Phonics and Early Reading at Ashcroft

At Ashcroft, early reading is a priority. We teach phonics using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This is a DfE-validated systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) scheme that supports children to learn to read quickly, confidently and with enjoyment.

Our Phonics Journey

All children at Ashcroft begin their phonics journey in Nursery through Foundations for Phonics, which is part of the Little Wandle programme.In our Nursery, children develop essential early listening and speaking skills by:

• listening to and discriminating environmental and body sounds
• playing with sounds and words through rhyme, rhythm and alliteration
• exploring voice sounds
• beginning oral blending and segmenting

This strong foundation prepares children well for formal phonics teaching in Reception.

From the start of Reception, children are taught to:

• recognise and say sounds (phonemes) clearly
• match sounds to letters (graphemes)
• blend sounds to read words
• segment sounds to spell words

How Phonics Is Taught

From Reception through Years 1 and 2, children take part in daily phonics sessions following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme. Lessons follow a consistent structure and use the same resources across the school, helping children feel confident and reducing cognitive overload.

• Lessons are structured, consistent and engaging, following the Little Wandle teaching sequence.
• Staff use agreed routines, language and resources to ensure consistency and fidelity to the programme.
• Teachers and support staff receive regular training and coaching to maintain high-quality teaching.

Reading Practice

Children take part in regular reading practice sessions using fully decodable books that are carefully matched to the sounds they are learning.

Assessment and Keep-Up

Children’s phonics learning is regularly assessed to identify any gaps quickly.

• Children who need extra help receive keep-up support, delivered by trained staff and closely aligned with classroom teaching.
• This supports children to stay on track and make strong progress.

Phonics Screening Check

In Year 1, children are prepared for the Phonics Screening Check through high-quality daily phonics lessons, regular assessment and targeted support where needed.

Beyond Phonics

Once children are secure in phonics, the focus moves to developing:

• reading fluency
• comprehension skills
• vocabulary knowledge
• enjoyment and a love of reading

Working with Parents and Carers

We work closely with parents and carers by:

• offering phonics workshops for families
• sharing guidance on pronunciation and blending
• encouraging regular reading at home

You can find out more about Little Wandle and phoneme pronunciation here: Click here to access parent resources

Here are some fun phonics games to play at home: PhonicsPlay