Phonics

Phonics at Drighlington Primary School

At Drighlington Primary, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important things a child will ever do. Reading opens the door to every other area of learning and gives children the confidence to explore the world around them. We want all of our children not only to learn to read successfully, but to develop a genuine love of books that stays with them for life.

We use the Read Write Inc. programme to give children a strong start in reading and writing. This approach is based on learning letter sounds and helps children to read words accurately and fluently from an early age. By building these skills step by step, children quickly gain confidence and begin to see themselves as readers.

Reading is at the heart of everything we do. We believe books should never feel like a chore—they should inspire imagination, curiosity and enjoyment. Alongside developing reading skills, we place a strong emphasis on vocabulary, helping children to understand and use a wide range of words so they can express themselves clearly and confidently.

“Vocabulary is like mental Velcro - the more you know, the more ‘hooks’ you have to hook onto new words.” – Alex Quigley

What does phonics look like in our school?

Children begin learning phonics as soon as they start school. In Early Years and Key Stage 1, they take part in daily phonics lessons using the Read Write Inc. approach. These lessons are carefully structured and taught in small groups, ensuring that every child is learning at the right level for them.

Children are regularly assessed and grouped according to their phonics knowledge, which means teaching can be closely matched to their needs. As children learn new sounds, they begin to blend them together to read words and sentences. They quickly move on to reading books that are carefully matched to the sounds they know, helping them to build fluency and confidence.

Reading is about more than just decoding words. Children are supported to understand what they read, talk about stories and develop expression and enjoyment in their reading. They work with partners to practise and explain their learning, building confidence and reinforcing understanding.

As children become more secure readers, they move on to more complex texts and begin to focus more on comprehension and developing a deeper understanding of what they read.

In practice, children learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and are taught how to blend these sounds to decode (read) words. We start by teaching children to read and blend the first thirty Set 1 sounds. 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, children learn Set 2 and Set 3 sounds and then read texts with increasingly more complex sounds and graphemes. Throughout this process there is a focus on comprehension, reading with expression and reading for enjoyment. Pupils are also taught to work effectively with a partner to explain and consolidate what they are learning.

Supporting every child

We aim for children to complete the phonics programme as quickly as possible so they can move on to reading a wide range of books independently. Most children achieve this by the end of Year 2.

For children who need additional support, we use targeted teaching and, where needed, the Read Write Inc Fresh Start programme in Key Stage 2. This helps older pupils to catch up quickly and become confident readers.

We are committed to ensuring that every child experiences success. By matching books closely to their ability, children are able to practise, re-read and build fluency, helping them to see themselves as capable and successful readers.

Reading at home

We know how important reading at home is, and we work closely with families to support this. Children take home books that are carefully matched to their reading level, so they can practise with confidence.

Our Read Write Inc book bag books are sent home each week and directly link to the learning taking place in school. This helps children to consolidate their skills and build fluency.

We encourage parents to read regularly with their children and to share a love of stories together—whether that’s reading aloud, discussing books or simply enjoying time with a good story.

Here is a document to help with what you could write in your child's reading record. Click here.

Our aim

We want every child to leave Drighlington Primary:

As a confident and fluent reader
With a strong understanding of what they read
With a rich and growing vocabulary
With a genuine love of books

Why reading matters

Reading supports every area of learning. It helps children to:

Access the wider curriculum
Develop imagination and creativity
Build confidence and independence
Understand the world around them

Year 1 Phonics screening check

Phonics screening check- guide for parents.

As you know, we are supporting your wonderful children to read and write through Phonics and English lessons every single school day. As discussed in parents evenings and phonics workshops, towards the end of the school year, children in Year 1 take part in the Phonics Screening Check.

This test is rolled out nationally each year and is designed to assess your children's reading skills via 40 words, split into 2 sections. Each section consists of 10 real words and 10 pseudo-words ('alien' or 'nonsense' words). These pseudo-words are 'thrown in' because your children need to be able to use their phonic decoding skills to be able to read any word they may come across as they progress through school, whether they know it's meaning or not.

Here are some resources you can use at home to prepare your children.

Phonics screening mock test.

Roll and read - real and nonsense words.

Roll and read - split digraphs

Phonics screening homework

Phonics screening check - children's materials.

Why does my child have to take this test?

Every child across the country must and will take part in this test. The Year 1 phonics screening check is not a formal test, but a way for us to ensure that your children are making sufficient progress with their phonics skills to read words and that they are on track to become fluent readers who can enjoy reading for pleasure and for learning. We also want to ensure your children are prepared for their transition for Year 2.

When is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Test?

The Phonics Test is a compulsory test. It takes place in the second week of June, in the second half of the Summer Term , towards the end of Year 1.

How will this be conducted?

We, as educators, do not have any access to the Phonics Screening Check words until the morning of the first day of the Screening week in June. The test itself will be carried out by your child’s class teacher. Each child will take their test individually, on a one-to-one basis. They will have plenty of time to attempt each word and the Year 1 teachers will do everything they can to put each child at ease when taking their test. We are striving to support and prepare your children for these conditions. Should you have any questions at all about this please do not hesitate to ask!

What is the pass mark?

Since the phonics screening check began in 2012, children have been expected to be able to read 32 or more of the 40 words on the screening test in order to pass. But this pass mark can change.

What if my child does not reach the pass-mark?

If your child does not reach the expected standard in this test please do not panic! The Year 1 Screening Check also allows teachers to assess the possible learning needs, phonic skills and/or audible discrimination presented by each child. Should your child need extra support to achieve the expected level for reading, this support will be implemented and continued throughout Year 2, so that they can take this test again at the end of Year 2.

How you can help your child at home?

Partnerships with parents and carers is an important part of Drighlington Primary School. Working closely with parents enables us to ensure parents feel confident that their child is safe, well looked and is receiving a high quality education during their school hours. We endeavour to involve and train parents/carers in supporting phonics and reading at home through workshops, information sessions, newsletters and online resources. Through the rigorous assessment of pupils through this scheme, we ensure that pupils select appropriate books to take home for reading.

There are a number of things that parents can do to support early reading skill development at home.

Let your child see you enjoying reading yourself, they are influenced by you and what you value!
Establish routine that includes regular reading throughout the week.
Explain the meaning of words.
Have fun with Fred talk at home and ask your child to put on their c-oa-t or show them its time for b-e-d.
Immerse your child in a love of reading: share books and magazines with your child. Read as many stories to your child as you can such as traditional tales, stories from other cultures, poetry, their favourite story.
Help your child to practice reading key words and sounds when these are sent home.
Make up alien words for names of toys or things around the home.
Purchasing the same materials that we use at school. You can buy these on Amazon for around £5. Search for ‘RWI Phonics Flashcards.'