ENGLISH – PHONICS 

Why do we teach what we teach? (Our intent)

Every child deserves success right from the start. We know that the sooner children learn to read, the greater their success at school. At Oak Green we put reading at the heart of what we do. we are passionate about teaching phonics in order for our children to learn to read effortlessly.  Our aim is for pupils to apply phonics skills not only across the curriculum but in the wider world.

How do we teach it? (Our implementation)

To teach our children to read and write, we use a programme called Read Write Inc. enabling us to teach phonics systematically from EYFS to KS2.  We make sure every child can read the last set of phonic stories before they progress to our higher-level programmes, Comprehension and Spelling. Some children complete the programme in Year 1 and others in Year 2. KS2 children who need extra support follow this programme too through daily Fast Track Tutoring.

When teaching RWI phonics we group children by their reading progress for up to one hour a day and re-assess children every half-term so we can place them in the group where they’ll make the most progress.  Children learn to blend and segment with sounds that they are familiar with. This promotes confidence in word decoding, as well as being taught new sounds. Common exception words are also taught so that children can recognise them in the stories that they read. Repetition of stories helps to develop the children’s fluency of reading, so RWInc books, that match the children’s phonics level are sent home at the end of each week, for them to read and practise at home.

The Phonics Screening Check (PSC) is taken individually by all children in Year 1 in England. It is designed to give teachers and parents information on how their child is progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether a child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.

What is the difference that this makes? (Our impact)

Through our approach to teaching phonics our children are able to progress year-on-year at a pace appropriate to the learner. At Oak Green we enable our children to have developed detailed phonics knowledge and skills across the curriculum, be passionate and enthusiastic readers, writers and speakers and understand a broad range of vocabulary.