Phonics and Early Reading

Here at Grove Park Primary, we believe all our children have the ability to become fluent readers. In order to support children with their early reading development, we teach our children to read and write using a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Grove Park Primary have introduced the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, 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, our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read.

How we teach Phonics

KS1

In reception and Y1, children follow the progression within Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme.
Children are taught phonics lessons daily, following the clear progression.
In Y2 phonics lessons follow the model of Little Wandle, plugging specific gaps identified through assessment.
Through careful daily and summative assessment, children are identified for additional phonics support if necessary to ensure progress, with the aim of no child falling behind and every child becoming a successful reader.
Teaching phonics with fidelity to our chosen programme ensures learning stays in children’s long term memory and enables children to apply their learning to become competent readers and writers.

KS2

In Y3 phonics lessons are still taught where appropriate following the model of Little Wandle but plugging specific gaps identified through assessment.
There are planned phonics ‘catch-up’ sessions to address specific gaps.

Here are three videos which demonstrate how to pronounce each phoneme (sound).

There are more videos on how we teach tricky words, how we teach blending and a quick guide to alien words.

Decodable Books

In Year R and Year 1, children will take home a phonics book that will only contain sounds they have previously learnt, matched to the phonics programme. This is to ensure that when your child is reading their book, they should be fluent and automatic. Meaning that reading is a much more positive experience for children as it celebrates their successes; it is a time for the children to showcase their developing skills and phonetic knowledge.

Year 2

For any child still developing fluency; they will bring home a phonics book and a reading for pleasure book.

When children are secure in fluency, they will move on to Accelerated Reader (AR) and will be bringing home an AR book and a reading for pleasure book.

KS2

For any child still developing fluency; they will bring home a phonics book and an Accelerated Reader book they have chosen.

Reading Sessions

In Year R and Year 1, each child will also take part in three reading practice sessions. Children will be reading in small groups and will read the same book three times with adults in school.

Each read in school will have a different focus:

Decoding (sounding out)
Prosody (reading with rhythm, stress and expression)
Comprehension (to understand what they have read)

Year 2

In Year 2, in order to develop children’s fluency and to help address gaps in children’s reading and phonic knowledge, there will be the above reading sessions. The amount of reading sessions and the type of reading sessions a child receives will be dependent on their phonics gaps.

Have a look at our booklet which contains more information about Early Reading at Grove Park Primary School.

Grove Park School

Phonics and Early Reading

Phonics and Early Reading Documents