Phonics

Intent

We teach early reading through the systematic, synthetic phonics programme Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.

At Crowthorne C of E Primary School, we place high value on all our children having access to a strong learning journey from their very first day with us. 

Implementation

From the beginning of Reception, children have a daily phonics lesson which follows the Little Wandle progression which continues into Year One and Two to ensure our children become fluent readers. Daily Keep-Up sessions are used to ensure no child is left behind and tailors the support to children's own individual abilities.

Reception

In our Reception class, phonics begins with 10 minute lessons with additional daily oral blending games. These lessons continue to build up to the full 30-minute sessions. Each week, children learn new phonemes and their corresponding graphemes (GPCs) with a review lesson planned weekly to strengthen the children's knowledge. Children also learn tricky words during these sessions. By the end of Reception, children will have learnt Phase 2, 3 and 4 GPC.

Year One and Year Two

Year One begins with revision of the previously taught Phase 2, 3 and 4 GPCs before progressing onto Phase 5 which are completed by the end of the year. Additional resources are sent home throughout the year to support children's developing phonic knowledge to ensure secure understanding. Year Two children begin the year revisiting the Phase 5 and other previously taught phases to ensure all children are completely confident with applying these GPCs in both their reading and their writing.

Reading Practice Sessions

Alongside daily 30 minute Little Wandle sessions, children reinforce their phonics knowledge through grouped reading sessions three times a week which begin part way through a child's Reception year. Children read books matched to their level of phonics knowledge with an adult, focusing on decoding, prosody and comprehension. These books are then sent home weekly to build up the children's reading fluency and showcase their developing skills and phonetic knowledge to their parents and carers.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage One we strive for all children to have completed the Little Wandle Phonics programme and feel equipped with strong skills and understanding of reading which can be applied throughout their education. 

Teachers regularly monitor children's phonic knowledge through half termly assessments which are used to inform class and individual pupils' next steps. Lesson observations and regular coaching are carried out by leaders to ensure our phonics teaching is consistent and is enabling our children to make strong progress.