Phonics and Spelling

Phonics is making connections between spoken words and the letters used to write them down. Phonics at St Andrew’s is taught using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised,  a systematic, synthetic phonics programme to teach early reading and spelling. 

Phonics lessons in Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 are daily.

In Key stage 2 phonics is taught as an intervention where necessary to help children become more fluent readers and as a strategy used for spelling.

Phonics for Reading

Our aim is for children to become lifelong readers: reading for both pleasure and information. The application of phonics in fully decodable reading books is the key that turns a young reader into a reader for life. We teach reading to children in small groups with books matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge in reading words. This means that children are able to concentrate in gaining fluency.

Phonics for Spelling

We recognise that phonics and spelling are intertwined and as such phonics is a part of teaching in all year groups but as children move through the school, other strategies and spelling rules become more of a focus.

Ongoing assessment is a vital part of teaching phonics and we recognise that some children need more time learning sounds. As such, we note children who may not be picking up letter/sound correspondences as quickly as others and provide short daily catch up sessions. More formal assessments are half termly and provide teachers with information about which children need catch up support. These are short burst sessions tailored to individual gaps and to blending practice.

At the end of Year 1, children will be assessed using the national phonic screening test and any children not passing this, will be given additional support in Year 2 and then reassessed.

Please use the link below to see how you can help your child with their phonics learning.

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/