Year 1 Phonics Information Meeting Monday 30th January 2018

Meeting objectives To understand what the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is. To find out about how we teach phonics using Read, Write, Inc. How you can help your child with phonics at home.

What is phonics? At Elworth, we use Read, write Inc. to teach your child synthetic phonics. Children are taught to read by breaking down words into separate sounds or phonemes. This is called segmenting. They are then taught how to blend these sounds together to make the whole word. Children learn the 44 speech sounds and corresponding graphemes with lively mnemonics. Children are encouraged to use these sounds to read, spell and write in other lessons.

What is the Phonics Screening Check? Children in Year 1 throughout the country will be taking part in the phonics screening check during the week beginning 11th June 2018. Children in Year 2 will also take the check if they did not achieve the required result in Year 1 or they have not taken the test before. The phonics screening check is designed to confirm whether individual children have learnt sufficient phonic, decoding and blending skills to an appropriate standard.

What happens during the check? The check contains 40 words. 20 real words/ 20 nonsense words Nonsense words have an alien image next to them

How the check is carried out? Each child will sit 1:1 and read each word aloud to a teacher ( Mrs Buckley) The check takes approximately 10 minutes although all children are different and will complete the check at their own pace.

Phonics Screening Check Results The check is scored against a national standard (32/40 pass rate for previous five years)- the pass rate is not available until all marks are sent nationally to be benchmarked. In 2017, 82% of our year 1 children achieved the pass rate (national average 81%.) If the standard is met the year 1 children will continue with Read, Write, Inc. until they have completed the programme and then phase 6 phonics (letters and sounds.) They will then move on to Babcock spelling in year 2. Children who do not achieve the pass rate will continue on the Read, Write, Inc. phonics programme and will receive additional booster/ interventions. They will retake the phonics screening check in Year 2.

Reporting to Parents The results of the phonics screening test will be reported to parents by the end of the summer term.

How do we teach phonics? We use pure sounds so mmm not muh, sss not suh so that your child is able to blend the sounds in to words more easily. Sounds are either stretched or bounced.

Speed Sounds Set 2 Each speed sound has a simple picture, phrase and action. The children will learn to read and write words containing the new sound using Fred talk. b–l-ow s-l-ow s-n-ow

Speed Sounds Set 3 The children will learn alternative graphemes for the same sound.

Fred Talk The children are taught to segment and blend using Fred talk. So c-a-t =cat ch-i-p = chip l-igh-t = light ( say the last sound gently) It is really important that the sounds are pure distinct. Each speech sound is articulated with one mouth movement.

Spell with Fred Fingers The children will learn to spell with Fred fingers. For example the word goat; Show me 3 fingers Say the word blow Press each finger as you say the pure sounds. b l ow The children will then write the word.

Terminology Grapheme- letter/ letters that represent a sound Digraph – 2 letters one sound c ow Trigraph – 3 letters one sound l igh t Split digraph – 2 vowels with a consonant between ( magic e) sh ine

Tricky words Alongside the read, write, inc. phonics programme the children will learn to read and write tricky words, for example I, the, you, your, said, was

How will school support your child? Daily 20 minute speed sound lesson Differentiated groups On going assessments every half term/ sounds and tricky words Practice tests with Mrs Buckley Phonics resource pack to be sent home after Easter Year Group spelling lists with words to read/ write Booster groups during the Spring Term

Reading in Year 1 Discuss the other strategies for reading. Phonics is very important but not the only strategy.

How can you help at home? Phonics Play www.phonicsplay.co.uk ICT games www.ictgames.com/literacy.html •BBC www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/phonics/ •Communication 4 all – useful charts www.communication4all.co.uk/http/PhonicsWeb.htm Education City www.educationcity.com

Hand outs Practice words Slides Sound mats