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Phonics
Subject Co-ordinator: Ms K Aziz
At St Joseph's, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read through the process of decoding.
At St Joseph's, we also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.
What will my child be learning?
Foundations for phonics in Nursery
- We provide a balance of child-led and adult-led experiences for all children that meet the curriculum expectations for ‘Communication and language’ and ‘Literacy’. These include:
- sharing high-quality stories and poems
- learning a range of nursery rhymes and action rhymes
- activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending
- attention to high-quality language.
- We ensure Nursery children are well prepared to begin learning grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and blending in Reception.
Daily phonics lessons in Reception and Year 1
- We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.
- Children make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins in Week 2 of the Autumn term.
- We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised expectations of progress:
- Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
- Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.
A guide to pronouncing phonemes for parents
Supporting your child with reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
A sharing book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading practice book
This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Sharing books
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.
Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Check out the recommended reading lists below:
Handwriting in Reception
Fine motor skills are developed through a range of activities, in preparation for writing. In nursery, we emphasise prewriting skills and mark making.
Children from Reception are taught to form individual letters, with lots of opportunities to practise their handwriting in phonics lessons and throughout their classroom environment.
Handwriting lessons are taught in small groups in Reception, using the Little Wandle handwriting programme which focuses on:
• correct pencil grip
• correct starting point for each letter
• letter formation and orientation
• families of letters
• capital letters
• reinforcing the link between letters and sounds.
To support their readiness as writers, we use the 'ready to write checklist' and the 'ready to write rhyme'.
In Year 1, handwriting builds on the foundations laid in Reception and progresses to focus on:
• consolidation of letter formation
• sizing and spacing of letters
• formation of punctuation marks and digits 0–9
• practice linked to phonics.
In Year 2, handwriting builds upon the skills introduced in Year 1, moving on to focus on:
• sizing of letters
• spacing of letters
• joining letters using the two main joins
• practice linked to spelling patterns.
Explicit handwriting lessons are taught across Key Stage 2 with a focus on cursive writing.
Phonics Screening Check
At the end of Year 1, all children will be expected to complete the phonics screening check. Please see below for an example of the assessment used:
Here is a link to the information for parents page on the Gov.uk website: