English - Early Reading & Phonics
Chris Stephenson-Davis
Phonics & Early Reading Leader
"A love of reading is the biggest indicator of future academic success."
Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development
The teaching of phonics is a key strategy that is used to help our children to read, write and spell. A combination of strong, high quality, discrete phonics teaching combined with regular, daily opportunities for developing reading skills ensures every child becomes a successful, fluent reader and writer.
Vision for Phonics
Phonics & Early Reading Policy
Progression in Knowledge and Skills for Phonics at Floreat Montague Park
Phonics at Floreat Montague Park will be taught following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression. The programme overview below shows the progression of GPCs and tricky words that we teach term-by-term. The progression has been organised so that children are taught from the simple to more complex GPCs, as well as taking into account the frequency of their occurrence in the most commonly encountered words. All the graphemes taught are practised in words, sentences, and later on, in fully decodable books. Children review and revise GPCs and words, daily, weekly and across terms and years, in order to move this knowledge into their long-term memory.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Progression
How We Teach
How we teach blending
How we teach tricky words
Home Reading
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 book
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!
Phase 2
Phase 2 Grapheme Information Sheet 1
Phase 3
Phase 5
This phase runs throughout Year 1 and introduces the children to a variety of alternative spellings and pronunciations as they learn to ‘grow the code’. This is an example of what the children learn in Year 1. Children learn that there are graphemes that can have different sounds and sounds that can be made with different letters:
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
The Phonics Screening Check is taken individually by all children in Year 1 in England. This year it will be the week beginning Monday 12th June 2023. It is designed to give teachers and parents information on how your child is progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether your child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.
There are two sections in this 40-word check and it assesses phonics skills and knowledge learnt through Reception and Year 1. Your child will read up to four words per page for their teacher and they will probably do the check in one sitting of about 5-10 minutes. There will be a few practice words first to make sure your child understands the activity.
Quick guide to alien words
