Phonics in Reception

Phonics

In Reception, we follow the Little Wandle spelling programme and have a daily phonics lesson. This consistent practice helps children master the sounds they learn and retain them in their long-term memory.

Children’s progress is monitored through daily observations and summative assessments at the end of each half term. Those who need extra support take part in daily “keep-up” sessions—short, focused five-minute activities that reinforce learning and help children apply what they have been taught.

Workshops for Parents

Last year, our phonics workshops were a great success! Parents and children enjoyed working together to practice phonemes, build words, and explore our exciting new books.

We will be running these workshops again this year and hope for an even bigger turnout. 

How can you help with phonics?

It is really important that you support your child to pronounce the sounds correctly. Please watch the videos below so that you know the correct way to say the phonemes.

Reading

Whole class story time

We really enjoy story time as a whole class. We get to share a range of texts including fiction, poetry and non fiction books. 

In Autumn two term, the children will begin their reading sessions.  They will read in a small group three times a week with an adult.  Initially the children will have wordless books.  At the bottom of the pages are items for the children to search for and discuss with an adult.  Once the children's phonic knowledge has embedded and through careful assessments each half term, the children will be allocated a  decodable reading book.  The guided reading sessions help children to:

• read easily and fluently with good understanding.
• make sense of what we have read.
• build on what we already know.
• want to read.
• develop the habit of reading widely and often.
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar.

Home Reading

The books we read in guided reading are added to your child's Collins e-book page. You can then share these familiar books again at home with your child. These books contain all the phonemes your child is secure with.  They will be able to read them fluently.

The children will also bring home a physical book and a reading record.  This is a book that the children have chosen themselves. 

THESE BOOKS MAY NOT CORRESPOND WITH YOUR CHILD'S PHONICS KNOWLEDGE

They will need to be shared with an adult so that your child can be supported with any graphemes or tricky words that they are not secure with yet.  These books can be change once your child has read them or would like to read a different story.

Handwriting and Writing

Children will be taught letter formation alongside their Phonics lessons, as well as during explicit Handwriting sessions.  This is through Kinetic Letters.

Kinetic Letters is a handwriting  program  designed  to  help  children  learn  to  form  letters  effectively.  It  covers  all letters in the alphabet and is based on a set of simple rules to facilitate fast learning. The programme introduces letters  through  engaging  stories,  which  helps  children  remember  how  to  form  letters.  The  letters  are  grouped into families, allowing children to learn them in a way that aligns with their cognitive development. 

This is the progression of grip development although there are big differences as to what age children acquire the skills. A few children will jump stages while others go through a phase of using a combination of grasps.

Children are encouraged to use their holding fingers and pillow finger to secure a tripod grip.  

Letter Formation

There are six letter formation families:

Jumper Family: h, n, m, r, b, p.

Abracadabra Family: c, o, a, d, g, q, s.

Window Cleaner Family: l, t, i, u.

Special Squirter Family: e.

Fisher Family: j, g, f, y.

Slider Family: v, w, x, z, k.

As well as a phonics session everyday in Reception, there are daily of opportunities to develop fine motor skills.  These opportunities are carefully planned, depending on the children's needs and stage of development and all activities are accessible to every child.  Activities are planned for the inside and outside provision.

As fine motor skills and phonics knowledge develops, the children begin to form letters correctly and begin to refine their handwriting skills. Each day the children access a range of activities to advance their skills.

As our journey in reception continues, we become more independent with our phonics and writing. The children have a wide variety of activities to access throughout the provision to enable them to develop their phonics and writing. These can range from making marks in colored sand to writing captions for pictures.

Handwriting