Intent:
We take a systematic and rigorous approach towards the teaching of reading and spelling at Christ Church & Holy Trinity Schools. Phonics teaching, which we refer to as Alphabet Code, plays a crucial role in the EYFS classroom and helps children to unlock many doors to their learning. We value and encourage the children to read for enjoyment and recognise that this starts with the foundations of acquiring letter sounds, segmenting and blending skills. We believe this can only be achieved through the use of a carefully constructed advanced reading programme.
As Diane McGuiness says,
“Our brains do the work for us… Once the structure of the spelling code is set up visually, numerous features and patterns come to light. Use of the patterns can dramatically speed up learning while reducing memory load”
Implementation:
Children are exposed to phonics teaching daily in Foundation Stage, and Year 1 and taught explicitly at least 4 times a week.
We use The Sound Reading System written by Fiona Nevola based on the work of Diane McGuiness
Extra support is provided to those in Year 2 who have not passed phonics screening in Year 1 and interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels.
Home reading books are from the series ‘Dandelion Readers’ that include words containing their most recently taught phoneme (and no phoneme that they have not yet been taught or exposed to).
Teachers regularly assess the pupil’s phonics knowledge using phonics assessment and Early Learning Goals (in EYFS). These regular assessments inform planning and allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning.
Children in Reception Class learn Key 1 – a sound is represented by single letters c-a-t, Key 2 – a sound is represented by 2 or more letters h-i-ll and Key 3 – same sound can be represented in more than one way m-e, t-r-ee, s-u-nn-y, t-ea-m. In Reception Class children tend to focus on 1 or 2 different spellings and then in Year 1, the children are exposed to all possible spellings for a sound.
We ensure that the children in Reception Class do not take home reading books until they have had at least 4 weeks of phonics teaching to help promote a positive learning experience.
We support Reception Class parents by inviting them to a workshop early in the Autumn term to ensure that they have the knowledge & skills to support their child. They are then invited back for revision sessions in Year 1 and again in Year 2
Impact:
Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. This way, children can focus on developing their fluency and comprehension as they move through the school. Attainment in reading is measured using statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage One and Two. These results are measured against the reading attainment of children nationally. Attainment in phonics is measured by the Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1. However, we firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments.