Curriculum Statement
Please see the specific areas of the English curriculum below:
What is Phonics?
Phonics is one method of teaching children how to read and write. Phonics is all about sounds. There are 44 sounds in the English language, which we put together to form words. Some are represented by one letter, like ‘t’, and some by two or more, like ‘ck’ in duck and ‘air’ in chair. Children are taught the sounds first, then how to match them to letters, and finally how to use the letter sounds for reading and spelling. Synthetic phonics refers to ‘synthesising’, or blending, the sounds to read words. It is based on the idea that children should sound out unknown words and not rely on their context.
Little Wandle | How to Help at Home
On this page you will find useful information about how you can support your child with Early Reading and Phonics at home from the Little Wandle Website.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Reading practice Books and eBook
It is the school’s role to teach reading. However, parents/carers play a vital role, too. It is important that children have plenty of practice reading at home in order to become fluent, confident readers.
Support from home is needed to help your child practise reading and develop fluency with a book they have already read at school. This book is matched to their phonic stage and be fully decodable.
After the child has read the book, it is helpful to talk about the book, but only so far as the child is interested. You should keep the experience positive and avoid turning it into a test.
Sharing books
If children are to become lifelong readers, it is essential that they are encouraged to read for pleasure. The desire of wanting to read will help with the skill of reading. To help foster a love of reading, children should take a book home that they can share and enjoy with their parent/carer.
Involving the children in the choice of this book is important. These books offer a wealth of opportunities for talking about the pictures and enjoying the story. It is important to offer a variety of books, including non-fiction, so they can enjoy a range of writing.
Please don’t expect your child to read this book independently and this book is for you as a parent/carer to read to or with the child.
Again, it is good to talk about the book with the child, but important not to turn the discussion into a test. The goal is enjoyment.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/whats-included/support-for-reading/
'How to' videos
These 'How to' videos show the reading practice sessions model the three reads we use in school. We follow the same model whether your child is using wordless, blending practice or decodable books.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/852673700
Support with Phonics
Download a guide or watch a video to see how children are taught to say their sounds in Reception and Year 1:
Reception: Autumn 1 sounds
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Reception: Autumn 2 sounds
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Reception: Spring 1 sounds
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Year 1: How to say Phase 5 sounds
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Scholes School Phonics and Early Reading Policy
Please visit our Policies Page to access this document.