At St Nics’, we aim for our children to become confident and fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.  The Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through the school.

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. It is particularly helpful for 5- to 7-year-old children.  DFE 2013.

Daily Phonics Lessons

Our phonics lessons are delivered by trained staff and we provide structured daily phonics lessons for all children in EYFS and KS1.

Assessment is used to monitor progress and to identify any child needing additional support as soon as they need it. Children in Year 1 sit the Phonics Screening Check. Any child not passing the check re-sits it in Year 2.

Learning to Read

We want our children to develop the skill and the will to read.

We teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week. These session:

• Are taught by a fully trained adult to small groups of approximately six children.
• Use books matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments and book matching grids.
• Are monitored by the class teacher, who rotates and works with each group on a regular basis.
   

Each reading practice session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload children’s working memory. The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills:

• decoding
• prosody: teaching children to read with understanding and expression
• comprehension: teaching children to understand the text.
   

After the children have read the same book three times the decodable reading practice book is made available online for them to read at home.

Reading for Pleasure

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

In order to encourage your child to love reading, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. Reading for pleasure books also go home for parents to share and read to/with children. The reading for pleasure book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together. Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

Further Information For Parents

Useful Resources