Early Reading & Phonics
Phonics
Foundations for Phonics
In our Nursery Schools we use Little Wandle - Foundations for Phonics to promote, encourage and enhance children's early phonics skills.
Foundations for phonics contributes to the provision for ‘Communication and Language’ and
‘Literacy’ (DfE, 2022)1; it sits alongside a stimulating language-rich provision. Through Foundations for phonics we ensure that children are well prepared to begin grapheme–phoneme correspondence and blending at the start of
Reception.
One of the most important aspects of Foundations for phonics is developing an awareness of sound, through activities that develop focused listening and attention, including oral blending.
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Throughout Foundations for Phonics children will:
- develop their language structures;
- increase their vocabulary;
- begin to distinguish between sounds in words;
- speak clearly and audibly;
- become familiar with rhyme, rhythm and alliteration;
- listen attentively;
- explore and experiment with sounds and words;
Activities to support learning in Foundations for Phonics include:
- storytelling;
- singing songs;
- listening to rhymes and repeating patterns and refrains;
- playing alliterative games;
- using creative language in role play, drama and dance;
- identifying sounds in names, words in the environment etc
Launchpad for Literacy
Staff also use the Launchpad to Literacy approach to complement children’s phonological awareness. There are key skills in the Launchpad approach which significantly impact on children's phonic development.
These include:
Developing children's Sequential Auditory Memory
In order to read a simple three letter word a child must first be able to recall 3 things (they know really well) said orally in sequence, for example, animals (pig, cow, horse).
Developing children's Visual Discrimination
The ability to identify similarities and differences of shapes and this includes letters.
| Name | |
|---|---|
| General sound discrimination and environmental sounds Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
| General sound discrimination body percussion Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
| General sound discrimination instrumental sounds Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
| Oral Blending and Segmenting Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
| Rhyming Words.pdf | Download |
| Rhythm and Rhyme Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
| Voice Sounds Home Learning Challenges.pdf | Download |
Phase 2 Phonics
We also explore Phase 2 Phonics. We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme to do this. Little Wandle is a programme for children that builds a thorough foundation for reading and writing.
The video below shows you how we say our letter sounds:
This video shows you how we teach our children to blend for reading:
Some other resources parents might find useful linked to teaching phonics:
Early Reading
Supporting your child with reading
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.
Sharing books together - In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. Sharing books are 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, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Here is a video with tips on how to share a book with children:
