|

Choose your Region

Say Hello to the New Characters!

You may have noticed some new faces or character names in Letterland. Find out everything you need to know from this page. There are 3 characters with a new name, 4 characters that have changed completely and 1 character has had a change to their story.
New Characters Overview (pdf)
New Characters FAQs
New-characters_Thumb_Short-Vowels

Short Vowels

Abbie Apple, Izzy Ink 
and Oscar Octopus
New-characters_Thumb_Long-Vowels

Long Vowels

Ms. O and Ms. U
New-characters_Thumb_Consonants

Consonants

Juggling Jen, Talking Tess 
and Quizzing Queen

Short Vowels

Annie Apple (Name Change)

Annie Apple becomes... Abbie Apple

Annie Apple lives in an apple orchard in Letterland, but she also likes to travel around the world. When she visits other countries, she listens to people’s accents. She noticed that in some accents, the ‘a’ in her name ‘Annie’ did not have the same sound as ‘Apple’. This made her sad as her Sound Trick did not work as it should! So, Annie asked if she could change her name! Everyone in Letterland agreed. Her new name is Abbie. The Sound Trick works well everywhere, and she is a happy apple again!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short ‘a’ sound at the start of the name, as nasals can influence the vowel sound in some accents.
Abbie Apple Overview (Download)

Izzy Ink (Name Change)

Impy Ink becomes... Izzy Ink

Impy Ink has been in Letterland for a very long time. As you know, eventually ink pens run out! But don’t worry, his friend Izzy Ink knows all the same tricks! She is an incredible little ink pot. Impy is happy to pass on his important job to Izzy Ink!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short ‘i’ sound at the start of the name, as nasals can influence the vowel sound in some accents.
Izzy Ink Overview Overview (Download)

Oscar Octopus (Character Change)

Introducing-stories_Orange-Octopus-2
Oscar Orange becomes... Oscar Octopus

One hot day at the docks, Oscar Orange rolled out of his letter shape. A clever octopus spotted an opportunity to pop up in the letter shape and make the ‘o’ sound! Oscar Orange was shocked. “That’s my letter!” he said. But he was so impressed with the octopus that he offered him his job! Oddly enough, the octopus was called Oscar too! So now you can spot Oscar Octopus saying ‘o’ in words!

Why we made this change:
To improve purity of short ‘o’ sound in the character name. In some accents ‘orange’ does not have a pure short ‘o’ sound and is more like an r-controlled sound.
Oscar Octopus Overview (Download)

Teaching Tip: Short Vowels

Short vowels sounds can be challenging concepts for children to understand. Research tells us the importance of using strategies and key words to help children isolate initial sounds in words. When teaching short vowels sounds, remember these three tips:

  • Focus on first names - Abbie, Eddy, Izzy, Oscar, Uppy all start with a pure sound.
  • Use the key words referenced in Letterland products – key words like acrobat, echo, itch, ox and up have been intentionally chosen in products like PCCs, LSCs and Phonics Online.
  • Use the research-based Letterland Teaching Strategies – the Sound Trick or Rubber Band Trick are very effective in isolating initial sounds in words.
New-chars_Short-vowels2

Long Vowels

Vowel Friends (Story Change)

New-chars_Long-vowels-2
The Vowel Men become ... The Vowel Friends

There are five very important people in Letterland, but they are now called the the Vowel Friends. You already know: Mr. A, the Apron Man, Mr. E, the Easy Magic Man and Mr. I the Ice Cream Man. Joining them now are Ms. O, the Ocean Expert and Ms U, the University Student. The Vowel Friends are the only Letterlanders that say their names in words – A! E! I! O! U!

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.
Ms O Overview (Download)

Ms. O, the Ocean Expert (Character Change)

Introducing-stories_MrO-MsO
Mr. O becomes... Ms. O, the Ocean Expert

Mr. O, the Old Man has decided to retire from his post. But he is old and wise, so knows he needs someone to replace him, who knows the ocean. Then he remembered his good friend Ms. O, the Ocean Expert who knows so much about the ocean and the coastline. She knows how to protect the ocean wildlife, including the otters and octopuses in Letterland. Mr. O is overjoyed she will take over from him in this new role.

