Phonics
Information on the curriculum
Teaching:
At Copley we use Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) as our Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme. This programme is followed with rigor and fidelity by all teachers and teaching assistants. Discrete whole-class phonics lessons are taught to all children daily in Year’s 1, 2 and Reception. To ensure that learning is embedded, flashcards and reading opportunities continue throughout the day and additional phonics teaching is given to identified children. Phonics remains the main strategy that we use to approach/decode unfamiliar words and spellings across the school.
Reading:
We ensure that the children are confident at, and can independently blend, the first set of sounds taught before taking home books containing these sounds. The children then go on to learn the next set of sounds and subsequently move through the reading scheme taking home only the books matched to their phonic ability. Each child reads with an adult in school at least once a week. We encourage our parents to read with their child at home and ask that they share their home school books together multiple times to ensure the children build confidence, fluency and understanding of the text.
Assessment:
Individual phonics assessments are completed for all children working within Letters and Sounds Phases every half term. Teachers then use this information to support pupils in moving forwards. Continuous formative assessment is carried out during lessons and this is used to inform any same day intervention or catch up.
Intervention:
Children who have been identified as ‘working below the required standard’ should have daily intervention until they are back on track as part of the ‘keep up not catch up’ ethos. This daily intervention can be paired with pre-teaching of the next sound to be taught. We use the ELS intervention programme to ensure continuity.
Parents - Supporting your child at home
Phonics Play - https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources
On this website, your child can practise reading words with the sounds they are learning at school.
EYFS - Currently on 'Phase 2'
Year 1 - Currently on 'Phase 5' but useful to practise phase 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Oxford Owl - https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk
On this website, you can access a range of books for your child to read at home.
1. Select ‘Oxford Owl for School’ and select ‘Log in’.
2. Select ‘Students’ from the three options at the top of the log in box.
3. Log in with the details sent home - please email your child's class teacher for these
Here you can access the eBook library and the eBook library for Letters and Sounds. The Letters and Sounds books are similar to those we send home. Please make sure you check the back of your child’s reading book to ensure you select the correct level/stage/phase for your child.
Spelling words at home
To help support your child with spelling words at home which are decodable please refer to the spelling sequence below.
Phonics Sounds
Here are the ELS phonics sounds with the picture and rhyme. These show the different sounds (graphemes) in each phase. They also have the rhyme that the children learn alongside them.
Phonics Mats
Here are the ELS Phonics mats. These are what children use in class to support them with their writing.
Parents - Information
Please scroll down for copies of our reading meeting PowerPoints
Pronunciation of sounds:
ELS Phase 2 sound pronunciation- https://vimeo.com/641445921/9382cf6db0
ELS Phase 3 sound pronunciation- https://vimeo.com/642342878/59d233684c
ELS Phase 5 sound pronunciation - https://vimeo.com/753933192/43104a30e0
Reading meeting 2024
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Reading meeting 25-9-2024.pptx | Download |
Year 1 Phonics Reading Meeting - 20.09.23
ELS Parents Information Powerpoint
Here is a copy of the PowerPoint from the phonics/early reading meeting we held for parents ahead of rolling out our chosen SSP scheme (Jan 2022). If you would like a copy of the presentation please do not hesitate to contact school.
Harder to Read and Spell Words (HRSW)
HRSW are words that children will find harder to read and spell as they will not have been taught the relevant GPCs (sounds) yet.
Please see the EYFS HRSWs and Year 1 HRSW.
EYFS - Children should be able to read and spell these words by the end of reception.
Year 1 - Children should be able to read and spell these words by the end of year 1.
Useful Apps:
Recommended by DfE (Department for Education):
(Please remember to model correct pronunciation when children are using any American based apps).
Lingumi (For children aged 2-5):
Sets of learning games, speech recognition games and video-based games to help with a child’s grammar and getting them speaking their first words early on.
Kaligo (For children aged 3-5):
The first digital handwriting exercise book using a stylus and tablet, built using AI and co-created with teachers, occupational therapists and neuroscientists.
Phonics Hero (For school-aged children):
Over 850 fun, varied and motivating games take a child step-by-step through the 44 sounds, the reading and spelling of words, and how to conquer sentences.
Teach Your Monster to Read (For school-aged children):
Covers the first two years of learning to read, from matching letters and sounds to enjoying little books, designed in collaboration with leading academics.
Navigo Game (For school-aged children):
Focuses on developing skills that underpin reading, including phonics, letters and sounds, designed by UCL Institute of Education and Fish in a Bottle.
Fonetti (For school-aged children):
The world’s first ‘Listening Bookshop’ interacting with children by giving visual cues in real-time as they read aloud and highlighting where the most support is needed.
Recommended by other Teachers:
Pocket Phonics
“Best app for learning phonics … Everything is taught exactly as it would be in school, with the same methods as outlined in the national curriculum.” iPad for Kids 2013
My Story
My Story is the simplest story maker and book creator in the App Store. Children can draw, use photos, record voice, type, and then send their finished creations to family and friends.