Phonics and Reading in Early Years and Key Stage 1 at Lingfield School

Phonics and Reading in Early Years and Key Stage 1 at Lingfield School

At Lingfield Primary School we believe that the ability to read is essential for a child s access to the curriculum and that a child should be encouraged to use a variety of strategies to understand and communicate meaning.

In our school, phonic and reading skills are developed through whole class interactive teaching, in guided reading groups, intervention groups and individual sessions. Reading is a cross curricular activity which is constantly being developed in other subjects over the school day.

Our aim is to ensure the highest standards of reading and literacy for every child, by providing them with the necessary skills to: Read fluently, with confidence and enjoyment Read and respond to a wide range of different types of text Be able to use a range of reading cues including phonics Understand sounds and spelling rules, and use these skills to decode words with increasing accuracy. Understand the layout and how to use different types of books. Understand and use a range of non-fiction texts Be able to read aloud with expression and clarity

At Lingfield School we use: Letters and Sounds as the basis for our phonics work. Our reading scheme is Oxford Reading Tree.

Nursery In our nursery, the teaching of phonics takes place across the morning/afternoon sessions with continual reinforcement of sounds. The children are encouraged to become listeners, hearing a range of different sounds around them.

Nursery rhymes and rhyming stories highlight words which rhyme and raps are used to help children listen carefully and clap to a beat. In teacher led sessions, small groups of children are taught the first phase of letters and sounds, before moving on to segmenting words.

The children have access to a wealth of reading material in nursery. Fiction and non-fiction books are used in all areas of learning to share and discuss with other children and adults in guided sessions. Big books are used for group sessions and the children are introduced to the characters in our Oxford Reading Tree scheme.

The nursery also provides a lending library, where children and parents together can choose a favourite book to take home, share and enjoy.

Dedicated daily phonic lessons take place in the Reception, Y1 and Y2 classes. In Y1 and Y2 phonic lessons take place between 9-9.20 am, which fits in with the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spellings lessons from Y3 to Y6. Reception class phonics are taught at 10 am when the children have settled into their morning routines.

In the Reception class, a new phonic sound is introduced at the start of the week. Throughout the week, a wide range of resources are used daily to enable the children to practise and embed their phonic skills. Segmenting and blending words, which include the new phonic sound they have been taught, are also highlighted. Each Friday, the children write the sounds or words learnt during the week.

In our Y1 and Y2 classes, phonics are revisited, taught, practised and applied across the course of a day. Fun games and activities using phonic sounds, key words and spelling strategies are practised daily.

Teaching in phonics is led by the teacher, with the teaching assistants supporting small groups. However, reading, along with phonic work is highlighted in every subject, across all lessons over the course of a day.

Activities provided in the phonic session are differentiated to meet the needs of the children and to help all children make progress.

The children are encouraged to write sounds on whiteboards, building words by sounding out. They are also taught to read alien/non words, which really test their understanding of phonics.

In the Reception, Y1 and Y2 classes, the children have access to a wide range of fiction and non fiction books. Teachers use both big books and small books on a daily basis to encourage the love of reading and daily guided reading sessions develop the understanding of text and vocabulary.

Discussion and questioning around characters and settings in the stories, encourage the children to think in more detail about what a character might be thinking or feeling, adding to the child's understanding of the story.

Story sacks can also be chosen and taken home each weekend. Parent and child can interact with the characters and objects in the sack, to either retell a story or make up stories of their own.

Oxford Reading Tree scheme books are given to the children to take home and share with parents from the Reception class onwards. We would encourage parents to hear their child read at home on a regular basis... but please remember that asking your child questions about the story they are reading and talking about the characters and plot, is as important as being able to read the words. This will help your child develop a deeper understanding of the story and hopefully, encourage a love of books and reading.

At Lingfield School we recognise and value the role of parents. As teachers we aim to communicate and work with parents to develop your child s phonic and reading ability. The time parents give, working with and supporting their child at home, is invaluable in helping the child make progress. Please remember, staff are always here to help and answer any questions you might have about supporting your child at home.