Phonics

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They are taught how to:

• recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes;
• identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make - such as /sh/ or /oo/; and
• blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.

Children can then use this knowledge to ‘de-code’ new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.

Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way – starting with the easiest sounds and progressing through to the most complex – it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read.

It is particularly helpful for children aged 5 to 7. Almost all children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment.

Please click on the three links below to download documents which contain essential information that will help you support your child in the development of their phonics, reading and writing. 

Useful Website Links

Readwithfonics.com – an excellent website containing lots of information and activities

PhonicsPlay - lots of useful information and activities that you can use with your child

Activities to download and print out:

• http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/PrintableResources.htm - print out the flashcards from Phases 2, 3, 5a and then use them with your child to practise the individual sounds
• http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/PrintableResources.htm - print out the picture/match cards for Phases 2, 3, 4 and child love to first read the words and then find the matching pictures

Some excellent videos:

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqh11DN6jmbBHVCDeYtWRgJcZLowiu9cv – Mr Thorne Does Phonics – an excellent range of videos that children love to use to learn their phonics
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGpsVmWLRFA – Jolly Phonics Phase 2 song which has actions to help children remember the sounds
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjKq8s8154s – Jolly Phonics Phase 3 song which has actions to help children remember the sounds
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Q0BaUaqrI – Video of teachers going through the Phase 3 sounds
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KJcEILxOYI – Video of a teacher going through the Phase 5 sounds

What is the Phonics Screening Check?

The phonics screening check is a quick and easy check of your child’s phonics knowledge. It helps the school confirm whether your child has made the expected progress.

What are ‘non/pseudo-words’?

The check will contain a mix of real words and ‘non-words’ or ‘pseudo-words’ (or ‘nonsense/alien words’). Children will be told before the check that there will be non-words that he or she will not have seen before. Many children will be familiar with this because many schools already use ‘non-words’ when they teach phonics. Non-words are important to include because words such as ‘vap’ or ‘jound’ are new to all children. Children cannot read the non-words by using their memory or vocabulary; they have to use their decoding skills. This is a fair way to assess their ability to decode.

After the check

The school will tell you about your child’s progress in phonics and how he or she has done in the screening check in the last half-term of Year 1.

If your child has found the check difficult, your child’s school should also tell you what support they have put in place to help him or her improve. You might like to ask how you can support your child to take the next step in reading.

Children who have not met the standard in Year 1 will retake the check in Year 2. All children are individuals and develop at different rates. The screening check ensures that teachers understand which children need extra help with phonic decoding.

Previous Phonics Screening Checks

Below are some previous checks that you can download and practise with your child: