Aims

• To learn a key set of phonic skills, including grapheme recognition, phoneme pronunciation, oral segmenting and blending and decoding, that can be transferred to reading and writing in familiar and unfamiliar contexts.
• To learn set 1 and set 2 sounds of the Read Write Inc. synthetic phonics programme. Some children will go on to learn set 3 in the summer term, when ready.
• To apply phonic knowledge to read words and sentences accurately, reading back a sentence to ‘hold’ it. Children will demonstrate understanding about what they have read.
• Children can read and write some irregular common words, which cannot be segmented referred to as ‘red’ words.
• To write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

Intent 

• To set the foundations for early reading, by developing children’s phonics knowledge, enabling them to decode words and become successful, life-long readers. 

Implementation

• Transition into reception is a priority at the beginning of the autumn term, therefore as children enter reception we will complete a statutory baseline to assess each child’s phonic knowledge and awareness of sound. This will support teachers to tailor learning experiences to support needs.
• For the first few weeks of reception we will continue to teach the Letters and Sounds curriculum, practising the core skills of listening, sound discrimination, alliteration and segmenting and blending to prepare children for Read Write Inc. The class teacher will use their professional judgement to determine when to begin Read write inc, set 1.
• In the autumn term each reception class will be taught set 1 sounds of the Read Write Inc programme.
• Phonic sessions will be taught at 10.50-11.15 daily in reception.
• Phonics assessment completed at the autumn and spring terms will enable teaching staff to stream reception children from both classes. Children will be split into smaller groups to greater support individual needs. Groups are fluid and children can be moved in between groups when teaching staff feel another group may best suit the individual’s needs. Groups are reviewed again at the beginning of Spring and the Summer terms.  
• Strong staff knowledge of the Read Write Inc programme will ensure phonics is taught consistently and skills can be transferred as children work with a range of practitioners.
• Phonic opportunities are embedded into the classroom, providing children with opportunity to practise and master core phonic skills, applying to both reading and writing. Activities as enhancements keep exciting, in addition to continuous provision resources which are always available to explore. The open ended nature of the resources, promote an environment that enables children to use their imaginations! Children have access to a phonic area, many writing spaces, a comfortable reading corner and story telling shelves.
• A vocabulary rich environment supports children’s reading and understanding of the world.
• Ongoing assessments inform our half termly tracking of pupils attainment, data collated from the reading and writing area of the early years foundation stage curriculum enables teaching staff to recognise where a pupil may need additional support. When this is the case children are provided with short in class intervention to support their phonics, individual and group needs will be targeted with fun activities.

Impact 

• The outcome of phonics teaching in the Early Years will be that children will have a secure knowledge of phonics, enabling them to confidently decode words to read, and develop a love of reading.  

RECEPTION

• Go on a listening walk, the rule is no talking, just listening! Then share what you hear.
• Play I spy, this does not just have to be for things beginning with… you can play I spy for that sound like d-o-g (for example).
• Make a musical drum set with pots and pans, sing and tap out words, for example names of family and friends.
• Play drawing games, FRED talk a word for example “S-O-CK-S” and child to draw them. Swap, so your child can have a go segmenting the sounds.  
• Write letters/ words in different places, using foam in the bath, chalk outside, paint, press into dough, asking to sound out Make a list of similar sounding words can be fun to create a rhyme for example frog, dog, jog!
• Tap out the names of family and friends as you clap your hands, stamp feet, tap your tummy.
• Play ‘copy me’. Make a simple sound pattern for your child to copy for example, clap twice and stamp. Can they repeat back to you?
• Write a shopping list and read back whilst pointing to the letters, FRED talking for example “J-A-M” “C-A-R-R-O-T” Encourage your child to make their own list.
• Play ‘teachers’ asking your child to be the teacher and lead phonics, writing  the sounds they know paper, telling you what it is.
• Use magnetic letters and an oven tray to explore the letter sounds. Can you find a ….. Try moving the letters to make simple CVC words such as m-a-t and c-a-t.
• Sound out words in everyday life for example t-a-p. Asking them ‘Can you turn on the ‘T-A-P’. You could make a game of it, maybe as you are getting dressed put on your “S-O-CK-S”.
• Read everyday, ask your child which book they would like to read. There are lots of great rhyming books which encourage children to continue a rhyming pattern without even knowing!
• Point out letters in the environment, for example when you are walking into school on street names, saying the sound clearly “Oh look, that’s a S”.
• Use post it notes to write letter sounds and go on a sound hunt around the house! This would be great for reading red and high frequency words too! In reception we begin with are                                                                               I    of  to  my   the  your  you  he  said  all  want  baby  we  her  she  some  be  there  so
• Write simple CVC words down and place on the floor, use cars to drive to the word then read… or animals to jump on the word. Make reading fun.
• Write out a recipe, shopping list, cards or notes for different people.
• Let them read you a story.
• Write words/ letters sounds in chalk outside and jump onto the sounds.
• Draw a picture of something they love and label, you could write the name of the object, its colour. Sometimes writing for your child will encourage them to write themselves, as you are modelling good writing, They could help you by adding more detail for example writing their name on the picture.
• Listen to ‘Jolly phonics sounds’ (on you tube) and practice pronunciation of the sounds.