The primary approach to teaching pupils to read at Ratby Primary School is through the systematic teaching of synthetic phonics. This means that phonics is explicit, organised, sequenced and covers all of the grapheme-phoneme correspondences in the English Language.
At Ratby Primary School we use Twinkl Phonics as our systematic, synthetic phonics programme (SSP). This approach combines rigorous progression with engaging learning materials. Each lesson provides a structured approach to learning grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs), perfect for helping children progress from simple sounds to developing more complex knowledge and skills. Our multisensory approach includes: engaging activities focused on developing and applying reading and writing skills. We use fun mnemonics and actions to reinforce sound and letter recognition. Active repetition is used to ensure rapid recall of GPCs and common exceptions words at each level.
Twinkl Phonics is accompanied by Rhino Readers books. Rhino Reader books are individual reading books in EYFS and KS1, matched to each phonics level. Rhino Readers books keep the focus on phonics, with clear progression and support for children’s early decoding skills as they move through each level. This method ensures children only read the sounds and tricky words they’ve already learnt. Each book is fully decodable and aligned with Twinkl Phonics.
We passionately believe that teaching children to read and write independently, as quickly as possible, is one of the core purposes of a primary school.
To support the children outside of their phonics lessons, we provide the children with a rich reading environment. It is our belief that children should be engaged in the exploration of exciting and stimulating contexts for reading words with purposes for learning. Within class and around school, the children are surrounded by a love for reading and will regularly be exposed to shared, guided and independent reading.
Children are regularly assessed using individual and whole class assessments and regular Phonics Screening checks. This allows any children which have fallen off trajectory to receive daily keep-up sessions. Although by the end of Year 1 the teaching of phonics should be substantially complete, the teaching of word structures and spelling patterns continue to be learnt in Year 2 and this is further secured by the teaching and learning of spelling in Key Stage 2. Children requiring further support in Phonics, in Year 2 and beyond follow a tailored individual catch-up intervention.
The teaching of phonics using Twinkl Phonics is broken down into 6 levels that develop the children’s abilities. We follow a rigorous long-term plan to ensure that FS and KS1 cover all six levels by the end of Key Stage 1.
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 1, 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 level 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 level 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 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
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.
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
- Regular Phonics Screening Mock Checks at the end of each term. In the Spring Term we compile breakdown of results for each child which informs our 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
Our ambition is for all of our pupils to access the full Phonics Curriculum. Strategies used at Ratby Primary School involve techniques and interventions for Reading and Phonics.
All children are screened in Phonics at the end of Year 1, those who do not reach the threshold are provided with intervention and re-take the phonics screening check in Year 2. If a child does not meet the expected standard at this point, phonics teaching will continue into KS2.
Teaching and Learning of Phonics at Ratby Primary School
