Phonics

We teach a structured phonics programme in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  Sounds are taught in detail throughout the whole week.  Initial letter sounds are taught through actions and each digraph has a rhyme to support it. 

We help the children to recognise what a sound looks like and practise it through a range of reading, spelling and writing activities.  The children are then able to apply these sounds when reading and writing.  From the beginning the children are encouraged to blend and segment sounds to read and write words eg s-a-t

We hold regular phonic workshops for parents. They are positively received. Copies of the presentations given at these can be found at the bottom of this page.

Comments from parents at our workshops included:

"I now know how I can help my child at home"

"I can use some of the games at home with my child"

"It was good to hear how to say the different sounds and how to help my child with reading"

"It was very informative - thank you for helping me to understand phonics!"

Supporting your child at home

Useful websites include:

http://www.letters-and-sounds.com/

http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

As a parent, your involvement in supporting your child’s learning is really important.  Here are some ways you could support at home:

• Alphabet games such as ‘I-Spy’.
• Listening to your child read daily.
• Encourage your child to say sounds they hear in words.
•  Ask your child to help you write the shopping list – they

    can sound out their own list! Any opportunity to encourage them to read or write and 

    sound out words.

• Make a writing box with exciting things to use to write with.  This could include little whiteboards and pens, magic boards, magic pens, gel pens, post it notes. 
• Look out for words and letters in the environment, such as on food packaging, road names, posters.
• Play treasure hunting games to find sounds and move onto words.
• Magnetic letters to build words and recognise sounds.