What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read by helping them understand the relationship between letters (graphemes) and the sounds they make (phonemes). Children learn to blend these sounds together to read words, and to segment words into sounds for spelling. This systematic approach gives children the skills they need to decode unfamiliar words confidently and become fluent readers.
Our phonics programme
At Haresfield, we use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a Department for Education-validated phonics programme. This programme:
- Provides daily 30-minute phonics lessons in Reception and Year 1
- Teaches children phonics in a clear, step-by-step sequence, starting with simple sounds and building up to more complex patterns
- Includes decodable reading books that are carefully matched to the sounds your child has been learning so they can practise and apply their phonics skills
- Uses a multi-sensory approach with lots of teacher-child interaction to keep learning engaging and effective
- Includes regular assessments to ensure every child makes good progress and receives extra support if needed
Children who don't meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check continue to receive phonics teaching until they are confident readers.
The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
In June each year, all children in Year 1 take a phonics screening check. This is a short, simple assessment that helps us check how well your child can use their phonics skills to read words.
The check involves:
- Your child reading 40 words aloud to their teacher on a one-to-one basis
- A mix of real words and 'pseudo-words' (made-up words like 'zop' or 'strom') to check they can decode using their phonics knowledge=
The check helps us identify any children who need extra phonics support. If your child doesn't meet the expected standard, they will receive additional help and will retake the check in Year 2. We'll keep you informed about your child's progress and how you can support them at home.
Decodable reading books
Your child will bring home decodable reading books that are carefully matched to the phonics sounds they have been learning in their daily lessons. These books are part of the Little Wandle programme and are specifically designed so that your child can practise reading words using only the sounds (phonemes) and letter patterns (graphemes) they have already been taught.
This means your child can:
- Read their book with confidence and independence
- Apply the phonics skills they're learning in class
- Experience success and build their reading fluency
- Develop a love of reading through achievable, enjoyable books
How the books work
- The books are organised into different levels that match the phases of phonics teaching
- Your child will be given a book at the right level for them, based on their phonics knowledge
- As your child progresses through the phonics programme and learns new sounds, they will move on to books that include these sounds
- Each book is designed to be read multiple times - repetition helps build fluency and confidence
Reading at home
We encourage you to:
- Read the book with your child several times during the week
- Praise your child for using their phonics skills to sound out and blend words
- Talk about the story together to develop comprehension skills
- Enjoy the experience - keep it positive and pressure-free!
Don't worry if your child finds some words tricky at first. Encourage them to sound out the word using their phonics knowledge. If they're really stuck, you can tell them the word and move on - the most important thing is that reading remains enjoyable.
Reading for pleasure
Alongside their decodable reading book, we also encourage you to share a wide range of books at home for pleasure. These might include:
- Picture books you read aloud together
- Books from the library
- Books your child chooses because they're interested in the topic or characters
Reading for pleasure books don't need to be at your child's reading level - the joy of sharing stories together is just as important as practising phonics skills.
Please see the documents below with information about the sounds your child is learning.
