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Early

Reading 2024

Communication Language and Literacy

Early language development starts from birth.

Talking to children helps them make sense of the world around them and exposes them to the vocabulary they will need to communicate effectively themselves.

Every activity is an opportunity to expand your child’s vocabulary knowledge!

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Reading aloud to your child at home builds their oral language and early literacy skills. It develops their love of books and encourages reading for enjoyment. Vocabulary knowledge underpins a child’s ability to read with understanding; the more they read, the more they will learn.

Phonics

In the Foundation Stage, children begin to learn the sounds associated with each letter of the alphabet. We use Read, Write Inc. as our systematic approach to teaching phonics. There are 44 sounds in the English language with over 150 ways of making those sounds! We use sound cards, word cards, graded reading books and writing activities daily to support this learning. The sounds are split into 3 sets:

Set 1 – m, a, s, d, t, I, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, sh, r, j, v, y, w, th, z, ch, qu, x ng, nk

Set 2 - ee, igh, ow (snow), oo (soon), oo (book), ar, or, air, ir, ou (out), oy

Set 3 – ea, oi, a-e, i-e, o-e, u-e, aw, are, ur, er, ow (cow), ai, oa, ew, ire, ear, ure, tion, tious/cious

Sounds

Red Words

Speedy Green Words

Phonics books and ditties

Towards the end of Year 1, children complete a statutory phonics test. This involves the children reading 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words (nonsense words). The word difficulty increases as they move through the test. They complete this test 1 to 1 with their class teacher.

Phonics Screening

Reading books are graded by difficulty, each book band has its own colour. Children are assessed regularly to ensure they are on the right colour band for them, one that poses enough challenge to encourage growth, but which also allows for previously learnt skills to be consolidated.

Children tend to learn in fits and starts, periods of growth followed by periods of consolidation, when their progress seems to halt for a while. Although it may seem worrying, particularly if you have seen some rapid improvement, these periods are important and a time when your child is developing confidence in using and applying their newly acquired skills.

Banded Reading Books

Alphablocks - BBC – lots of useful resources including Alphablocks, a good programme for blending and hearing sounds in a fun way, plus other games and activities.

Parents and Carers - Ruth Miskin Literacy - videos and information for parents about Read, Write Inc., the phonic sounds and supporting your child at home.

Phonics Games for School and Home | ReadwithPhonics.com - a range of phonics based games

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk – a range of phonics and word reading games

Thank You!