What Is Phonics?
Phonics is a systematic way to teach children to read and spell words. It enables children to blend the individual phonemes (the sound letter(s) make) and also supports their spelling to segment (break down) words orally by individual phonemes e.g. d_o_g.
At Westwood with Iford, Phonics is taught daily using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme. Should you wish to explore this further the Little Wandle website has many resources which may help you to support your child at home.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
The DFE stated :
“High quality phonics teaching gives children a solid base on which to build as they progress through school. Children who master the mechanics of reading are well-placed to go on to develop a love of reading."
Children undertake a statutory screening check at the end of Year 1. The phonics screening check is a short and simple assessment of phonic decoding. It consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which Year 1 children read to a teacher. Administering the assessment usually takes between four and nine minutes per child.
The check is designed to confirm whether individual pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard and have grasped the essential skills that underpin good reading.
Phonics Resources
Phonics is taught daily using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme. Should you wish to explore this further the Little Wandle website has many resources which may help you to support your child at home.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
You might like to explore these websites for further phonics games/activities.
Topmarks - this site offers and range of free interactive games.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/5-7-years/letters-and-sounds
Phonics Play- this site offers some interactive games for free.
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/freeIndex.htm#
Phonics Bloom - this site offers some interactive games and phoneme flash cards for free.
https://www.phonicsbloom.com/
ICT Games – offers games to support the recognition of phonemes.
https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/literacy.html
Taught Phonemes
There are 44+ common phonemes in the English language which are taught throughout a child’s time in the reception year and year one. The phonemes are listed in the grids below by the phases they are taught in.
Phases Taught In Reception
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Autumn 1 Phase 2 graphemes
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New tricky words
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s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h b f l
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is I the
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Autumn 2 Phase 2 graphemes
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New tricky words
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ff ll ss j v w x y z zz qu ch sh th ng nk
- words with –s /s/ added at the end (hats sits)
- words ending –s /z/ (his) and with –s /z/ added at the end (bags)
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put* pull* full* as and has his her go no to into she push* he of we me be
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*The tricky words ‘put’, ‘pull’, ‘full’ and ‘push’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
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Spring 1 Phase 3 graphemes
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New tricky words
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ai ee igh oa oo oo ar or ur ow oi ear air er
- words with double letters
- longer words
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was you they my by all are sure pure
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Spring 2 Phase 3 graphemes
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No new tricky words
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Review Phase 3
- longer words, including those with double letters
- words with –s /z/ in the middle
- words with –es /z/ at the end
- words with –s /s/ and /z/ at the end
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Review all taught so far
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Summer 1 Phase 4
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New tricky words
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Short vowels with adjacent consonants
• CVCC CCVC CCVCC CCCVC CCCVCC • longer words and compound words • words ending in suffixes:
–ing, –ed /t/, –ed /id/ /ed/, –est
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said so have like some come love do were here little says there when what one out today
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| Summer 2 |
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| Revist and review previously taught phonemes and tricky words. |
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Year 1
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Autumn 1
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Review tricky words Phases 2–4
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Review Phase 3 and 4
Phase 5
/ai/ ay play
/ow/ ou cloud
/oi/ oy toy
/ea/ ea each
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Phases 2–4: the put* pull* full* push* to into I no go of he she we me be was you they all are my by sure pure said have like so do some come love were there little one when out what says here today
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*The tricky words ‘put’, ‘pull’, ‘full’ and ‘push’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
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Autumn 2 Phase 5 graphemes
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New tricky words
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/ur/ ir bird
/igh/ ie pie
/oo/ /yoo/ ue blue rescue
/yoo/ u unicorn
/oa/ o go
/igh/ i tiger
/ai/ a paper
/ee/ e he
/ai/ a-e shake
/igh/ i-e time
/oa/ o-e home
/oo/ /yoo/ u-e rude cute
/ee/ e-e these
/oo/ /yoo/ ew chew new
/ee/ ie shield
/or/ aw claw
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their people oh your Mr Mrs Ms ask* could would should our house mouse water want
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The tricky word ‘ask’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
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Spring 1 Phase 5 graphemes
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New tricky words
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/ee/ y funny
/e/ ea head
/w/ wh wheel
/oa/ oe ou toe shoulder
/igh/ y fly
/oa/ ow snow
/j/ g giant
/f/ ph phone
/l/ le al apple metal
/s/ c ice
/v/ ve give
/u/ o-e o ou some mother young
/z/ se cheese
/s/ se ce mouse fence
/ee/ ey donkey
/oo/ ui ou fruit soup
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any many again who whole where two
school call different thought through friend work
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Spring 2 Phase 5 graphemes
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New tricky words
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/ur/ or word
/oo/ u oul awful could
/air/ are share
/or/ au aur oor al author dinosaur floor walk
/ch/ tch ture match adventure
/ar/ al a half* father*
/or/ a water
schwa in longer words: different
/o/ a want
/air/ ear ere bear there
/ur/ ear learn
/r/ wr wrist
/s/ st sc whistle science
/c/ ch school
/sh/ ch chef /z/ ze freeze
schwa at the end of words: actor
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once laugh because eye
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*The tricky words ‘half’ and ‘father’ may not be pronounced as this in some regional pronunciations
Summer 1: Phonics screening check review – no new GPCs or tricky words
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Summer 2 Phase 5 graphemes
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New tricky words
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/ai/ eigh aigh ey ea eight straight grey break
/n/ kn gn knee gnaw
/m/ mb thumb
/ear/ ere eer here deer
/zh/ su si treasure vision
/j/ dge bridge
/i/ y crystal
/j/ ge large
/sh/ ti ssi si ci potion mission mansion delicious
/or/ augh our oar ore daughter pour oar more
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busy beautiful pretty hour move improve parents shoe
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