Teach every child to read!

Phonics

What is Phonics?

Through phonics children are taught how to:

• recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes
• identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make - such as ‘sh’ or ‘oo’; and
• blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word. Children can then use this knowledge to ‘decode’ new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.

Why is phonics important?

Once pupils can decode using phonics, they are able to focus on their wider reading skills and develop a love of reading. Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way – starting with the easiest sounds and progressing through to the most complex – it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read. Phonics is a highly effective method of teaching word reading. Almost all children who receive high-quality phonics teaching will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment. Children who have been taught phonics also tend to read more accurately than those taught using other methods. This includes children who find learning to read difficult, for example those who have dyslexia. 

Phonics at Chesnut Lodge

Learning to read matters for every child or young person, regardless of their starting points or learning needs. At Chesnut Lodge, we follow the Little Wandle Phonics SEND Programme which has been developed for children with complex SEND issues that affect cognition. It has been created to help children learn to read using a graduated approach at the right level of challenge for each child. In order to deliver high-quality, effective phonics instruction, we follow the following guidelines linked to the Reading Framework: 

Teachers should:
• provide children with the skills and knowledge they need to read and spell, by direct instruction, progressing systematically with carefully structured, small and cumulative steps
• use instructional routines that become familiar in order to reduce cognitive load
• provide materials that limit distraction; are clear, linear and easy to follow; are age-neutral or age-appropriate and can be adapted further
• provide opportunities for work on vocabulary, fluency and reading comprehension
• provide multiple opportunities for overlearning (recall, retrieval, practice and application at the level of the alphabetic code, word, sentence and text).

Teaching should:
• be at a suitable pace for the child
• be daily, with well-paced, well-planned lessons that are engaging and motivating
• take full account of the child’s individual strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and understanding, and profile of needs.

Some children may need additional strategies, such as for those who:
• have physical disabilities that affect their fine motor control for holding and manipulating objects, e.g. use of desktop manipulatives, alternative writing strategies
• are pre- or non-verbal, e.g. use of alternative communication strategies, such as selecting their response from auditory choices anchored to visual  symbols or place-markers
• have both fine motor difficulties and are pre- or non-verbal, e.g. use of low- or high-tech eye gaze strategies.

Foundations for Phonics

Children who are at Standard 1 in English language comprehension and reading, do not need phonics instruction yet. We use the Little Wandle Foundations for phonics programme, in-line with the Engagement Model, to grow phonemic awareness and develop listening skills. Foundations for phonics is for children who are not able to blend and are not yet ready to begin Phase 2 of the Little Wandle programme. It may also be used alongside phase 2 for children who are making slow progress. Foundations for phonics lays the foundations for phonics instruction by developing an awareness of sound. The activities in the Foundations for phonics provision address the following three strands:

• tuning into sounds (auditory discrimination)
• listening and remembering sounds (auditory memory and sequencing)
• talking about sounds (developing vocabulary and language comprehension).

Reading

Phonic decoding skills need to be taught and practised until children have adequate accuracy and automaticity to become fluent readers. Fluent decoding is only one component of reading. Children need to be guided to understand what they are reading through discussion and by linking what they read to their experiences. When children read books, it increases their vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Children who read widely and frequently also benefit from knowing more about the world. 

Reading Practice Sessions

Children need regular opportunities to apply the phonics they have learned by reading fully decodable books. We use the Collins Big Cat books to ensure that phonic progression in reading books matches the children's progress through the Little Wandle SEND programme. Our reading scheme begins with wordless books for Foundations for phonics progresses to reading books at phase 5 and beyond.  Reading practice sessions are scheduled three times a week. In each session, the children read the same book aloud with growing automaticity and accuracy. Each session in this ‘three read’ model has a clear focus:

• Read 1: decoding
• Read 2: prosody – reading with meaning, stress and intonation
• Read 2: comprehension – understanding the text.

Sight Reading

At Chesnut Lodge, we recognise that research supports that phonics is the most effective way to teach children to read. However, we also follow the See and Learn programme for individual children who have specific needs that make phonics instruction more challenging and may progress through a more visual approach to reading. For example, children with a hearing impairment or Down syndrome. We may also use the programme when assessments reveal that a child is making slow progress in phonics despite further catch-up sessions already being in place. 

See and Learn 

See and Learn teaches children early vocabulary, sight words, simple phrases and sentences, and grammar rules. The programme aims to accelerate the development of foundational language skills  and is designed to build on visual processing strengths and compensate for short term memory, speech and hearing difficulties. If a child is identified as a candidate for the See and Learn programme, then one-to-one interventions will take place daily to work through the programme at the child's individual level and pace. 

Reading at home

We have subscribed to Collins ebooks so that our children are able to access their reading books at home. Books allocated to children online are always fully decodable and link to the child's current phonics level. Parents can access support and information for reading at home by following the link below to the Little Wandle Parents page. Children are also able to borrow 'Books to Share' from our school library- these books are not always decodable or linked to the children's phonics level but can be taken home and shared with parents/carers to encourage reading for pleasure. 

Reading for Pleasure

At Chesnut Lodge, we recognise the importance of reading for pleasure, not only because of the strong links to academic attainment but, because it promotes mental well-being, encourages empathy and helps to enrich a child's understanding of the world. As a school, we aim to nurture our children to become lifelong readers and book lovers. We will do this in a number of ways:

• The curriculum- our Literacy curriculum is designed with strong links to a breadth of high-quality, fiction and non-fiction texts and poems that enrich our literacy lessons and are used as inspiration for our model texts and writing. 

• Reading corners, reading nooks and our school library- throughout our school, we have designated spaces designed to provide a quiet, engaging space for children to read and share books. Children can also borrow books from these spaces and take them home to share with parents and carers.

• Reading curriculum enrichment- throughout the year, we have number of events planned to enrich our curriculum with opportunities to make reading fun and celebrate our love of books. These include world book day celebrations, readathons, poetry days, 'drop everything and read' sessions and library visits.