Phonics
At Our Lady of Lourdes, we follow the ‘Read, Write, Inc’ programme which provides a structured and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. It aims for children to develop fluent word reading skills and have good foundations in spelling by the end of Key Stage One. Your child’s class teacher will be able to tell you which set they are working in. The teaching of phonics begins in Reception, using Read, Write, Inc to introduce sounds to the children; this continues in Years 1 and 2 where the teaching of phonics is supported by another programme called Letters and Sounds.
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
In 2011-2012 the government introduced the statutory checking of phonics for Year One children. The Year One Phonics Screening Check is a national check of children’s phonic knowledge that all children in England are required to complete. The check comprises of a mixture of real and nonsense words which children have to decode/read. The check takes place at the end of Year One. If the children do not meet the expected standard, they are checked again at the end of Year 2. An example of the check published by the Department for Education can be viewed below:
How can I help?
We are really grateful to all of our parents who spend time supporting the education of their child at home, and reading is one of the key areas where parents can help. The earlier children are exposed to books, the better they will perform with their reading, as well as with their use of their imagination and ability to be creative. We have provided links to the following websites which can provide activities and advice about how to use phonics at home:
www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ParentsMenu – This is a website which is packed with interactive phonics games, interactive activities, ideas and resources to help your child to learn to hear, recognise and read different sounds and words, including nonsense words (alien words).
www.ictgames.com/literacy – This is another website which is packed with interactive phonics games, interactive activities, ideas and resources which match to an objective. These games and activities will support your child with learning to recognise and read different sounds and words.