Phonics
Our approach to phonics is 'Supersonic Phonic Friends.' We have used this since September 2022 and it has transformed phonics in our school. This programme is a fully systematic, synthetic phonic approach ranging from the simple to the complex spellings of the alphabetic code. Supported by their Supersonic Phonic friends, this approach will ensure children develop confidence and apply each skill to their own reading and writing. Supersonic Phonic Friends is taught from nursery to year 2 and is taught as a discrete lesson daily.
The benefits of this approach include:
- Active engagement at all times ensuring every session is maximised, making every minute count. Fun and physical indoor and outdoors and so much more...
- Supersonic Phonic Friends fully meets the DFE’s 16 Essential Core Criteria. It ensures commitment, consistent, creative quality first teaching of phonics across all key stages.
- Injecting new life into phonics. Exciting, engaging and brain friendly phonics made simple and easy for teachers and children.
Please visit the website for more information and to meet the characters!
https://www.supersonicphonicfriends.co.uk/
From Year 3, we continue to explore grapheme phoneme correspondence all the way up to Year 6 with a systematic approach to building on the firm foundations from our Supersonic Phonics Programme. From year 2, children will access daily spelling sessions based on Spelling Shed.
Early Reading
We aim to foster a love of reading in all our children here at West Street. This is vital both as a life skill in order to enable children to access a wide range of information in the world around them but also a means of enjoyment where books can transport them to many new and exciting worlds. We ensure that children get to read and hear a wide range of genres as part of our holistic approach to reading for pleasure. Approaches we use to develop a love of reading include: daily story time in all classes from foundation through to KS2.
Our classes have access to a library session each week full of diverse and engaging books to give the children the will to read. We also have regular reading rewards to encourage children further. In foundation and KS1 the children have access to a high quality reading area in the classroom with high-quality texts.
To support reading skill development, we use 'Supersonic Phonics Friends' as our systematic synthetic phonics programme. Further information can be found in the phonics section. Our reading scheme is closely matched to phonics teaching to enable children to practise the new skills they are developing. Our main reading scheme is Big Cat Phonics supported by other phonic readers to add breadth and further opportunity to practise.