Hambrough Primary and Nursery School

Phonics in Reception

These are the sounds we will learn this year in Reception. Through mnemonics and rhymes children are taught letter formation and given examples of the sound within words to help the children remember how to write it.

Reception Phonics and Reading Workshop December 2021

AIM OF THE WORKSHOP

 Explanation of our phonics, reading and handwriting practices at Hambrough Primary School.

WHAT IS PHONICS AND WHY DO WE TEACH IT?

• Method of teaching children to read and write (spell) word

• It teaches children to connect letters of the alphabet to the sounds they make
• Blending from left to right to make a word                      
• Segmenting for spelling

HOW IS PHONICS TAUGHT IN RECEPTION?

We use a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme which provides a structured route towards being able to read. We do not start with word reading but with the most basic unit of sound, the phoneme. The reading process involves breaking words into separate sounds and blending them together to read an unknown word. Our approach is rigorous and provision is current and of a high quality. We use Essential Letters and Sounds to engage and enthuse! Phonics is split up into 6 phases that the children will work through throughout Early Years to Key Stage 1.

PHASE 1

Your child will be learning to have fun with sounds and develop their listening skills.

General sound discrimination

Raise children’s awareness of the sounds and rhythms around them. Activities include listening walks, playing instruments, making loud and quiet sounds, listening to music.

Rhythm and rhyme

Develop children’s awareness of sounds and rhythms. Activities include rhyming stories and games, clapping syllables in words and odd one out. Children also understand that spoken words are split into syllable.

Alliteration

Focuses on the initial sound in words. Activities include matching objects that have the same initial sound and I-Spy games.

Oral blending and segmenting

Develop blending and segmenting skills.

PHASE 2

Children begin to formally learn the sounds in the English language. Letters and their sounds are introduced one at a time. Through mnemonics and rhymes children are taught letter formation and given examples of the sound within words. 

Set 1: s a t p            Set 2: i n m d                                                         

Set 3: g o c k           Set 4: ck e u r             Set 5: h b f, ff l, ll ss    

PHASE 3

Set 6: j, v, w, x            Set 7: y, z, zz, qu

Consonant digraphs: ch, sh, th, ng

Vowel digraphs: ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ar, or, ow, oi, ear, air, ure, er

And alternative spellings: ay, oy, ou, ie

HOW IS PHONICS TAUGHT?

30 minutes everyday!

Each lesson will follow this format: Revisit/Review, Teach, Practice, Apply

• Review previously taught graphemes.
• Review previously taught HRS( hard to read and spell words)
• Segmenting and orally blending up to eight words using review sounds and today’s new
• Teach the new HRS word for the lesson.
• Introduce the new sound - using the grapheme card, introduce the mnemonic or rhyme
• read some words with the sound.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Provide your child with lots of different opportunities to speak and listen with others:

E.G. – Preparing meals – Tidying up – Putting shopping away – Getting ready to go out Switch off the T V, radio, iPads and mobile phones.

• Show you are interested in their conversation Sing an alphabet song together Play ‘I spy
• Read stories. Use puppets and toys to tell stories and bring them to life.
• Make reading relaxing and low-key for a short part of the day.
• Read aloud funny or interesting parts of your favourite children’s books.
• Talk about good books together.
• Let children pick out their own books.
• When reading: ‘Sound it out’
• When spelling: ‘What sounds can you hear?’
• Play with magnetic letters cat = c-a-t segmenting for spelling
• Allow your children to make mistakes, encourage self-correction and praise them for trying new words
• Play phonic games.
• Practise reading the keyring of tricky words.

Please come to our Phonics and reading workshop this term. Teachers in Reception classes will teach a phonics lesson that you can observe and they will help you how to read the decodable books with your child.

Please see the teachers for a date you can attend.