Phonics

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised

We teach early reading at Winslow in EYFS and KS1 through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic, synthetic phonics programme. We begin teaching phonics in the first few weeks of Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Progression which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. In Reception and KS1 we teach daily phonics lessons in addition to reading practice sessions three times a week with a focus on decoding, prosody and comprehension.  

As a school, we are committed to making early reading and phonics a priority. Therefore, we have fully trained all teachers and LSAs in the LWLS programme. We are equipped with high quality resources and fully decodable reading books to teach phonics and reading.

“A love of reading is the biggest indicator of future academic success.”

^{OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)}

Phonics in Reception

In Reception, the children begin their reading journey in short, focussed phonics sessions. We teach Phase 2 and Phase 3 sounds and graphemes. Below are the mnemonics, pronunciation phase and formation phrases so you can support at home.

Phonics in Year 1

In Year 1, the children learn Phase 5 graphemes. These graphemes are alternative ways of representing phonemes that were introduced in Reception in Phases 2 and 3. The children will learn which graphemes can make alternative sounds, and the alternative sounds for the same graphemes.

Year 1 children will also learn how to write and form capital letters.

Supporting your child with reading

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:

A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.

A sharing book.  Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.

Reading practice book

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.

Sharing book

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

“One of the greatest gifts adults can give is to read to children.”

^{Carl Sagan}

Additional Information for parents

To learn more information, please view the Little Wandle Information Page for parents. You will find useful documents, videos on how we teach in school and clips modelling how to pronounce sounds.