Phonics
At Willow Wood Community Primary School, phonics is introduced from Nursery through to Year 1 using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. The knowledge of sounds and symbols is an important starting point for understanding and using written language and we believe that a strong and consistent approach to the teaching of phonics is vital for our children to begin to access the rest of the curriculum. This is, however, used in conjunction with many other strategies to help children to begin to read and write. This programme incorporates seven key features, identified as essential for effective phonics teaching in highly successful schools. These features include:
- Direct teaching in regular, short sessions
- A consistent approach across teaching
- A secure and systematic progression in phonics learning
- Maintaining a steady pace in learning
- Providing regular opportunities for practice
- The use of decodable books matched to each child’s phonics level
- Early identification of pupils at risk of falling behind, with effective support in place to help them catch up
In Nursery, phonics is woven throughout the curriculum with a focus on exploring a variety of sounds, including environmental ones. Children then progress to recognising letter sounds in words. From Reception through to Year 1, pupils take part in daily phonics sessions. During these sessions, they learn the alphabetic code and develop skills to blend and segment sounds, enabling them to read and spell words.
Follow this web link or scan the QR code which will direct you to the Little Wandle parents page where you can find helpful videos that show you how to support your children in saying the sounds accurately as well as showing you how best to support your children with reading at home.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
