What systematic synthetic phonics programme do we use in school and why?
We have developed our practice using the best elements from different programmes and tailored them to suit our children:
Letters and Sounds Programme
We follow the teaching order of the Letters and Sounds Programme which dictates the order we teach phonemes and the structure of the Phases. All of our Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 SEND Guided Reading and Home Reading books are linked to this programme and so this programme is key to our early reading teaching.
Decodable and on-sight words
We follow the practice of colouring teaching decodable words using green text (e.g. hat) and tricky words in red text (learn to read by sight, e.g. said). We also follow rigorously use sounds buttons to support decoding words as the children begin to blend.
For example,
Mnemonic visuals
We use the actions and mnemonic pictures from the Jolly Phonics scheme to support the teaching of Phase 2 and 3 phonemes. This provides a prompt for visual and kinaesthetic learners and even the most competent readers and writers benefit from the continued use of the actions to support segmenting words as they progress through Phase 4. The mnemonic visuals are reduced and removed as learners become confident at recognising the graphemes independently.
Personalised Planning
We follow the four-step approach to a phonics lesson: revisit and review, teach, practise and apply. Each lesson includes oral blending, oral segmenting, read phonemes, read tricky words, teach a new phoneme/ focus on a particular phoneme or consonant cluster, blend to read, segment to write, application activities. Our personalised Phonics Long Term Plan details the progression from Reception to KS1 and includes opportunities to revisit and embed Phase 4 and Phase 5 teaching.
Supporting parents with learning at home
Below are a range of websites and documents that will support parents with learning at home.
Articulating phonemes
Key documents
Phonics Resources for parents
Website Links
