Phonics
Our subject leads for phonics and early reading are: Mrs. Kent and Miss. Leavey
At Kingsfield we follow Little Wandle Phonics, a systematic, synthetic phonics programme which helps children to learn to read and write. The program focuses on daily listening and attention skills, oral blending, phonematic awareness, prosody, and comprehension.
How is it taught?
We use Little Wandle Foundations in Nursery; introducing rhymes and starting to learn some sounds.
From Reception, children take part in daily Phonics lessons. The lessons take the format of:
- Revisit and Review – recapping the previously visited sounds with the use of flash cards.
- Teach – introduce a new sound, building on the order of the scheme’s progression. Enunciation is key at this stage.
- Practise – using the sound in words. Spotting the new phoneme in words, modelling blending and then allowing the children to read words with the new sound from flashcards.
- ​Apply – The children will be asked to read a sentence. Identifying ‘tricky words’, previously learnt phonemes and the new phoneme for the day. They will then be able to sound out and blend each word to form the sentence verbally. Children will then be asked to write words and/or sentences to apply the new sound to their writing.
What will they learn?
Phase 1 of Letters and Sounds usually begins at Nursery age. Children are introduced to the skills they will need to then begin recognising and identifying their letters and corresponding sounds.
Children begin to learn the phonemes and corresponding graphemes from Phase 2 of the Letters and Sounds scheme during Reception. They will then progress through the phases usually within Key Stage 1.
Each phase is made up of sets of phonemes so children are introduced to a few sounds at a time, progressively getting more complex as they build their knowledge and skills. The children will also learn 'tricky words' there are words which cannot be sounded out.
The children complete a National Phonics Assessment in the June of Year 1. This is an assessment to read 40 words.
As the children move into Year 2, they continue to learn phonics during the first term and then the majority of children will move to Ready, Steady, Spell. Any children not meeting the expected standard in Year 1 continue to receive Catch Up phonics interventions and will retake the phonics screening in the June of Year 2.
Throughout the programme (Reception to Year 2), children will be assessed and offered Keep Up sessions or after school phonics club to help them to reach the expected standard. Some children in Key Stage 2 may access Rapid Catch Up sessions to support their reading.
What can I do to help at home?
One of the most powerful things you can do to support your child's reading journey is to read to them as often as you can. This helps them develop a love for books and expand their vocabulary.
Here are some other simple, powerful ways to help:
- Practice: When helping your child sound out a word, encourage them to say the sounds and then "push" them together to make the whole word. For example, for "cat," say the sounds c-a-t, then blend them to say the word.
- Focus on the sounds, not the letter names. You can hear how to pronounce the sounds correctly if you follow the link to the videos below.
- Practice the tricky word cards which are sent home.
- Ask questions about their books: If your child brings home a book they know well, encourage them to read it to you and ask them about the story. Ask them about the characters, their favourite parts, and what they think will happen next.
Little Wandle Guides
Pronunciation Guide Reception One
Pronunciation Guide Reception Two
Pronunciation Guide Phase Three
Pronunciation Guide Phase Five
Little Wandle Reading Journeys
Reception Reading Journey Autumn
Reception Reading Journey Spring