Twinkl Phonics
At Ratby Primary School we use Twinkl Phonics across Foundation and Key Stage 1. Twinkl Phonics is a structured, systematic and fun programme. It is a joyful, systematic approach that uses stories to contextualise the phonemes, ensuring high level engagement right from the start. Each grapheme is introduced with a story and reading and writing activities to match that level. The children learn and practise the graphemes and common exception words through a range of different activities.
Teaching Style: EYFS and KS1
At Ratby Primary School, we believe that reading and writing is an essential life skill and are dedicated to enabling our children to become enthused, engaged and successful lifelong readers and writers. To support this, we implement daily phonics sessions, whereby the children learn new phonemes, improve their ability to segment and blend sounds, and their ability to apply this knowledge into their reading and writing.
In the Autumn Term, the Foundation Stage children are taught Level 2 graphemes. The children will learn to recognise, form and use these phonemes in simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words to begin to read and write simple words and captions. Once they have conquered this skill, they start reading stories and texts that have words made up of the sounds they know. This means that they can embed and apply their phonic knowledge and start to build their reading fluency. Once secure, the children move on to Level 3 whereby they will learn new graphemes and digraphs, improve their reading fluency and develop a greater writing ability. Throughout this process there is a focus on comprehension, reading with expression and reading for enjoyment.
Throughout Early Years and Key Stage One, children are taught in whole class lessons with small and focussed groups to target their specific needs for Phonics. Teachers and Learning Support Assistants regularly assess the children at each Phase using individual and whole class tracking. These assessments are completed at the end of each half term so that planning meets the needs of the children in that class, therefore ensuring all children are confident before moving onto a new phonics phase and interventions can be put in place.
In addition to this, all children are regularly assessed in Reading to ensure their reading books are at the correct phonics level. We ensure that pupils read books that are matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ability to read common exception words; so they experience early reading success and gain confidence that they are readers, as well as consolidating the learning that takes place in school.
The children are made aware of each level through the teaching of skills and working walls displayed in every classroom.
Each year group plans phonics lessons using the sequence:
- Revisit and Review
- Teach
- Practise
- Apply
- Assess learning against the criteria
Spellings
In Key Stage 1 children have weekly spelling tests which are based on the grapheme or spelling rule and common exception words they are learning that week.
Impact
By the time children finish Key Stage 1 they will have been taught all six levels of Twinkl Phonics.
Phonics will be assessed using:
- Teacher tracking and assessments both summative and formative
- Individual and whole class regular phonics and reading tracking and assessment
- Phonics Screening Mock Test in the Spring Term with a breakdown of results and next steps for the Summer Term with additional mock checks in May
- Phonics Screening Check in June for Year 1 and Year 2 Retakes
- Reading and Writing Trackers
- Cold and Hot Writes
