Phonics

In EYFS and KS1, we use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to teach phonics daily.

Little Wandle is a DfE validated phonics programme providing a highly structured, systematic approach to teaching children to read. It teaches the key elements of learning how to read through conceptual understanding, factual knowledge and the three skills of blending, segmenting and phoneme manipulation. If children fall behind in phonics, the school will provide additional teaching, so they quickly catch up. This might be in small groups or 1:1 sessions with an adult.

How you can help your child at home

If your child is learning through the Little Wandle phonics scheme, they will bring home two types of reading book: a reading practice book and a sharing book. The reading practice book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level.

If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy - your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Listen to them read the book and remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure.

The sharing 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 and explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun! If your child gets stuck, a great prompt to use is: 'Say the sounds (pointing to each of the ‘sounds’ in the word) and read the word' (slide your finger along, under the whole word).