Phonics

Laura Manson is our Phonics leader.

Grange Farm is passionate about ensuring every child gets through the reading gateway, as reading opens the door to learning.  We are dedicated about the way in which we teach Phonics and embed reading within everything we do.

At Grange Farm we teach children to read using the Read Write Inc (RWI) approach. Daily Phonics lessons take place in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and phonics is an integral part of teaching and learning. Children will learn sounds and the letters that represent them, and how to form the letters correctly. They will learn how to decode using ‘Fred Talk’. Fred is a toy frog, who helps engage children in their learning and can only talk in sounds.

Daily, consistent Phonics will support your child to become a successful reader. Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads frequently will become a good reader.

Children in Reception will start to learn Set 1 Single Sounds and how to blend them together to read words. As children progress and know these sounds speedily, they will move onto Set 2 and Set 3 (Special Friends Sounds) throughout Reception and Year 1.  Special Friends Sounds are two letters that make one sound when put together.

Some children will also engage in 1:1 Phonics with a member of staff. This may be if they find a sound particularly tricky or they are learning how to Fred Talk.

For Year 1 pupils, the children will sit a test in June called a Phonics Screening Test. This is where children read 40 words which include the sounds that they have been learning through  their daily phonics lessons and interventions. Some of these words will be ‘Nonsense/Alien words’ which are made up words, that do not exist. The purpose of these words is to ensure that children can apply their sounds into their reading.

Every year there is a pass rate to the Phonics Screening Test. If children do not pass this test in Year 1, then they will complete the test again in Year 2.

All children will receive the best possible support from our RWI staff, to assist them with achieving to the best of their abilities.

Our Phonics aims to:

• deliver high quality, systematic phonic teaching.
• establish consistent practice, progression and continuity in the teaching and learning of phonics and spelling throughout the school.
• differentiate phonics and spelling work according to the needs of pupils, so that all pupils are given sufficient challenge at a level at which they can experience success.
• ensure that the children apply phonic knowledge as their first approach to reading and spelling, with the ultimate goal being automatic and effortless fluent readers and confident writers.
• ensure that children have opportunities to read texts and words that are within their phonic capabilities as early as possible.
• encourage the children to attempt to spell words for themselves, within the range of their phonic knowledge, by building an individual repertoire and the confidence and strategies to attempt unfamiliar words.
• encourage repetition and consolidation, so that spelling becomes automatic.
• teach that blending and segmenting words are reversible processes.  
   

When using RWI to READ the children will:

• learn 44 sounds using simple picture prompts  
• learn to read words using Fred Talk.
• develop fluency by using ‘Fred in your Head’ and speedy reading activities.
• read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out.
• show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions.
• take books home in their book bags, according to what stories they are reading in school time.

When using RWI to WRITE the children will:

• learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent 44 sounds.
• learn to write words by using ‘Fred Fingers’ which is individually pinching the sounds out.
• write simple sentences.

As a school, we work rigorously to challenge ourselves on the best ways to teach Phonics through Read Write Inc. Every term we invite a RWI consultant in to work alongside, challenge and coach our staff so that we are never complacent with our methods and delivery. We believe that staff should be upskilled constantly. All new staff receive RWI training.

We have a Reading Leader in our school who also works alongside staff, team teaches and coaches staff on areas which we need to improve upon. We believe that fluent reading is developed through early language acquisition, developing a love of reading in our children and Phonics.

Grange Farm passionately believe that every child can become an excellent reader!

We passionately believe that every child should become an excellent reader!