PHONICS LEARNING

Phonics Statement

At Kirkbride Primary School, we consider that it is vitally important that children have a secure understanding of the letter sounds and spelling system of English. Phonic skills need to be developed in a systematic, staged approach in order to help all children to achieve the best outcomes

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

In the summer term, Year 1 children will take a Phonics Screening Check in which children will be expected to read 40 decodable ‘words’. This progress check identifies those children not at the expected level in reading – and these children will be re-checked in Year 2.

Phase 1

All children at Kirkbride Primary School begin their phonics journey in our Little Acorns Nursery where they take part in daily phase 1 phonics sessions following the Letters and Sounds Program. Phase One of Letters and Sounds concentrates on developing children's speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Unit 1 of Sounds-Write. The emphasis during Phase 1 is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills.

 

SOUNDS-WRITE

Here, at Kirkbride Primary School, we use the Sounds-Write first rate phonics scheme which is followed from

Early Years Foundation Stage, through KS1 and into KS2 if required. Sounds-Write consists of two main sections,

the initial code and the extended code. Sounds-Write enables teachers to immerse children in

reading and spelling from the moment children begin their schooling in the Foundation Stage,

throughout Key Stage 1 and into Key Stage 2. In addition, the programme also provides a highly successful

 intervention for special needs teachers.

  

Sounds-Write’s instructional method works effectively because it:

  • provides clearly structured, easy-to-follow lesson plans
  • is developmentally appropriate for beginning readers in YR, Y1 and Y2
  • offers fast and highly effective intervention for children at all levels who have fallen behind in their reading and spelling
  • is a real phonic programme that teaches in simple steps how the sounds of the language are represented by the writing system
  • places emphasis on giving practice that is grounded in physical, concrete experience of the ideas and conceptual understanding the pupils need to assimilate
  • teaches the three essential skills of segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation necessary for reading and spelling throughout the programme on a daily basis until all pupils achieve the automaticity that underlies the fluency of every successful reader.

It is recommended that children should be taught a discrete 40 minute daily session of phonics and that teachers should follow the teaching sequence set out in the Sounds-Write teaching manual. In addition, phonic skills can be applied in reading and writing opportunities as well as in other areas of the curriculum. Teachers will check pupil progress using the Sounds-Write Diagnostic check. 

Other resources supplementing Sounds-Write are, Dandelion readers, Songbirds and Sounds-Write unit books.

 

Support for Parents and Carers with Sounds Write and understanding our approach.

On Monday 27th September 2022, we provided an information meeting for parents to explain and demonstrate our Sounds Write phonics program. Here are the resources and presentation for you to view and see it in action in our school. 

Please copy or click on the links to view the presentations with commentary by Mrs Howe our Reading Leader. 

 

Link to Sounds Write Presentation part 1 https://www.loom.com/share/f8326fb213104ef2ae96ca500f53d790

Link to Sounds Write Presentation Part 2 [Sounds Write presentation Sept 27th 2022] - PowerPoint Slide Show - [Sounds Write presentation Sept 27th 2022] - 10 October 2022 (loom.com)

Link to Sounds Write presentation part 3 [Sounds Write presentation Sept 27th 2022] - PowerPoint Slide Show - [Sounds Write presentation Sept 27th 2022] - 10 October 2022 (loom.com)

 

If you have any questions or want to know more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your child’s class teacher.