Phonics & Reading

Phonics

At Clarendon Road, phonics plays an intrinsic part in teaching and learning within EYFS and Key Stage 1.

Every child is taught tailored phonics sessions to suit their stage of development each and every single day for approximately twenty minutes per session. 

Phonics is taught by our highly trained and effective members of staff. Training for staff throughout school is refreshed regularly to ensure consistency.

Within the taught phonics sessions, children have opportunities to:

review their previous learning, 

be taught brand new phonics learning,

practise the new learning and build on previous learning 

and 

apply their new learning in a range of reading and writing based activities.

Teachers use ‘Supersonic Phonics Friends’ as a tool to support the delivery of phonics. This uses the Letters and Sounds Framework to structure lessons and engage the children with a range of characters, visuals, mnemonics and interactive resources.

Reading at home every night is encouraged and rewarded as this supports children’s in school phonics learning. Reading books are carefully matched to children’s phonic phases. We offer a range of fiction and non fiction publications to ensure children are exposed to a variety of styles of writing and different formats for reading such as:

Rising Stars

Collins Big Cat

Oxford Reading Tree

Project X

Badger Learning

Early Reader

Bug Club.

Phonics is extremely important in ensuring children develop an understanding of letters, sounds and eventually words to enable them to read, write and engage in the world around them.

By the end of Year 2, most children will have completed the Phonics scheme of learning and are ready to access the spelling programme that we offer at Clarendon Road. However, no child is left behind at Clarendon Road. For a small number of children that may require further teaching to support reading and writing, we offer a ReadingRecovery programme in Year 3 and further intervention in Years 4, 5 and 6 where required.

Our Chair of Governors, Anna Lucas, is an accredited Phonics and Early Years consultant. This provides us with the support to ensure staff are always up to date with current guidance and developments in EYFS and Phonics and the challenge of ensuring all of our phonics and EYFS provision is the very best it can be.