We are confident that every child has the potential to become proficient and fluent readers and writers. To support this, we use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised program, which is a structured and synthetic phonics curriculum. Phonics teaching begins in Reception, adhering to the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised sequence. This approach ensures that children progressively enhance their understanding of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics for reading and spelling as they advance through school.

Following this established programme ensures our children are equipped to decode unfamiliar words as they read. We also demonstrate the use of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing activities, both within phonics lessons and throughout the curriculum. We prioritise language development because we recognise that speaking and listening are essential skills for reading and writing across all subjects.

Foundations for phonics

We provide a balance of child-led and adult-led experiences for all children that meet the curriculum expectations for ‘Communication and language’ and ‘Literacy.’ These include:

• sharing high-quality stories and poems
• learning a range of nursery rhymes and action rhymes
• activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending
• attention to high-quality language.

Daily phonics lessons in Reception and Year 1

• Phonics is taught for up to 30 minutes a day. In Reception, this is built up from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Review lessons are taught each Friday, ensuring recap of the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.

Daily 'keep-up' sessions

• Any child who needs additional practice has daily 'keep-up' support, taught by a fully trained adult. Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.
• We timetable daily phonics lessons for any child in Year 2 or 3 who is not fully fluent at reading or has not passed the Phonics screening check. These children urgently need to catch up, so the gap between themselves and their peers does not widen.

Working with parents and carers

Decodable reading books are sent home to ensure success is shared with the family. We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised parents’ resources, alongside an annual Phonics training session, to engage our families and share information about phonics, the benefits of sharing books, how children learn to blend and other aspects of our provision.

The following video is a resource which may be helpful to parents supporting their child's phonics development:

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/ 

Below you can find the breakdown of what children are learning and when.