Little Wandle Phonics and Early Reading at Hitherfield

At Hitherfield we believe that all our children can becme fluent readers. To achieve this we teach early reading and phonics through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Nursery/Reception and follow the little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

 

Phonics and Early Reading at Hitherfield

In-line with the little Wandle scheme, phonics is taught everyday in Reception and Year 1, with three Reading Practice Sessions per week to help decoding, fluency and comprehension. The information provided below outlines our approach to teaching early reading at Hitherfield Primary School and offers advice on how you can best support your child at home.

We value your support and engagement so highly. Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home!

Why Learning to Read is so Important

  • Reading is essential for all subject areas and improves life chances.
  • Positive attitudes to reading and choosing to read have academic, social and emotional benefits for children

How Children Learn to Read

  • Phonics is the only route to decoding.
  • Learning to say the phonic sounds.
  • By blending phonic sounds to read words.
  • Increasing the child’s fluency in reading sounds, words and books.

Phonics Sessions

  • Phonics is taught daily in Reception and Year 1. 
  • Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs.
  • In the Summer Term children are taught words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
  • Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.
  • Further support ensures every child learns to read as they move through the school.

Programme Overview Reception and Year 1

How We Teach

Support For Phonics

Reception Phonics Workshop

Reading Practice Sessions

  • Timetabled three times a week.
  • Taught by specially trained members of staff.
  • Taught in small groups.
  • Designed to improve children’s fluency in reading. 
  • ​Your child will read the same book over the course of the three sessions, with each session focussing on a different element of reading; decoding, prosody and comprehension.

Helping your child at home

​Your child will bring home their reading practice book and their reading for pleasure book. 

Reading Practice Book:

  • Timetabled three times a week.
  • Taught by specially trained members of staff.
  •  Taught in small groups.
  • Designed to improve children’s fluency in reading. 

Your child will read the same book over the course of the three sessions, with each session focussing on a different element of reading; decoding, prosody and comprehension.

When reading the reading practice book with your child please:

  • Listen to them read the book. 
  • Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! 
  • If they can’t read a word, read it to them. 
  • After they have finished, talk about the book together. There are great question prompts in the back of the book to support you.

Reading for Pleasure Book:

  • Your child will choose this book for themselves from the library. 
  • It will be based on their own interests. 
  • They will likely not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.

When reading the reading practice book with your child please:

  • In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. 
  • Their reading for pleasure book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.
  • Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. 
  • Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters or explore the facts in a non-fiction book. 
  • And most importantly have fun!

Books Coming Home Phonics / Reading Workshops for Parents

  • The English team will hold reading and phonics workshops over the course of the year. 
  • These will be both to inform, and to update on any changes. 
  • You can find the presentations from the most recent sessions here. 

Year 1 Phonics Workshop

Click below to read our phonics curriculum documents:

Phonics Curriculum Documents

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s class teacher, or a member of the English team.