Phonics
Phonics
At Ashcroft we use the Letters and Sounds Phonics scheme (see link below for further information).
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They are taught how to:
• recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes.
• identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make such as 'sh' or 'oo'; and
• blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.
Children can then use this knowledge to 'de-code' new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read. Children receive daily phonics sessions in Early Years and KS1.
Letters and Sounds splits learning into 6 Phonic Phases.
Phase 1 develops children's ability to hear and distinguish sounds around them. It focuses on oral blending and segmenting and rhyming.
Phase 2 introduces letter sounds for reading and writing with a set of letters being taught weekly. It begins to look at blending for reading and segmenting for writing. A selection of 'tricky words' are taught during Phase 2.
Phase 3 introduces the rest of the individual letter sounds and diagraphs. Children will continue blending and segmenting and further tricky words are taught. Children will also learn the letter names of the alphabet during this phase.
Phase 4 helps build on the previous understanding of blending and segmenting and children gain experience of using words that have adjacent consonants such as trap, milk. No new sounds are taught.
Phase 5 introduces alternative graphemes for phonemes e.g. children will know /ai/ as in rain from phase 3 but they will learn that /ay/ as in day and /a_e/ as in make also make the /ai/ sound. They will also learn alternative pronunciations for graphemes e.g. ea – tea, head, break.
Phase 6 allows children to become fluent readers and accurate spellers.
We run regular phonics workshops for parents/carers of children in Reception and Y1 so they understand how we teach the children to read and so that they can support their child at home.
More information on Letters and Sounds can be found at: