Phonics

Intent

At Valley View we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Nursery/Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read. At Valley View, we also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

 Implementation

We teach following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Scheme of work. 

Children make a strong start in Reception. We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. We ensure that teaching and learning of phonics is reviewed weekly to help children become fluent readers.  

Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.

Children in Year 1 review Phases 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.

Daily keep up sessions are used for children who need additional phonics practice.  All children in Reception and Year 1 take part in reading practice sessions 3 times per week.  Their book is then sent home for them to practise further.

Children continue to learn phonics in Year 2 if they have not met the national expected standard at the end of Year 1.  Phonics teaching is in place in Years 3 and 4 for those children who still need to develop their phonic knowledge.