Websites and Apps to support learning of phonics

Suggested websites:

• http://www.letters-and-sounds.com/

• BBC – there are a number of resources available through the BBC website, for example:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/phonics/play/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/index.shtml

• Family Learning:

http://www.familylearning.org.uk/phonics_games.html

• Phonics Play – this is a subscription website. We have paid for in school use and the children are familiar with the games on it. Unfortunately, the subscription does not extend to home use, but individual subscriptions are available to purchase at £12 per year. Some games are free to play.

http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

• Kent Trust

http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/kentict/content/games/literacy_menu.html

• ICT games

http://www.ictgames.com/literacy.html

• Letters and Sounds – we use this website in school for resources and games. There are useful online games accessible via this website for example:

http://www.letters-and-sounds.com/phase-4-games.html

Suggested Apps for iPads

There are a large number of apps available, both for free and at a small cost. On our school iPads we use:

• Mr Thorne does Phonics (various at £1.49 – £2.99)
• ABC Pocket Phonics (free)

Year 1 phonics screening check

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

The statutory Year 1 Phonics Screening Check which will take place during the week 17th—21st June 2017. Please ensure that your child is in school during this week.

The check is a list of 40 words which children will read one-to-one with their class teacher.  It will assess phonics skills and knowledge learned through Reception and Year 1.

It will check that your child can:

• Sound out and blend graphemes in order to read simple words e.g. n-igh-t
• Read phonically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, e.g. cat, sand, windmill.
• Read a selection of nonsense words which are referred to as ‘pseudo words’.
• For the Department for Education Parents and Carers Information on the Year One phonics screening check click here.

Phonics in Key Stage 2

Phonics in Key Stage 2

Across Key 2, Read Write Inc is delivered as a phonic intervention for those children who have not passed the phonics screening test in Key Stage 1 or for children who have joined the school with gaps in their phonic knowledge and who are working below age related expectations for reading.

Reading

Reading schemes are developed in conjunction with literacy experts. Most schemes begin in the Foundation Stage and progressively become more difficult. For example, Key Stage 1 books are written with a mix of high-frequency and decodable words to develop a range of reading strategies, while Key Stage 2 books cover a wide range of genres and subjects, linking to the curriculum. 

At Surrey Street, like many other primary schools we use a combination of reading schemes to complement our phonics programme and to reflect the different interests of our children.  The schemes are organised by level (bands), with children having the option to read different books from different schemes at the same level.

See below for a list of the reading schemes:

Jelly and Bean

Project X

Songbird phonics

Tree Tops (Oxford Reading Project)

Guided Reading

Reading for enjoyment is encouraged and fostered at Surrey Street.  To teach children specific reading and comprehension skills guided reading is taught explicitly 3 times a week from Year 1 onwards.  In EYFS it is introduced formally in the summer term in preparation for the transition to Year 1.  Prior to that, inference and comprehension skills are taught in small group shared reading activities.  To support our guided reading programme, we use the Kings-Court reading books which complement our reading scheme in school and are banded accordingly.  

Spelling

Spelling

Spelling is a high focus and parents are encouraged to support their child’s spelling by practising spellings at home using the rainbow spelling cards and the spelling activity booklet.  These spelling cards focus on the end of year expectations for spelling rules and common exception words.  Further information on spellings can be found on our website.