Phonics
We have used Supersonic Phonic Friends (SSPF) since September 2022, which is a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Supersonic Phonic Friends enables children to build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. Supersonic Phonic Friends ensures children develop passion for reading and the confidence to independently apply each skill when reading and writing. Discrete Phonics lessons take place daily across Nursery, Reception and Year 1 for 30 minutes. These lessons incorporate a wide range of practical and interactive opportunities to engage the children and embed behaviours for learning. Each lesson is carefully sequenced so that children experience new and previous learning to recognise, build, read and write.
- Nursery follow firm foundations planning from SSPF which gives children playful daily repeated experience, exposure and enjoyment of general sound discrimination (environmental sounds, instrumental sounds and body percussion) and phonological awareness (rhythm and rhyme, alliteration and oral blending and segmenting.
- Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Basics 2 and 3 GPCs and words with adjacent consonants (Basics 4).
- Children in Year 1 review Basics 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using the higher levels choose to use spelling and switch it spell sounds.
- Children in Year 2 continue phonics lessons in the autumn term and then progress to fluency in reading and learn spelling rules.
Please visit the website for more information and to meet the characters!
https://www.supersonicphonicfriends.co.uk/
Early Reading
We aim to foster a love of reading in all our children here at West Street. This is vital both as a life skill in order to enable children to access a wide range of information in the world around them but also a means of enjoyment where books can transport them to many new and exciting worlds. We ensure that children get to read and hear a wide range of genres as part of our holistic approach to reading for pleasure. Approaches we use to develop a love of reading include: daily story time in all classes from foundation through to KS2.
Our classes have access to a library session each week full of diverse and engaging books to give the children the will to read. We also have regular reading rewards to encourage children further. In foundation and KS1 the children have access to a high quality reading area in the classroom with high-quality texts.
To support reading skill development, we use 'Supersonic Phonics Friends' as our systematic synthetic phonics programme. Further information can be found in the phonics section. Our reading scheme is closely matched to phonics teaching to enable children to practise the new skills they are developing. Our main reading scheme is Big Cat Phonics supported by other phonic readers to add breadth and further opportunity to practise.