Phonics and Early Reading

Teaching Phonics and Early Reading with

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised 

Early Reading and Phonics Intent 

At Fox Hill Primary School, we believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics straight away in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects. We also encourage our children to see themselves as readers for both pleasure and purpose.

• We currently teach phonics in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 for 30 minutes a day. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.
• Any child who needs additional practice has daily Keep-up support, taught by a fully trained adult. Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.

• Children in Key Stage 1 and Year 3 also participate in reading practice sessions three times a week. 
• In KS2 we continue to teach reading in this way for any children who still need to practise reading with decodable books.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Reading Books

Children in Reception, KS1 and Year 3 will be allocated the book that they have read in their reading practice sessions as an e-book to re-read over the weekend. Your child should be able to read their book without your help and without overtly sounding or blending the majority of the words. Please do not assume that the book is therefore too easy for your child - reading their scheme book to you at home should be an opportunity for them to develop their confidence and celebrate their success in reading.

To help foster a love of reading, your child will also take home a high quality book of their own choice to share and enjoy with you. You should not expect your child to read this book independently and should not attempt to get your child to do so. The ‘reading for pleasure’ book is solely for you to read to or with your child and enjoy together. 

Please record a comment in your child’s reading diary at least three times a week and ensure that it is in their book bag every day.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Home Learning

Each week, your child will also bring home a Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Phonics home learning sheet. The sheet sets out the phonemes and graphemes they will be learning in school as well as activities for you to complete with your child to practise and reinforce their phonic knowledge and reading skills.

Please see below for the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds progression and the pronunciation guides for each Phase. 

For more information on how to support your child with phonics at home please visit https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/. Our first Parents and Carers Phonics Workshop was on Thursday 1st December, resources from this will be sent out shortly.