Phonics
Formal phonics teaching begins in the Spring Term of Nursery. At this stage, children are introduced to the large Read Write Inc. (RWI) picture cards and learn a word that begins with the corresponding initial sound. They explore and listen to a range of words that share that same initial sound. This early exposure helps familiarise them with the picture cards so they are ready to recognise, read, and eventually write sounds when they move into Reception. Phonics in Nursery is always playful and interactive, and children gain a real sense of enjoyment and confidence as they begin to recognise letters and sounds.
In Reception, phonics teaching begins as soon as the children start school. During the first couple of weeks, as they settle into their new routines, we focus on sound-talk games and introduce them to our phonics mascot, Fred the Frog. With Fred’s help, the children practise listening to individual sounds and blending them together to form words. One of our favourite activities is What’s in Fred’s Fridge?—the children hear segmented sounds and orally blend them to identify the word, such as h-a-m, ch-ee-se, or m-i-l-k.
Once all the children have started and are settled, we begin our Read Write Inc. lessons. Each week, the children learn a 3 to 4 sound through a simple routine: say it, hear it, write it. This structured approach helps them build strong foundations for reading and writing as they progress through Reception.
Children will learn groups of sounds together:
Set 1 Sounds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ3ouqlJJHM
Set 2 Sounds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeTYjbA6GRo&list=RDWeTYjbA6GRo&start_radio=1
Set 3 Sounds – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTCmRKktyYY
Click the links to view the videos with examples of how to say the 'pure' phonics sounds in our 'Read, Write, Inc' phonics scheme.
See:
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/
for more parent information.