Phonics Information

What phonics scheme is used at Waverton?

At Waverton, we believe that all our children can become fluent, confident and competent readers and writers. To ensure this happens, we teach using the DfE validated programme Ready Steady Phonics. This is a synthetic, systematic phonics programme based upon the Letters and Sounds 2007. We follow the Ready Steady Phonics progression document which systematically develops children’s understanding of the phonics code, and builds upon previous learning in an incremental manner as they move through school.

The programme develops children’s ability to blend and segment, using their current phonics knowledge, allowing early success and increasing their confidence in reading. As a result the children at Waverton are able to tackle unfamiliar words using their phonics knowledge.

At Waverton we also model and apply the skills taught in the discrete phonics session into reading and writing across the curriculum, demonstrating contextual application of the skills taught.

We have a strong focus on language development as we recognise that speaking and listening are crucial skills that underpin reading and writing.

How do you teach Phonics at Waverton?

Reception and Year 1

Daily Lessons

• Phonics is taught daily for 30 mins. At the beginning of Reception the programme begins in Week 3, with shorter, engaging, age appropriate, 10 minute sessions, but quickly develops into the full-length sessions. Built into the programme is a review session every Friday, alongside regular review and assessment weeks, so that we have a clear understanding of where our children are at and what further teaching they may need to allow them early success.
• The daily sessions include a clear 4 part lesson: Revisit/Revise, Teach, Practise and Apply and cover letter formation, segmenting and blending, real and pseudo words and application into reading and writing.
• We follow the Ready Steady Phonics progression document through Reception and Year 1 which gives clear, high expectations about what is to be taught and when.
• Year 2 start Spelling Shed.

What happens if my child is struggling?

• Any child who is identified as requiring additional support, will receive extra intervention through daily reading and extra sound practice. These are in addition to their daily Ready Steady Phonics lesson.
• The sessions using the same procedures, resources and materials as Ready Steady Phonics but with more repetition and scaffolding with a teacher or TA.
• Regular phonics lessons use the Ready Steady Phonics materials are also timetabled for any children in Y2- 6 for children who are not fluent in decoding or who have not passed the phonics Screening Check in Y2. The Ready Steady Assessments are used to clearly identify the gaps in knowledge for those children, so that the appropriate teaching can be put in place by a trained adult.
• Prior to the phonics check, any gaps are identified by the Year 1 teacher and interventions are put into place using Ready Steady Phonics materials.
• Children with common and specific difficulties are taught in small groups or 1:1 using the Ready Steady Phonics materials.

How do you teach reading at Waverton?

• Ready Steady Phonics provides matched reading books which align directly to the Ready Steady Phonics progression document. These are available on-line. In addition, Collins Big Cat books or Pearson Bug Club are used as a guided read. All are matched to the progression document.
• The teaching of reading takes place through:
• A Guided Read of the decodable Collins Big Cat text or Pearson Bug Club books will take place with a trained adult
• A Shared Read of the decodable, online  Ready Steady Phonics text, led by a trained adult, at least once a week
• The books cover fiction, non-fiction and rhyme

How does home reading work?

• The decodable, Pearson Bug Club, reading book, which aligns to the Ready Steady Phonics progression document, is taken home and access to the online Ready Steady Phonics reading book is given as homework, if appropriate
• The children are expected to read these to an adult, practising and consolidating their skills in phonics
• This is monitored by the class teacher and the Early Reading and Phonics Lead
• Support for parents in how to listen and support their child in reading a phonically decodable book is given during a phonics and reading meeting held in the first half term for Reception parents and in Spring term for Year 1 parents

Do you encourage any other reading at Waverton?

At Waverton we  immensely value reading for pleasure and enjoyment and we understand thow this can value children. To encourage our children to engage with and have a love of books we:

• Introduce a drawing club in Reception which has a focus on a different book each week, introducing new vocabulary, encouraging talk about the story, then drawing characters and using our imaginations
• have a daily story time in each class. We choose a range of books for these, fiction, non-fiction and poetry, stories from other cultures, and books that reflect our local community
• have a book corner in each class which encourages a love of reading. The books within these areas are specifically chosen to link with topics, recently read story books, promoting authors etc. The children are encouraged to choose a book for pleasure, from the book corner, to take home each week
• have library time each week. The children can take home a library book from the school library. This is for them to share with parents/carers to be read to and to talk about.
• use an app called ‘Go Read’. Teachers record the guided reading book and notes about what the children are working on. Parents can comment on their home reading book and record the book for pleasure
• have a yearly book fair, along with a reading competition

How do you know if the children are on track with their reading?

At Waverton we assess the children in different ways:

Formative

• Daily formative assessment is built into the Ready Steady Phonics teaching sequence and the workbooks have a dedicated, daily opportunity to record formative assessment to be reinforced in the daily Ready Steady Go sessions
• The weekly Friday session allow opportunities to review and identify gaps in learning that will then be addressed in the Ready Steady Go additional sessions
• Ongoing observations of children during the phonics lesson to inform gaps in learning and broader application of phonics skills and knowledge across the curriculum

Summative

• Regular five or six weekly assessments take place as identified in the Ready Steady Phonics progression document. These weeks will be used to assess progress and identify children who need further group/individual support.
• The assessments will be shared with the Early Reading and Phonics Lead/SLT to narrow attainment gaps between different groups of children, with a focus on the bottom 20%
• Year 2 use a Single Word Spelling Test at the end of the Autumn and Summer term and assess the children’s Common Exception Word spellings

Statutory Assessment

• All children in Year 1 will sit the Phonics Screening Check. Any child not passing the check re-sits it in Year 2.

Ongoing assessment for Ready Steady Go: Keeping All Children On Track

• Children in Years 2-6 will be assessed through on-going formative assessment as well as through the regular Ready Steady Phonics summative assessments.

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