Curriculum

Phonics and Early Reading

22 Nov 2022

At our Federation we teach Phonics and Early Reading using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds.

Why learning to read is so important

  • Reading is essential for all subject areas and improves life chances.
  • Positive attitudes to reading and choosing to read have academic, social and emotional benefits for children.

How children learn to read

  • Phonics is the only route to decoding.
  • Learning to say the phonic sounds.
  • By blending phonic sounds to read words.
  • Increasing the child’s fluency in reading sounds, words and books.

Reading fully decodable books

  • Children must read books consistent with their phonic knowledge.
  • It is essential not to use other strategies to work out words (including guessing words, deducing meaning from pictures, grammar, context clues or whole word recognition).  
  • Books must be fully decodable and follow the Little Wandle scheme
  • Children need to read books in a progressive sequence until they can decode unfamiliar words confidently.

The role of Parents and Carers 

  • Have a positive impact on their child’s reading
  • Should model the importance of reading practice to develop fluency.
  • Children bring home Little Wandle books each Wednesday. This allows parents to read and be able to celebrate their learning in school that week in phonics and reading. This will support fluency for reading also. Please note, these books should be returned to school each Friday.
  • There are two different types of books that pupils read: reading practice books and books to share for pleasure.
  • Reading at home encourages a love of books, along with developing vocabulary and discussion.
  • Parents should use voices, expression, discuss unfamiliar vocabulary, talk about the pictures, and predict what might happen next.
  • Please give positive feedback in the home reading diary in order to support your child, recording reading you have shared together at home and recommending things you have read for pleasure all help to support your child.
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.

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. Book chat is really important!

Below is a useful link from Little Wandle which will take you to videos that show you how to pronounce the phonemes as we teach them in school.
There are also useful 'How we teach' videos that show you some of the different aspects of direct phonics teaching in school. Finally, there is a section on how to support your child in celebrating reading their reading practice book at home and reading this together for pleasure.

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

To find out what your child is learning, access the links below:


Reception and Year One Overview

Reading for Pleasure

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure and  enjoy a book or other type of reading material they have chosen to share with you.

The children complete lots of reading for pleasure throughout the school day.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read 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!

Reading at the Federation of Kirkby Malzeard & St Nicholas Primary Schools

EYFS Year 1 Year 2 Year 3/4 Year 5/6
Phonics Daily Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised phonics lessons
Phase 1-4
Children expected to be secure in Phase 3
Daily Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised phonics lessons
Phase 4-5
Children expected to be secure in Phase 5
Daily Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised phonics lessons
Phase 5-6
Children expected to read words in the past and progressive tenses
Children expected to be fluent readers
Daily phonics revision sessions
Children expected to use phonics with automaticity in all reading
Children expected to use phonics with automaticity in all reading
Reading Practice Books (Read in school and at home) Phonetically matched Little Wandle Revised Letters & Sounds reading practice book (Collins) read 3 x in school weekly (Mon-Weds)
Read 2 x at home weekly (Weds-Thurs)
Recorded in class reading log & home reading record book
Daily ‘Keep Up’ and ‘Catch Up’ programmes
Phonetically matched Little Wandle Revised Letters & Sounds reading practice book (Collins) read 3 x in school weekly (Mon-Weds)
Read 2 x at home weekly (Weds-Thurs)
Recorded in class reading log & home reading record book
Daily ‘Keep Up’ and ‘Catch Up’ programmes
Reading scheme reading practice book to build automaticity, fluency, prosody & confidence 4 x weekly at home
Children work with a trained adult at least 1 x week
Recorded in class reading log & home reading record book
Little Wandle Rapid programme
Reading for Pleasure Independent Book (Read in school and at home) Independently chosen book from curated class library
Time allocated throughout the school day to read
Independently chosen book from curated class library and/or independently selected book from school library
Time allocated throughout the school day to read
 
 

 
Whole-class/group guided reading Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised programme – 3 x weekly small group reading sessions
 
Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised programme – 3 x weekly small group reading sessions Whole Class reading sessons 
Further information on Fluency teaching coming soon.

 
Whole-class Reading for pleasure Whole-class poetry and stories led by an adult read daily to the children and timetabled into the school day
At least 20 mins daily
Reading provision Curated class library
Live display
Decodable non-fiction & books
Non-fiction, fiction & poetry books created by children
Author of the month linked books
Recommended reading books (by teacher & children)
Access to school library
Annual Readathon
Life-long readers golden thread opps
Reading Galaxy Recognition Board 
 

 
Curated class library
Live display
Decodable non-fiction & books
Non-fiction, fiction & poetry books created by children
Recommended reading books (by teacher & children)
Access to school library
Librarian responsibilities
Annual Readathon
Life-long readers golden thread opps
Reading Rivers
Reading Buddies
Coming soon... 'Magic 8' and Mystery Reads... further information coming soon!

Types of Reading Books at our federation:
  • Reading for Practice Book (little Wandle, Rapid, KS2 scheme)
  • Reading for Pleasure Book (class library, school library, home)
  • Class Story Book 
  • Book Talk Text (teacher-led)
  • School Book Club!

 

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