We have begun our daily phonics sessions in Reception. These are fun sessions involving lots of speaking, listening and games where the emphasis is on children’s active participation. They learn to use their phonic knowledge for reading and writing activities and in their independent play.
At Moortown we use a systematic phonics programme called Letters and Sounds alongside the actions of Jolly Phonics.
Letters and Sounds is divided into six phases, with each phase building on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. There are no big leaps in learning. Children have time to practise and rapidly expand their ability to read and spell words. They are also taught to read and spell ‘tricky words’ which are words with spellings that are unusual or that children have not yet been taught. These include the words to, was, said and the.
At the moment we are focusing on phase one which will have begun in nursery. This phase paves the way for the systematic learning of phonics. We plan activities that will help children to listen attentively to sounds around them, such as the sounds of their toys and to sounds in spoken language. We teach a wide range of nursery rhymes and songs and read good books to and with the children. This helps to increase the number of words they know – their vocabulary – and helps them talk confidently about books. The children learn to identify rhyme and alliteration.
Ways you can support your children at home
Play ‘What do we have in here?’ Put some toys or objects in a bag and pull one out at a time. Emphasise the first sound of the name of the toy or object by repeating it, for example, ‘c c c c – car’, ‘b b b b – box’, ‘ch ch ch ch – chip’.
Say: ‘A tall tin of tomatoes!’ ‘Tommy, the ticklish teddy!’ ‘A lovely little lemon!’ This is called alliteration. Use names, for example, ‘Gurpreet gets the giggles’, ‘Milo makes music’, ‘Naheema’s nose’.
Teach them ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’.
For more information, don’t forget the phonics meeting on Friday 12 October at 2.15. If you are unable to attend please let me know and I will send you some information.
Find on-line phonics games at www.phonicsplay.co.uk