At Birch C of E primary School, we believe that phonics is the building block of early reading and writing.  We follow the Read Write Inc. phonics programme, a Department for Education validated systematic synthetic phonics scheme.  

Phonics is taught four days a week from the start of Reception, and continues through Key Stage 1 (and beyond where needed.)  Children are taught in small groups according to their current phonics stage, ensuring that lessons are focused and appropriate.  Each session includes revising and learning 'speed sounds', the oral blending of words, segmenting of words, reading activities and short sentence writing activities.  Progress is assessed half-termly so that the children are able to move through the programme at their own pace.  

The children take home Read Write inc. decodable books that are matched to the sounds they are learning or revising in their phonics sessions.  These 'guided reading' books allow children to apply their phonics knowledge and build their reading confidence.  

We ask parents to support the children with practising their sound cards and 'red word' (tricky word) cards at home.  We deliver a phonics workshop for parents at the start of the Reception year to support the parents with this.  However, if a child needs additional support, extra practice will be put in place through short intervention sessions with a teacher or teaching assistant.  Our goal is for every child to master phonics early and to move confidently into fluent reading.  

Click on the link below to practise sounds with your child:-

Speed Sounds complete list