Early Reading and Phonics

What is phonics?

Phonics teaches children how to hear individual sounds, blend them together for reading, and separate and form them for writing. Phonics teaches children the relationship between sounds and letters in a progressive and organised structure that enables children quickly and confidently to become readers and writers.

Intent:

At Appleton C of E Primary School, we aim to ensure that all children develop strong foundational reading and writing skills through a high-quality, systematic phonics programme. We believe that phonics is essential for early reading success and provides children with the ability to decode words fluently and confidently. Our intent is to:

Deliver a structured approach to phonics teaching that enables children to develop their phonemic awareness, blending, and segmenting skills.
Ensure that all children, regardless of background or ability, have access to high-quality phonics teaching that allows them to become independent readers and writers.
Foster a love of reading and an appreciation of language through engaging, multi-sensory phonics lessons.
Provide targeted support and intervention for children who require additional help, ensuring that no child is left behind.

Implementation:

We follow the Read Write Inc. phonics programme to provide a consistent, systematic approach to phonics teaching. Our implementation includes:

Daily Phonics Sessions: Phonics is taught every day in Reception and Key Stage 1, following a structured routine that includes reviewing previous learning, introducing new sounds, and applying phonics knowledge to reading and writing tasks.
Ability-Based Grouping: Children are grouped according to their phonics stage to ensure targeted teaching and appropriate challenge.
Multi-Sensory Approach: Lessons incorporate visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic elements to support memory and promote engagement.
Assessment and Progress Monitoring: Children’s phonics knowledge is assessed regularly through formative and summative assessments. The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check ensures children are on track, and those needing additional support receive targeted interventions.
Intervention and Support: Additional phonics sessions and tailored support are provided for children who need extra help.
Parental Engagement: Parents are supported with phonics workshops, home reading activities, and resources to reinforce learning at home.
Staff Training: All staff receive regular phonics training to ensure consistency in delivery and up-to-date knowledge of best practices.

Impact:

The impact of our phonics teaching is measured through ongoing assessment, pupil outcomes, and overall literacy development. Our success is reflected in:

Phonics Screening Check Results: A high percentage of children pass the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, demonstrating their ability to decode words confidently.
Progress in Reading and Writing: Children develop fluency in reading and apply their phonics knowledge to spelling and writing with increasing accuracy.
Confidence and Independence: Pupils are able to use their phonics skills autonomously to tackle new words and develop a love for reading.
Closing Gaps in Learning: Children who require additional support receive targeted interventions, ensuring that all pupils make progress and achieve their potential.
Transition to Key Stage 2: By the end of Key Stage 1, children have a secure phonics foundation that supports their progression into more complex reading and writing tasks.
Through our systematic phonics approach, we equip children with the essential reading and writing skills needed for lifelong success in literacy.

Development of skills:

Children are taught to employ a broad range of reading strategies enabling them to grow in their independence. As their skills progress, they will be encouraged to increase their repertoire of texts and they will begin to make critical judgements about these texts. They will experience ‘real’ books, poetry, non-fiction, reading scheme books and other print media. They will develop a growing knowledge and understanding of the conventions of non-fiction. For example: contents, index, diagrams, headings and glossaries.

Overall, the children will be encouraged to read for pleasure and purpose. They will develop the confidence to read independently and fluently, understanding how punctuation is used to add meaning. From Foundation Stage, children will discuss the feelings of characters and why these characters act in a particular way. From Year One, group reading is used to ensure that children understand the text and can articulate their responses to it. They will begin to understand inference and figurative language and subtle meanings within the text.

Teachers share books with their class daily during designated story times which bring the children into contact with a wide range of children’s literature and ensures that they are hearing more complex language structures and storylines than they may be able to read for themselves. This also emphasises reading for pleasure and relaxation. Many stories and poems will be brought to life through the use of story sacks, drama and role play activities.

Our growing library includes fiction as well as non-fiction books. This enables children to have a wider variety of books to read within school and to borrow and take home to share with their parents or read independently.

Reading at Home:

All children will take home a variety of reading books.

From Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, RWI colour-coded books will be closely matched to each child’s phonological knowledge and sent home weekly for the child to read with an adult. Other books are sent home to be shared and often are chosen by the child from our school library.

We place great importance on the support families can give their children by reading with them, and to them, and we have the expectation that all pupils read at home at least three times a week. We encourage parents to come into school to assist with reading practice within any year group. Throughout the year, we provide families with information and resources on different ways of enjoying books and reading at home. At parent-teacher meetings, we discuss the nuanced ways that families can support their child in their reading.