1. Grendon Underwood Combined School
Phonics
Grendon Underwood Combined School

2. Reading feeds the imagination, it expands
horizons and offers new and exciting ways of
seeing and making sense of our lives and of
the world around us.
Michael Morpurgo
We want our children to learn to read as quickly as possible and then to keep on reading – to read widely and often and be a lifelong reader.

3. What is phonics? Phonemes Graphemes
The English language is very complex.
Phonics is the method of teaching reading through the identification of phonemes and graphemes.
All words are made up of phonemes e.g. in ‘mat’ we have the sounds ‘m’, ‘a’, ‘t’.
Grapheme is another name for the letters we use to write the sound. Write the letters ‘m’ ‘a’ ‘t’ in the air as you say the sounds.
We teach phonics so that your children will have the tools to read any word.
Phonemes
Graphemes

4. Do we use any specific programme?
Letters and Sounds
Jolly Phonics
Read, Write, Inc
Letters and Sounds- Phases 1-6.
Jolly Phonics- used mainly in Reception for Phase 2/3- introduction of a song and action to help consolidate the learning.
Read, Write, Inc from Year 2 upwards.

5. Correct pronunciation of pure sounds
We teach using pure sounds.
We use pure sounds (‘m’ not’ muh’, ’s’ not ‘suh’, etc.) so that your child will be able to blend the sounds into words more easily.
Children need to know sounds – not letter names – to read words.

6. Phase 1
Develops children's speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2.
Phase 1 gets children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills.

7. Phase 2
Each unit of sound (single letter) is called a phoneme- we use this language with the children straightaway.
Two letters together that make a single sound are called a digraph.
Demonstrate how we would teach ‘s’ ask parents to join in. Imagine we have done the same for ‘a’ and ‘t’.

8. Blending
- to draw individual sounds together to pronounce a word, e.g. s-n-a-p, blended together, reads snap.
Demonstrate how we would introduce blending 2 phonemes- at… 3 phonemes sat- what does this say?
Sound buttons- demonstrate how we use these. t

9. Tricky words he the was no go all
These cannot be blended or sounded out but just need to be learnt through repetition and practice- the more practise the more easily this will come. go
all

10. How do these skills translate to reading?
Emphasise that when children start to read it is a very slow process but this is totally normal. You need to encourage the blending skills for children to work out words for themselves.

11. Segmenting
Phonemes can be put together to make words. Grapheme - A way of writing down a phoneme. Graphemes can be made up from 1 letter e.g. p,
2 letters e.g. sh, 3 letters e.g. tch or 4 letters e.g ough
Segmenting demonstration- ask parents to join in with clapping the sounds- cat, c, a, t, cat- how many phonemes? Lets segment it and spell it together.
Demonstrate how the word clock would have ck together as one sound (digraph)

12. Phase 3 Acknowledge how important pronunciation is at this stage.
Parents to have a go at segmenting and spelling the following words with a partner: that, high, shark, float

13. How did you do… th a t h
igh sh ar k f l oa t

14. Phonetic writing
It will get to a stage that your child will start writing using only their phonetic knowledge. It will look something like this! This is perfect and the exact thing we want them to do. As they move up through the school and develop their understanding of our English language they will start to learn that phonics cannot be applied to all words. Please do not tell them they have spelt things wrong and correct them as it will only confuse them, instead praise them for how brilliantly they have applied their phonics.

15. Reading
“I would aim to read everyday to make it a habit and then it wouldn't be a problem if we didn't now and again.” (Current Y1 parent)
Importance of reading at home AT LEAST 3 times a week from when they get a book and all throughout school. It doesn’t have to be the whole book, but between 5-10 mins. If at any stage a child becomes disheartened or disinterested please come and speak to us for ways to motivate. Reading should be a pleasure not a chore.

16. Home support
We wholeheartedly believe in developing a really strong link between home and school. It is our aim to support you through the stages of phonics and are always really happy to go through anything with you at any stage in order to ensure you feel confident doing the right thing at home.
Flashcards, HF and tricky words and sounds. Home phonics. This is not compulsory but little and often really helps the children to grasp phonics quickly.

17. Phase 4 No new sounds to learn
Consolidates all the learning from Phase 2 and 3
Continues to develop blending and segmenting skills
Only a 5 week unit of work

18. Phase 5
Learn new representations of vowel digraphs: ee = ea (treat), e_e (these)

19. Learn alternative pronunciations for the graphemes already learnt:
0w: blow or cow
Develop the ability to choose the appropriate phoneme when reading and writing.

20. Phase 6
Children become fluent readers and increasingly accurate spellers
Learn spelling rules for forming past tenses , plurals
Learn to modify words by adding prefixes and suffixes
hop - hopping watch - watched
like - liked

21. May be a “best bet” suggestion
Learn how to choose between different possible graphemes for each phoneme
May be a “best bet” suggestion
e.g. ai oi spellings don’t come at the end of a word; instead, the ay and oy spellings are used in these positions : play not plai, enjoy not enjoi
Or may not….
e.g. goal pole bowl soul

22. Learn more complex spelling rules
e.g. When an /o/ sound follows a /w/ sound, it is frequently spelt with the letter a
was, wash, watch

23. Year 1 Phonics Screening Test
1:1 test with familiar adult
Score
Test
Results

24. New scheme of work we have brought this year. Years 2-6.
44 sounds will have been learnt through Phases 2-5 of Letters of Sounds.
Parents to complete sound chart activity.

25. New scheme of work we have brought this year. Years 2-6.
Year 2 start with a pre review task which allows us to see if the children can group sounds together.
They absolutely need to have secure knowledge of the 44 speech sounds before starting this.
Share with parents
44 sounds will have been learnt through Phases 2-5 of Letters of Sounds.
Parents to complete sound chart activity.

26. Sound sorting activity

28. Words to log and learn – log book Dictation Four-in-a-row Team teach
Speed spell
Spelling zone
Dots and dashes
Word changers
Words to log and learn – log book
Dictation
Four-in-a-row
Team teach
Jumping red words
Parents have a go at dots and dashes.