1. Reading and Phonics Workshop
Welcome to Pluto Class
Reading and Phonics Workshop

2. 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.

3. Why phonics?
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 children aged 5 to 7.
Almost all children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment.
Children who have been taught phonics also tend to read more accurately than those taught using other methods, such as ‘look and say’. This includes children who find learning to read difficult, for example those who have dyslexia. If you would like to find out more about phonics, visit the phonics section of the Department for Education website.

4. Year 1 Curriculum - English
Focus on Phonics
Phonemes are the sounds letters and combinations of letters make.
Graphemes are the way we write the phonemes.
We teach the phonemes & graphemes together in a particular order which allows children to quickly be able to read simple phonetic books.
We also teach the alphabet and letter names, tricky words which cannot be decoded phonetically and high frequency words,.
More information and games can be found on these websites:

5. How phonics sessions are structured
We use the phonics programme: Letters and Sounds. We have daily phonics lessons.
20 minutes
Revisit - link sounds to letters/ recap ‘tricky’ words.
Teach - new sound or new word.
Practise - e.g matching games to recognise new sound/ word
Apply - Read or write using new sounds learnt.

6. A digraph is a pair of letters which make one phoneme (sound).
Digraphs
A digraph is a pair of letters which make one phoneme (sound).
For example;
ai - snail
oa – boat
or – born
If your child sounds out these words, make sure they say the digraph as one sound.
Rebecca - introduction

7. How would you break up these words?
light sound haunted

8. How would you break up these words?
l / igh / t s / ou / n / d h / au / n / t / e / d

9. Split digraphs
If a word contains a ‘vowel / consonant / e’ pattern the vowel and the ‘e’ are a split digraph.
For example,
like
cake
flute
complete
rope
The ‘e’ on the end of the word makes the vowel say its ‘letter name’ but doesn’t make a sound itself.

10. This used to be referred to as
‘Magic E’.
However, it is more helpful to call it a ‘split digraph’ because there are many words that end in ‘e’ which are not split digraphs.
E.g. Before, there.

11. Letter patterns
When reading it is easier to break down long words into sections. Cover up the part of the word you are not trying to read before blending. B u t t e r f l y C h i m p a n z e e S e p t e m b e r

12. Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
What is the phonics screening check?
The phonics screening check is a quick and easy check of your child’s phonics knowledge.
It helps the school confirm whether your child has made the expected progress.
This takes place early in the summer term.
Children are expected to read both real and pseudo (nonsense) words.
It is simply a test of their phonic knowledge and blending skills, rather than a general reading test.
Pretend parents are the children.
Examples of how we develop language

14. The importance of reading
Being able to read opens the doorway to learning and exploring the world in which we live. It will help your child to become a successful and happy adult.

15. Year 1 Curriculum - English
Focus on Reading
Using their phonics skills, learning high frequency words and ‘tricky words’, which can’t be phonetically decoded (e.g. the, she, want, were).
Change reading books every day if reading record book is signed.
Guided Reading – 2 group sessions each week.
Children heard read by an adult on a 1:1 basis at least once a week.
Expected to read at home mins daily.

16. We love reading!
We want the children to develop a love of reading, being able to read a wide range of print genres in many different settings. We are all reading all the time:
Computers, ipads, games consoles
Television
Newspapers, magazines, tv guides
Environment – labels, cereal boxes, signs & logos
Books, comics, posters, leaflets, dictionaries
Menus, catalogues, recipes, instructions
Road signs, maps
We cultivate an atmosphere of reading for pleasure and understanding.
Creating a love of reading in children is potentially one of the most powerful ways of improving academic standards in school.

17. What does guided reading look like?
The teacher works with a small group of children who are at the same developmental stage of reading
The teacher selects an unknown text that provides just the right balance of support and challenge
The teacher reminds the children to use a range of reading strategies
The teacher uses questioning and other strategies to develop comprehension
It allows children to learn from each other. The same skill can be taught to a group, making it more efficient. It is more supportive for the child – non threatening. It allows children to discover the meaning of the text for themselves. It encourages problem solving strategies to decode unfamiliar words, deal with difficult sentence structures and understand concepts or ideas they haven’t encountered before in print.

18. Whichever way we teach reading we want the same end product …children to be fluent and confident, to become lifelong readers and above all enjoy reading.
Guided reading is just one of the approaches we adopt.

19. How can you help? Making time to listen to your child read at home.
Join the library.
Let your children see you read.
Encourage them to read different things – magazines, books, comics, things on ipads/computers – it’s all reading.
Ask your child questions about the book they are reading.
Share books with your child.

20. Help us to encourage a love of reading
Encourage children to choose a book they’d like to read
Read children’s favourite books again and again to encourage them to learn new words through repetition.
Have a regular story time within your child’s routine.
Share your favourite books with your child and talk about why you like them.
Make up stories together, story time doesn't always have to involve a book!
Take it in turns to read with your child. Tell them what you enjoyed about listening to them read. 

21. Any questions?
Thank you for taking the time to come this afternoon, your support is very much appreciated. You can now have a look at some of the resources that we use in the different key stages. We have a range of fiction, non-fiction, plays… Feel free to talk to the teachers! There is also a leaflet to give you some ideas for supporting your child’s reading at home.