Phonics at Frodsham Weaver Vale
At Frodsham Weaver Vale, we have taken the Letters and Sounds programme and adapted this into a termly scheme of learning. Our scheme highlights the expectation for when each sound should be taught and by when they should be assimilated from Nursery through to Year 2.
Our intent echoes that of the programme we follow, which is, by delivering a detailed and systematic programme for the teaching of phonics skills, we aim for our children to become fluent readers by age seven and to have well developed speaking and listening skills in their own right.
Nursery
Our Nursery children are taught in small focus groups throughout the week, where we concentrate on the first phase of Letters and Sounds. Phase One of Letters and Sounds focuses on developing children's speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2. The emphasis during Phase 1, is to get children attuned to the sounds around them so that they are ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills. The staff do this by planning in a wealth of listening games, walks to hear enviromental sounds and through singing songs and rhymes.
Reception
In Reception the children are initially taught as a whole class with support from a TA. Here we aim to really embed the phase 2 phonemes. The letters are introduced one at a time, at a pace that matches the children's needs. We ensure that the children also have frequent opportunity to explore what they have learnt within their continuous provision. New sounds are sent home with the children to practise with their families each week.
Year 1
Phonics is taught discretely to children in year 1, outside of their daily reading sessions - 5 x weekly. In addition to this discrete teaching, phonics practice and application, forms an integral part of guided reading lessons. Here the children are encouraged to revist and practise the phonic skills and knowldege that they have already acquired and those which they are currently learning.
Where children are not keeping up with the pace of the whole class phonic delivery, they are boosted in additonal smaller group sessions and through the continuous provision of precision teaching.
Year 2
In year 2, children revisit the phonic phases in the Autumn Term. If children have gaps in their learning, or are still working within the phonics phases - up to Phase 5 - this becomes a focus for their learning through targeted group work and precision teaching.
Children then focus upon Phase 6 - with the emphasis being placed on spelling. Visit the spelling tab for more information.
See the attached overview which details our phonic programme of the sounds which are taught and when.
Children in year 2 enjoy carefully planned sessions each morning which link all of the basic skills - reading, spelling, understanding of grammar and punctuation, and handwriting. Here they are encouraged to continue to practise and apply their phonic knowledge as they developing fluency , understanding and use of vocabulary , comprehension and inference.
Year 3 Upwards
Phase 6 and any remaining gaps from early phases, are quickly identified and then revisited and consolidated in the early terms of year 3, through assessments made during everyday reading and English lessons.
Where necessary, targeted interventions are put into place for children who are still working on the Letters and Sounds phonic programme.
Have a look at the links below for some fun phonics game to play with the children!
https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/helpAHedgehog/index.html
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Phase1Menu.htm
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Phase2Menu.htm
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/5-7-years/letters-and-sounds