Phonics
At Greenlands we aim for all our children, including SEND and disadvantaged children, to become fluent, confident readers who are passionate about reading.
What Phonics Looks Like at Greenlands Primary School
At Greenlands we base our phonics learning on the 'Sounds Write' scheme alongside Dandelion decodable books. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Reception and Key Stage One.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They are taught how to:
* Recognise the sounds that individual letters make
* Identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make-such as 'sh' or 'oo'
* Blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word
Children can then use this knowledge to 'decode' new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.
The children are taught to read words by blending, which means pushing all the sounds together to make a word. The children are taught to spell words by segmenting, which means sounding out words and writing down the sounds they can hear.
By the end of Reception children are expected to be secure in the initial code. By the end of Year One children are expected to be secure in the extended code.
Why phonics?
Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way-starting with the easiest sounds and progressing to the most complex-it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read. It is particularly helpful for children aged 5 to 7 years old. Almost all children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills that they need to tackle new words. Children can go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and read for enjoyment (Department for Education).
At the end of Year One all the children in the country take a test called a Phonics Screening. They have to read 40 real and nonsense words. We call the nonsense words ‘Alien words’.
If you would like to see an example of a phonics screening test click here:
Online Activities
Articulation of phonemes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwJx1NSineE&feature=youtu.be
Here are some useful websites to help you support your child with their early reading and writing. If you are unsure of which sounds your child is working on, please speak to your child’s class teacher.
http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Phase2Menu.htm
http://ictgames.com/forestPhonics/forestPhonicsOnline/index.html
