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. (DfE 2013)
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They 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’
- blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word
Children can then use this knowledge to ‘de-code’ new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.
How do we teach phonics in Christ Church School?
In line with our school reading scheme, we teach phonics using Rocket Phonics. This is a Department for Education (DfE) validated scheme.
All children in Reception and Year 1 take part in a daily phonics lesson. The teaching and learning cycle is as follows:
When children progress into year 2, they will move to a daily, structured spelling lesson, although some children may benefit from further phonics lessons alongside this.
If you have any concerns about your child and phonics lessons, please talk to their class teacher who will be happy to answer your questions.
Please click on the links below for further information and the slides from the phonics and early reading information event held for parents in November 2021.
