What is Phonics? Phonics is a reading strategy that gives children the tools they need to read and write words. Children are taught to hear the phonemes in words and segment and blend words using the graphemes they have been taught. What do we do? At Crumpsall Lane, to give children the best start in reading, we follow the Read , Write Inc. Phonics scheme. Children are grouped according to their ability. The children access a daily phonics session, which is systematically planned in order to support children to read as quickly as possible. We focus on building fluency to support automacity.
How do we assess? Pupils are assessed every six weeks and re-grouped according to their assessment. We know that not all children learn at the same pace so in order to 'keep up and not catch up' children working below age related expectations access a daily 5 minute 1:1 intervention that is specifically tailored to their needs.
Phonics Screening Check
In Year 1, phonics is assessed using the Phonics Screening Check in June. Pupils read 40 words that include a range of sounds the children have been taught. There is a mix of real and nonsense words to check the pupils are able to decode words in order to read.
Phonics at Home
Please find some supportive videos that help parents understand phonics and how best to support your child at home. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions document which may answer some of your questions.