson. All the stories are phonic stories that support the latest curriculum developments. Oxford Reading Tree Songbirds provide: fully decodeable texts that build on pupils' phonic knowledge as they work through the 36 books over 6 stages; opportunities for segmenting, blending and matching sounds and letter blends; lively illustrations by a variety of artists; flexible activities that can be tailored to your phonic teaching; and an exciting interactive CD-Rom to accompany Stages 1+ - 3. Stage 3 titles practise the sound made by the following letters: The Big Match - ck ng qu x; The Shopping List - This book introduces words with consonant clusters at the end; Gran is Cross - This book introduces words with consonant clusters at the beginning; The Trunk and the Skunk - This book introduces words with consonant clusters at the end and the beginning; The Scrap Rocket - This book practises words with consonant clusters at the end and the beginning; and Splash and Squelch - This book practices words with consonant clusters at the end and the beginning.