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 wholeheartedly believe that reading is an essential life skill that lays the foundation for success in our children's futures. We are committed to nurturing a culture of reading that empowers young minds, enriches lives, and sparks a lifelong love for books.
Our aim is to ensure that every child becomes an independent reader, fostering a life-long enjoyment of reading and books. We prepare our children right from the start of our Foundation Stage to transition to secondary school as enthusiastic, fluent, and confident readers in any subject, equipping them with the knowledge, understanding, and attitudes they need to reach their full potential as individuals and literate members of society.
Learning to read begins with a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics, which begins in EYFS and continues in Year 1 and Year 2 and across Key Stage 2 where the need is identified.
Implementation
The journey of learning to read begins with a systematic approach to phonics, a path that extends seamlessly from Reception through Key Stage One and, where appropriate, into Key Stage Two. The systematic teaching of phonics is a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. To facilitate this, we employ the highly organised and effective Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Programme. 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. Our trained staff teach the understanding of the relationships between phonemes, or sounds, and the graphemes, or written spelling patterns, that represent them.
The journey of phonics commences in our Nursery, where children participate in daily 'Foundations for Phonics' sessions. Our youngest learners are encouraged to engage in enjoyable linguistic activities, exposed to a wide array of stimuli ranging from rhyming words, alliteration, songs, to role-playing. The primary focus here is to nurture a deep listening acumen in children, guiding them to relish the world of words.
This journey of phonics continues in Reception and year 1, where children engage in daily phonics sessions to continue to build that strong early word recognition. As they progress through Key Stage 1, and, as needed, Key Stage 2, this journey continues as they engage in tailored phonics sessions within small groups. These sessions encompass activities that encompass speaking, listening, spelling, and reading, all tailored to meet their current requirements.
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. Timely interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels using the Little Wandle Keep Up programme. Teachers rely on observations and continuous assessments to ensure that each child is appropriately challenged and to pinpoint those who may benefit from additional support.
We believe that systematic, high-quality phonics instruction is crucial. However, we understand that additional skills and opportunities are essential for children to fully embrace the objective of becoming well-rounded readers, especially in terms of comprehension and understanding.
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.
At Stamford Bridge Primary School, the impact of our approach to reading is evident in the growth, confidence, and enthusiasm our children exhibit as they navigate the world of words. We are not just shaping readers; we are fostering a community of lifelong learners poised for success in the ever-evolving landscape of knowledge
Parent/Carer Support - Little Wandle
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 link to this introductory powerpoint can be found below as well as other useful documents.
