Phonics

To be able to read, children need to be taught an efficient strategy to decode words. That strategy is phonics. It is essential that children are actively taught and supported to use phonics as the only approach to decoding. Phonic decoding skills must be practised until children become automatic and fluent reading is established.

Fluent decoding is only one component of reading. Comprehension skills need to be taught to enable children to make sense of what they read, build on what they already know and give them a desire to want to read.

Reading increases children’s vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Furthermore, children who read widely and frequently also have more secure general knowledge.

One Page Summary

Our one page summary document provides an overview of how we teach phonics at Ryarsh Primary School.  It is based on our overall curriculum intent statement, which can be viewed by clicking here.  

phonics one page summary 23 24.pdf

If you would like a copy of our one page summary in word format, please email Mr Childs (Headteacher): daniel.childs@ryarsh.kent.sch.uk. 

Phonics Programme

We give teachers the skills and confidence to teach phonics to every child, using our validated systematic synthetic phonics programme: Little Wandle Letters and Sounds.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme developed for schools by schools. It is based on the original Letters and Sounds, but extensively revised to provide a complete teaching programme that meets all the expectations of the National Curriculum.