How to help you child with their learning Monday 12 th October Thursday 15 th October

What is Phonics? Phonics is a 20 minute session done each day We use Jolly Phonics and Letters and Sounds The children learn to link letters and sounds (phonemes written form is called a grapheme) They learn to put sounds together to read (blending) Recognise individual sounds in words for writing (segmenting)

What the children learn? Initially we learn words based on the sounds we know which we call VC (vowel, consonant) words. e.g. i-n in a-t at Moving onto CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) e.g. c-a-t cat

Phases The phonics programme covers 6 Phases. Children begin Phase 1 in Nursery where they play listening games and develop listening and speaking skills. In reception the children start on Phase 2 and work up to Phase 4 and beyond. When the children reach Year 1 they move onto learning Phase 5. In Year 2 they learn Phase 6.

Phases Phases 2 – 4 We work through each Phase teaching the children new sounds, talking about words that sound is in and writing words which contain these sounds. Children then apply this knowledge in their reading and writing. Words – captions – sentences We make the learning fun – lots of games, puppets and interaction

How it works… As we work through each Phase we encounter the following: The Alphabet – children learn the letter names ABCDEFG… Single letter sounds – Phonemes - the written form Graphemes S, ssssssss 2 or 3 letter together which will make one sound – digraphs and trigraphs ai r – ai –n oa g – oa - t Words which we cannot sound out – tricky words was go to said Words which we use commonly in the English Language – High Frequency Words HFW e.g. mum and in

Sound Buttons To help the children learn sounds and blending we put sound buttons underneath the letters If a sound is represented by 1 letter we use a dot If the sounds has 2 or 3 letters we use a sound bar (show some flash cards)

Reading Children have a weekly reading book which is linked to their learning in phonics Children will also have a library book each week to share with you at home We listen to children read weekly We share stories every day

Guided Reading Children have a guided reading session every week They work in a small group reading together and exploring a text. As well as focussing on using our phonic knowledge this session is designed to develop the children’s comprehension skills. They learn to explore books, use them correctly and find information. They learn to retell stories, think of alternative endings and describe characters.

Phonics and Reading What you can do Practise the words in the word books Read your child’s reading book everyday Share different types of books together Ask your child questions about what they or you have read to develop their thinking E.g. Can you retell the story? How does that character feel? What could happen next? Look around you at signs and labels, reading sounds and words together When reading with your child encourage them to point to each word as they go and encourage them to sound out the word before you tell them what it is.

Writing Handwriting every day – using correct tripod (froggy) grip and forming letters correctly Writing in phonics sessions Writing as part of Literacy sessions Encouraging children to independently label their pictures Fine motor skills play – not all children's hands are ready to hold a pen so we like to thread, manipulate playdoh, use tweezers

Handwriting We follow the Penpals scheme for handwriting Children learn to write in print – moving onto cursive (joined up) handwriting in Year 1 Children learn to write with a pencil and use whiteboards and pens to practise their handwriting We do encourage children to work towards forming letters which are the same size and using lines

Writing – How can you help you child… Model writing Pencil grip – correct and support Encourage them to write – make it exciting! Real life examples – writing a shopping list or invitation

Maths In Reception children learn about Number and Shape, Space and Measures Children learn this through teaching sessions (daily) and exploring through play We always use hands on activities and experiences to explain and explore our maths. We call this a concrete approach.

Singapore Maths In school we are using a Singapore maths approach which is about problem solving This supports the children to think, review and show persistence

Types of things we cover Number, counting, recognising numbers, ordering numbers (to 20 and beyond) Solving problems including addition and subtraction Talking about size, weight, time, distance, shape and using correct language.

How can you support your child with Maths? Find and identify numbers around you Count everyday objects Talk about your daily routine Introduce mathematical vocabulary, e.g. full, half full (bath time) Embrace maths!

Developing Independence Skills – what you can do… Encourage your child to dress themselves, put on a coat and zip it up Put their shoes on Take responsibility for their own things Read their names (makes the above easier) Look after their things Tidy up after themselves Come into school on their own and find their peg Learning to share and take turns (board games are good for this) Use a knife and fork Independent toileting and washing hands Encourage them to have a go!

Early Learning Goals – what we are working towards In Reception the curriculum we use is the Early Years Foundation Stage At the end of Reception we look at the framework and see if the children have achieved the 17 Early Learning Goals (a copy of these are in your pack) These Early Learning Goals cover the WHOLE child and we are not just looking at Literacy and Numeracy We always encourage the children to develop their Personal, Social and Emotional skills, their Communication and Language skills and their Physical Development as these are very important

Characteristics of Effective Learning When we observe and plan for the children we always consider HOW they learn We want to encourage them to play and explore, be self-motivated, think critically and creatively

What is in your pack? A copy of this presentation A copy of the Early Learning Goals Characteristics of Learning Jolly Phonics Actions

Any questions?????