Phonics & Reading
PHONICS Intent:
Bocking Primary School aims to ensure that all children become successful and confident readers by the end of Key Stage one and we believe this is achievable through a combination of high-quality phonics teaching combined with a whole language approach - that promotes a ‘Love of reading’ culture. This curriculum is aimed at reinforcing a consistent, high quality approach to the teaching and learning of phonics across the Early Years Foundation Stage, (EYFS,) Key Stage One and on into Key Stage Two - for children who still need this further support.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Phonics involves matching the sounds of spoken English with individual letters or groups of letters. For example, the sound k can be spelled as c, k, ck or ch. Teaching children to blend the sounds of letters together helps them decode unfamiliar or unknown words by sounding them out. For example, when a child is taught the sounds for the letters t, p, a and s, they can start to build up the words: “tap”, “taps”, “pat”, “pats” and “sat”. This skill can then be inverted so that words can be broken down (segmented) into their component sounds in order to spell them.
Phonics at Bocking:
At Bocking Primary School, we use FFT, "Success for All" Phonics (a validated scheme) to teach phonics across EYFS, KS1 and beyond where needed. We access the affiliated intervention programme (Tutoring with the Lightning Squad) to support children who require further phonics teaching in KS2.
The FFT Phonics programme is designed for daily use from the beginning of EYFS, enabling children to make a smooth transition from Reception to Key Stage 1. Children have a daily 25-minute phonics sessions and a daily 25-minute shared reader session. Each phonics session consists of reviewing previously learnt sounds (GPCs) and then teaching, practising and applying a new sound(s).
Shared Reading Lessons:
It is important that children do not simply know their phonics, but they can apply this skill to reading. Therefore, as part of our FFT, "Success for All" phonics programme, we have a daily reading session, based on the phonic skills the children have been taught. Using fully decodable texts children are given further opportunities to use these skills and teachers modelling how to use this knowledge to support their reading.