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Phonics and Early Reading

Our approach to reading and phonics.

Fundamental to our approach to sharing reading from the earliest stages of Reception is the emphasis that books are fun and fascinating. We want children to do their best and become independent readers with a love of reading. Reading is encouraged in all classes and guided reading groups are run in both Key Stage One and Key Stage Two classes.

Phonic reading skills in Reception and Key Stage One are taught the using the Little Wandle programme which engages the children and builds confidence with reading comprehension skills thus by the time the children enter Key Stage Two they are confident readers who can talk about what they have read and answer questions thoughtfully.

Children are encouraged to use their phonic knowledge or recognition of sight words to decode and understand a text.

In Reception and Key Stage One we use the Little Wandle books as home readers. The children take home the book which matches the book they have read in class, that week. This book will be changed once the class book is changed. The children are also able to bring home an extra book to enable them to practise their reading skills.

Once the children are confident readers, we use a range of popular texts to excite and engage our children to become lifelong readers. 

We encourage children to read at home and communication between home and school is recorded in their reading diaries.