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Reading and Phonics Schemes

Reading and Phonics Schemes in EYFS and KS1

Phonic sound flash cards for each phase of

Bug Club Phonics

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

Phase 5

High Quality Texts

We truly believe in the power of a rich, high quality text.
If you would like some suggestions then please see the following lists of suggested texts for each year group.

Suggested Texts for Pre-school and Nursery

Suggested Texts for Reception Pupils

Suggested Texts for Year 1 Pupils

Suggested Texts for Year 2 Pupils

Suggested Texts for Year 3 Pupils

Suggested Texts for Year 4 Pupils

Suggested Texts for Year 5 Pupils
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The Power of Reading

Our aims:
To ensure all pupils make speedy progress in phonics and reading.
 
We start teaching phonics in Nursery/Reception and follow the Bug Club sequence of sounds, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

Pupils’ progress in reading is dependent upon both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. All teachers have the highest expectation that children will become proficient readers by the end of Key Stage 1 through our systematic, consistent implementation of our chosen phonic programme.  
 

The intent behind our phonics approach is to: 

• Deliver a validated high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programme of proven effectiveness is followed with rigour and fidelity so that children are taught consistently to use phonics as the route to reading unknown words. 
• Ensure pace of the phonics programme is maintained so that children become fluent, independent readers by the end of year 1.  
• Ensure children’s reading books show a cumulative progression in phonics knowledge that match the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they know to support decoding skills.  

Phonics is implemented through the Bug Club programme.

The programme begins as children enter Reception; with the expectation that they will be fluent readers having secured word recognition skills by the end of key stage one.  

• We ensure the teaching of phonics is systematic and consistent across school. The lessons are always taught at a fast pace to ensure children are highly engaged for the sessions. The teaching structure is progressive, terminology and resources are consistent.
• Teaching extends beyond ‘dedicated time’ and is applied and reinforced when appropriate throughout the day. Teaching of the programme is not necessarily limited to just phonic sessions and is evident across all curriculum areas and in EYFS/KS1 provision.  
• Children’s decodable reading books are carefully matched to their phonic knowledge and which do not require use of alternative strategies. These books are organised in the given sequence in our chosen phonic programme i.e. reading books build letter-sound correspondences cumulatively, therefore children’s reading books are fully decodable at child’s current level to aid fluency.  
• Parents are supported to know how best to support children in learning sounds through our phonics workshops and information videos throughout the year. 

Phonics is taught in a whole class approach. Any gaps in knowledge are addressed that day through 5-minute daily interventions (additional to whole class phonics sessions) from the start of the year in order for children to ‘keep up’ with their peers. Therefore, the children then move through the phase groups as one group together, Regular progress meetings are held with all reading teachers in KS1 to monitor  children making slowest progress.  Children in danger of falling behind, or who are working under expected levels (lower 20%), are swiftly identified and enough additional support provided to enable them to keep up. 
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The impact of our consistent and systematic teaching of our phonics programme is that children become fluent readers by the age of KS1. 

 Bug Club Comprehension

Once children become competent decoders we introduce Bug Club Comprehension.

Roald Dahl once said, “I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers. To become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.”

Bug Club's Comprehension's driving force has always been for all children to learn to become readers. The term ‘reader’ means more than to be able to decode. To be a ‘reader’, children should find books ‘funny, exciting and wonderful’; a rich source of amusement, entertainment, escapism, information as well as thought-provoking and, at times, challenging.

Supporting your child at home

Even once children are fluent readers, they still benefit from reading out loud or being read to.  When sharing books with your child, discuss the book you are reading. Here are some suggestions of questions you could ask, answer or discuss.

What has happened in the story so far?

What do you think will happen next?

Who is your favourite character? Why?

Who is the character you like least? Why?

Do you think the author intended you to like / dislike this character? How do you know?

Does your opinion of this character change during the story? How? Why?

Find two things the author wrote about this character that made him / her likeable?

If you met one of the characters from the story, what would you say to him / her?

Which part of the story is your favourite / least favourite? Why?

Would you change any part of the story? How?

Would you change any of the characters? How?

Which part of the story was the funniest/scariest/ saddest/ happiest? Find some evidence in the

text to support your opinion.

What is the purpose of this book? How do you know?

Why is this page laid out in this way? Could you improve it?

Pick three favourite words or phrases from this chapter. Can you explain why you chose them?

Did this book make you laugh? Can you explain what was funny and why?

Have you read anything else by this author? Is anything similar?

Does this book remind you of anything else? How?

When do you think this book was written? How do you know? Does it matter? What would it be like

if it was written now?

Do you think the title of the book is appropriate? What would you have called it?

What is the genre of the book: sci-fi, mystery, historical, fantasy, adventure, horror, comedy? What

are the features that make you think this?

Find two sentences which describe the setting.

Is the plot fast or slow moving? Find some evidence in the text, which supports your view.

If the author had included another paragraph before the story started what do you think it would

say?

Would you like to read another book by this author? Why/ why not?

Of course, it doesn’t have to be you asking the questions. Why not turn the tables and let your child

ask you about your reading material?

The greatest encouragement for your child is to see you - their most influential role model - reading.

Reading at Home

World Book Day 2022

We celebrated world book day by dressing up as our favourite characters and taking part in lots of exciting activities. 

Here is Class 3's performance of Roger McGough's Poetry Pie

Reading for pleasure opens new worlds for children.

It gives them the opportunity to use their imagination to explore new ideas, visit new places and meet new characters.

A really useful website to help you find the perfect book for your child is:

Love Reading For Kids

The site provides you with book recommendations for different types of books/readers. 

HAPPY READING

National Curriculum - English programmes of study

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.