At Kirtlington CE Primary we use ‘Letters and Sounds’ supplemented with Phonics Play, as the basis for our phonic teaching. Letters and Sounds is divided into six phases, with each phase building on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. Phonics are the sounds that letters make and learning them helps children to decode words and begin to read and write. Children are also taught to read and spell ‘tricky words’, which are words with spellings that are unusual.
When children enter into Reception, they take part in high quality phonics sessions every morning. We teach phonics in class, in groups and sometimes as individual sessions in order to reinforce learning. These sessions involve lots of speaking, listening and games, where the emphasis is on children’s active participation. We teach from Phase 2 in Reception, working through the phases when children are ready to Phase 6. Our systematic approach ensures pupils are well prepared for their phonic test at the end of Year 1.