Phonics

"To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

The teaching of phonics is how a child learns to hear and then recognise the sounds and sight of letters. Phonics is an integral part of teaching a child to read. The ability to read, ultimately impacts on a child’s skills in spelling and writing. Children learn to read by understanding and recognising the letters and sounds (phonics), but also by being immersed in literature, text and books. Phonics is taught exclusively and is part of the wider teaching of reading and writing at Willingdon.

In EYFS and KS1 phonics is taught in daily 20 minute lessons. Phonics continues into KS2 for those children that have gaps in their phonic knowledge.

We aim to make our phonics sessions active and engaging for all learners using high quality resources and key texts.

For guidance on using the decodable texts, please click the link below:

Decodable Text Guidance

Monster Phonics Scheme

At Willingdon, we introduced the Monster Phonics Scheme in September 2021 and it has been a HUGE success!

We launch the scheme every year with a themed Monster Phonics Day.

The children come into school dressed as their favourite Monster from the scheme. During the day, they participate in lots of phonics themed tasks and activities.

The Monster Phonics scheme is a multisensory program that is followed daily from Reception to Year 2. Children are taught single phonemes, digraphs and trigraphs in a systematic order to ensure reading and writing are complemented by one another.

To meet the Monsters and to see how their colours change the sounds that graphemes make, click the link below.

https://vimeo.com/456863285

Decodable Texts

Decodable reading books are matched alongside the sounds that the children have learnt during the week to enable them to practice the skills they have learnt within their phonics lessons.

For guidance on how to use the decodable texts, please follow the link below

Guidance on Using Decodable Books

What sounds and words will be taught?

Reception/EYFS/Year 1/Year 2

Spelling

Spelling Shed is a scheme to help support spelling from Year One to Year Six. Children will have three 20-minute spelling sessions per week following the planning from spelling shed. Teachers will set a consolidation task on Google Classroom weekly to support the learning in school.