Phonics

Teaching phonics in Reception The English language is made up of approximately 42 separate sounds. During the year we aim to teach the children most of these sounds. They are the foundations that the children build upon as they learn to read. Each day your child will bring home a key ring which has the sounds on it. If you help your child to learn these sounds, it will consolidate their knowledge and they will learn to read more quickly.

Activities we use in the classroom to teach phonics.

How to use the key rings Each sound has an action. These actions help the children to memorise the sound. Initially please encourage your child to continue to use the action even when you feel they have learned the sound. Take care to pronounce the sound correctly, letters such as - r, s, w, f, p - need careful pronunciation. We find that little and often is the best way to learn the sounds: 3 or 4 times a day is not excessive. Each week we will put new sounds on the key ring. Please continue to practise all the sounds not just the new ones. Please ensure that the key ring is in your child’s book bag every day.

Blending When the children begin to recognise the sounds, we then teach them to blend the sounds together to make words. The sounds are spoken individually and then blended together. To an adult this can seem like an easy skill to acquire but children find it hard and it can take some children a long time to blend. When you are helping your child to blend it is important to pronounce the initial sound louder than the rest to emphasize the beginning of the word. In school we use a variety of ways to show the children the letters to blend, flashcards, plastic letters, simple text in a book, white board, computer programmes etc.

Word boxes Once your child has started to blend, we will send them home with word boxes. The children need to practise blending the sounds and once they can confidently read the words on the list, we will give them the next word box in the sequence. When you are practising with your child please do not read the words in the same order every time. The children can begin to learn the words by rote and memory and not really be able to ‘read’ them. Once your child can blend easily, we will start to give them the more tricky sound alternatives such as ‘igh’.

Reading books Once word boxes are under way, your child will start to come home with a reading book. These books are changed each week but please ensure your child’s book is in their bag each day. You should aim to read with your child at least twice a day. Little and often seems to work best: this way it remains a joy for you and your child. Choosing the right time to read is important. Try not to leave it too late when your child is tired and don’t remove your child in the middle of their favourite programme to ‘come away and read’. Each week your child will select a library book to take home. This is your opportunity to model reading and read the story to your child.

How to get the best from your child’s reading book. Little and often. Talk to your child about the book, look at the illustrations, discuss the characters, predict the ending etc. Read the book several times until your child is very comfortable with it. Try to read when you and your child are relaxed. Choose a quiet place free from distractions. How you position yourself as your child reads will have an impact.

The children have daily opportunities to look through the class library.

High Frequency Words High frequency words are the words most commonly used. They appear with great regularity in the books that the children read. These words are given out in groups on a key ring once your child is reading books. Some of these words cannot be read by using the phonic sounds for example words such as come, said and the. These words should be learned by sight. Once the children can read all their high frequency words the next step is to be able to spell them!

Reading in Our Lady of Pity School The children in our school make excellent progress in their reading. It will help your child immeasurably if you are able to read with them every day and show that you value books and reading. Each term we take the children to Greasby / Hoylake library. They choose a book each time and we share them all in class. Any help in walking the children to the library is greatly appreciated.

Growth and Fixed Mindset Growth Mindset Belief that intelligence is malleable and can develop. Success takes effort and persistence, learning from mistakes and challenges. Fixed Mindset Belief that intelligence is something you are born with. Can’t change it much.

Approaches to Learning: Growth Mindset Intelligence can be increased through practice Focus on learning Not threatened by hard work or failure Seek new challenges for a sense of achievement Mistakes are perceived as a good thing as they help the learning processes View effort and persistence as a necessary part of success Fixed Mindset Intelligence is a fixed trait & can’t change much Focus on performance Failure and/or effort perceived as being sign of low ability Choose activities to maximise performance (easy ones to feel clever) Don’t recover well from setbacks Decrease efforts, withdraw or consider cheating (self-protection)

Austin’s butterfly Austin's Butterfly

We may encourage Fixed Mindsets without realising “You are not good at this” “Never mind you are good at other things” “Let’s try an easier one” “This isn’t one of your talents” “You are such a smart boy!” “You are really good at maths” “This is definitely a gift of yours” “You seem to be able to turn your hand to anything”

Growth Mindset feedback Give ‘process praise’ Effort – I can see you are trying very hard with… Strategy – I like the way you use … to solve … It’s good to make a mistake because now you know how to improve next time. Use ‘task praise’ Positive self-evaluation – What is better/worse than the last attempt What is/is not good, realistic, neat, correct etc. about the work

Dates For The Diary Literacy Open Session – Wednesday 28th September 9:15 am Annexe and Main Numeracy Meeting – Monday 10th October 5:00 pm Main School Hall Numeracy Open Session – Tuesday 18th October 9:15 am