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.
Ms O Overview (Download)

Ms. U, the University Student (Character Change)

Introducing-stories_MrU-MsU
Mr. U becomes...Ms. U, the University Student

Mr. U, the Uniform Man used to be in charge of the umbrellas but has handed over his job to his daughter Ms. U, the University Student. Not only does she understand how to care for the umbrellas, she is also a student of music and will bring lots of lovely new music to Letterland. She happily looks after the umbrellas in Letterland, as they are so useful for keeping her musical instruments dry! Ms. U can play the flute, the tuba, and also the ukulele!

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.
Ms. U Overview

Consonants

Juggling Jen (Character Change)

Introducing-stories_Jim-Jen
Jumping Jim becomes...Juggling Jen

You might have known Jumping Jim in Letterland. Jim got so good at jumping and juggling, that one day he decided to jump off on a journey around the world, showcasing his skills! He invited his good friend Juggling Jen to take his place in Letterland. Juggling Jen is also good at jumping and juggling, but she’s good with just about every job too! She’s a jet pilot, a journalist, and a jockey to name but a few jobs Jen can do!

Why we made this change:
Improving gender balance in key Letterland roles.
  Juggling Jen Overview (Download)

Talking Tess (Story Change)

StrGroup5_Scene_t_sub
Talking Tess is Head of Technology

Talking Tess no longer just fixes telephones and TV’s in Letterland. She has learned so much over the years, that now she has been promoted to Head of Technology. She still loves to talk all the time as she travels around with her touchscreen tablet!

Why we made this change:
Positive role model for a modern era.
Talking Tess Overview (Download)

Quizzing Queen (Name Change)


Quarrelsome Queen becomes... Quizzing Queen

Over the years Quarrelsome Queen has become much less quarrelsome. Her hobby of writing quiz questions and her quest for knowledge have really helped. She's quite quiet and she would like to be called "Quizzing Queen" from now on. But don't disturb her too much – she can still quarrel when she wants to!

Why we made this change:
More positive role model.
Quizzing Queen Overview (Download)

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start using the new characters?

We recommend only using the new characters with curriculum materials that are 2nd edition or higher. Start out with our new Kindergarten 2nd Edition curriculum. From then onwards you can start using them with other 2nd Edition grade level curriculums.

Do I have to use the new characters?

No. If you still have products and materials with the classic characters you do not have to use the new characters right away.

Are the new characters available on Phonics Online?

Yes. By default, classic Letterland characters will display for teachers and students. To change your character preferences, follow these simple instructions.  

What products are currently available to buy with the new characters?

Visit the New Characters collection page   in our shop for a list of products that you can buy that feature the new characters.
Can I still buy products with the classic characters?
Yes. We will continue to sell classic products alongside products with new characters to give you lots of time to make the transition.
How can I tell what products feature the new characters?
Look out for any products that have '2nd Edition' in the title name or show the FEATURES NEW CHARACTERS icon on the front cover. If a product has 'classic' in the title name the new characters are not featured.
Feats-New-Characters
Can I use new characters with classic materials in Kindergarten?
The new characters feature in our Pre-K (2nd Edition) Curriculum. We recommend only using them if you have these materials.

If you have the Pre-K (Classic) materials, you can continue to use the classic characters.If you just can't wait to the use the new characters and you still have material with old characters, you can use the resources below to help adapt your materials.

We strongly recommend only using the new characters if you have students who will be rising into a Kindergarten classroom that uses the Kindergarten 2nd Edition curriculum.

Materials you will need
Existing Pre-K materials plus:
Recommended Materials
Should I be using new characters for Intervention?
We recommend using the new characters with Intervention 1 (2nd Edition) curriculum.

Intervention 1 (2nd Edition) should be used when the core instruction is also using 2nd Edition materials, and by extension the new characters are being used. Otherwise our Intervention 1 (Classic) curriculum should be used with the classic characters.

However, there are some scenarios where you may need to use the new characters with the classic materials. For example, if your school or district is using our new Kindergarten 2nd Edition curriculum (featuring new characters), students needing Tier 3 pull-out sessions will need to be taught using the new characters. You can do this by using your classic Intervention materials, free downloads and Phonics Online.

Materials You Will Need

Existing classic Intervention 1 materials plus:
New Character Downloads:

Recommended Materials: