We use this SSP because it provides:

•          A daily 30-minute phonics lesson in Reception and Year 1
•          Clear progression with signposting of expected progress
•          Planning and supporting resources 
•          On demand CPD, accessible for all staff
•          Half termly assessments and online tracker tool
•          Keep up programme for Reception and Y1, SEND programme and KS2 Catch Up
•          Parent resources for home learning
•          120+ fully decodable books matched exactly to the progression

At Grovelands Community Primary School children in Reception and Year 1 are taught phonics daily following Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression.  We use decodable texts to embed the learning of phonics into reading development.

There is some key vocabulary that both children and adults use:  

Phoneme – the smallest unit of sound a letter, or group of letters makes. 

Grapheme – the written shape of a phoneme 

Digraphs and Trigraphs – two or three letters making one sound 

Blend – two or more sounds said closely together e.g. spl, fl, xt, ump

Children in Reception are taught handwriting and letter formation alongside their phonic learning. Children are taught the Little Wandle Rhymes to support the correct letter formation

 The resources on the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised page will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. There are also some useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel confident about supporting their reading at home.

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. Beyond Year 3, this will be chosen by the child with some guidance from adults in school. 

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. This may include one of our Essential Reads.

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.

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.