Reading and Phonics
Reading
Here at Boxted St Peter’s Primary School we endeavour to foster a love of reading with all of our children. We realise that it is so important for children to grow up in an environment that promotes a positive relationship with reading. We strive to ensure that all children become enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers across a range of genres. After all, learning to read is the first step towards reading to learn. Reading enhances imagination, relieves stress, and provides us with entertainment and enjoyment. Put simply, we would love all of our children to be passionate about what they are reading.
Phonics-Essential Letters and Sounds
Structure of phonics and resources to teach phonics
Pupils across the school have a daily phonics session, following the ELS syllabus based on the teaching structure of Revisit and Review, Teach and Practise, Practise and Apply and Guided Practice (reading a decodable book). Phonics is taught on a morning immediately after the daily register and will last for 20 minutes in Upper Foundation Stage and 25-30 minutes in Year One. Children in Year Two who require additional phonics teaching also receive this in a small group session.
Revisit and Review – The children have the opportunity to re-cap sounds that have already been taught to them. They will then have the opportunity to practise reading words containing familiar sounds. The children will then practise reading the tricky words that are linked to their current stage in the phonics progression.
Teach and Practise – The new sound of the day is explicitly taught.
The new sound of the day will be taught and children will have the opportunity to practise orally segmenting and blending words alongside reading words containing the sound. During this time teachers will further support understanding by giving examples and definitions of some of the words in a sentence. A new tricky word will then be introduced and children will practise reading the word.
Practise and Apply – The children are given the opportunity to practise using the new sound, by reading and writing words/sentences containing this sound. The children will then further apply this sound by writing further words containing the sound of the day and a previously taught tricky word.
Guided Practice – Applying known sounds in fully decodable books.
During phonics teaching, we use phonics books (Essential Letters and Sounds books) to support children in applying their phonic knowledge to words and sentences by segmenting and blending sounds together. These phonics books are linked to the secure sounds that your child knows. In school children will be listened to read every week.
Essential Letters and Sound Handbook
ELS Parent Information powerpoint
Phonics in the classroom environment
The classroom will display tricky words relevant to the age group and all the phonics sounds which are taught in that year group. There will be a specific reference to the sound taught that day on the display. High-quality phonic resources from Essential Letters and Sounds will be also available including sound flash cards, word flash cards and also other resources to support with spelling such as word cards, colour mats. Phonics working walls will display the taught sounds for the week and will be added to throughout the week with words containing that sound. The classroom area will have a well organised and stocked reading area with high-quality books which the children can access. Phonics books will also be displayed in this area to provide pupils with a further opportunity to read independently the sound taught.
Interventions in phonics
Daily phonics interventions through regular and short keep up sessions will take place for identified pupils who require additional support. This will follow the same structure as above and will be a familiar routine to the children. Intervention will focus on targeted pupils identified through recent assessments and will be based around sounds that the pupils do not know whilst also recapping sounds they do know to ensure they can achieve success.
Assessment of phonics
Phonics assessments will take place to assess pupils’ knowledge of the sounds that have been taught throughout the focused phase. It will also assess children’s decoding skills as they read unfamiliar words by applying their phonics or familiar words accurately. From the assessments, teachers will quickly identify the pupils who require further support and they will be provided with a targeted intervention. Daily assessment through the ‘speedy sounds’ using flash cards will also take place by the teacher and teaching assistant. The reading lead will oversee the assessment of phonics and will analyse data and will monitor the impact of interventions.
Phonics screening check
The phonics screening check is an assessment for the pupils in Year One which takes place during the final summer term. The check assesses the children’s ability to segment and blend words effectively by reading a series of real and non-words (‘alien words’). The check takes place on a one to one basis with the child and their class teacher. Results are submitted and parents are informed whether their child has met the required standard or not. Any child who does not meet the required standard in Year One will have the opportunity to re-take the check the following year during Year Two.