Phonics
"If a child memorises ten words, the child can read only ten words, but if a child learns the sounds of 10 letters, the child will be able to read 350 three sound words, 4320 four sound words and 21,650 five sound words."
- Martin Kozloff
Intent
At Stamford Bridge Primary School, we are firm believers in reading for enjoyment and to become life-long learners.
Learning to read begins with a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics, which begins in EYFS and continues Year 1 and Year 2 and across Key Stage 2 where the need is identified.
Implementation
There are 5 phases in phonic progression beginning with phase 1, in which children explore many sounds in order to develop their listening skills through to phase 5, in which children read much longer texts for fluency and meaning.
At Stamford Bridge Primary School, we teach phonics following the Little Wandle Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, pupils have a daily 20-minute phonics session, which we teach using the Little Wandle programme. You can find our full Reception and Year 1 teaching programme overview here to see what your child will learn and when.
Extra support is provided to those in Year 2 (and in Key Stage 2 where appropriate) who are not secure in their phonic knowledge and interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels using the Little Wandle Keep Up programme.
Teachers regularly assess children’s phonics knowledge using the phonics assessment grid and an online phonics tracking system. These regular assessments inform planning and allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning. Children have phonetically decodable reading books that are carefully matched to their phonics knowledge which they are encouraged to read regularly at home to ensure fluency and automaticity in reading is developed. These books are matched to the Little Wandle phonics programme.
Impact
As a result of high quality phonics provision, children make excellent progress from their starting points. The vast majority of children pass the phonic screening in Year 1 and the re-take in Year 2 if they didn't originally pass.
Children develop a love of reading, gaining satisfaction from their growing success in developing independence and fluency.
Parent/Carer Support - Little Wandle
By following this link, you will find resources to help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters.
The links below show how to pronounce the sounds. Notice how the children don’t add an ‘uh’ sound at the end, so they say: ‘t’ not ‘tuh’.
Reception Phase 2 Autumn 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZtjFIvA_fs
Reception Phase 2 Autumn 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDu3JAjf-U0
Reception Phase 3 Spring 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvOuc7cWXxc
Each September we hold an introductory phonics workshop for EYFS parents to illustrate first-hand how children are taught to read and write in the early years of school - a video link to this introductory workshop can be found below:
