1. Welcome to the Reception
Phonics Workshop

2. a noyzy trane at the stayshun
Phonics
What is phonics...?
a noyzy trane at the stayshun
Parents may have heard a lot in the press about phonics, in particular ‘systematic synthetic phonics’
Use this as a 2 minute chat with the person next to them to share what they know/don’t know about phonics (in doing so, most will probably find they are not alone in feeling a little bewildered by such phrases.
The sentence will appear next on the slide – ask the group to read it together.
Share that they have all used phonics to read the sentence and that this is what phonics is all about – sounds that make up words

3. The Simple View of Reading
Word recognition: processes concerned with recognising the printed words that comprise the written text
Language Comprehension: processes that enable the reader to understand the messages contained in the text
Share with parents the two important parts of reading:
Word recognition (using phonics to tackle unknown words) and
Language comprehension (understanding and enjoying the text)

4. The Simple View of Reading

5. The Simple View of Reading
Hollis Scarborough—creator of the famous Reading Rope— complexities involved in learning to read
 she spoke of skilled reading as resembling the “strands” of a rope, using pipe cleaners to illustrate the interconnectedness and interdependence of all the components.
word-recognition strands (phonological awareness, decoding, and sight recognition of familiar words) work together as the reader becomes accurate, fluent, and increasingly automatic with repetition and practice.
Concurrently, the language-comprehension strands (background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge) reinforce one another and then weave together with the word-recognition strands to produce a skilled reader.
This does not happen overnight; it requires instruction and practice over time.
Scarborough Reading Rope

6. Being aware of sounds
During Nursery, your child will have had lots of opportunities , activities and different experiences in which to be aware of sounds
this continues into Reception and beyond!
Children need to be able to hear the difference between a dog bark and a door bell before they can hear the difference between 2 letter sounds e.g. /s/ and /t/
You can continue to help your child in being aware of sounds by: (pictures appear on each click)
Sounds all around us
Instrumental sounds
Sounds we make with our bodies
Rhyme and rhythm
Words that begin with the same sound
Voice sounds

7. Building words and taking them apart!
h-a-n-d
I spy with my little eye a c-u-p... cup!
‘Building words and taking them apart’ (a friendly way to say oral blending and segmenting!)
Play these Simon says (or Mummy/Daddy/Granny says) segmenting (taking apart) a word e.g. “H-a-n-d” and blending (building words) “hand”
Emphasise parents will need to think about the word as a whole, not the way it is spelt e.g. /n/ /oa/ /s/ rather than sounding out /n/ /o/ /s/ /e/

8. Segmenting to spell d o g kn igh t sh ee p
Why is ‘segmenting’ important?
To help children spell
Click on each picture and before the words appear, say the sounds that are in the word e.g. dog – hold up 3 fingers (as sound buttons) and say /d/ /o/ /g/ run your finger over all 3 finger tips (that you have just ‘pressed’) as you say the whole word, dog.
Point out that even though there are 5 letters in ‘sheep’ there are only 3 sounds
The Spring workshop will emphasise terms such as ‘digraph’ – at this point parents don’t need to be introduced to the terminology unless you feel it is appropriate!
Can parents work out ‘knight’ before the words appear? Try with the person sitting next to them using ‘sound buttons’ on fingers sh ee p 8

9. Blending to read h-a-t hat r-i-ng ring Why is blending important?
To help children read
Model using letter names initially to try and read the word ‘hat’ e.g. h, a, t
Emphasise using the sounds /h/ /a/ /t/ say slowly at first (whilst pressing sound buttons on fingers) then increase the speed until the word is heard

10. How do you say the sounds?
Many parents feel anxious about how to make the sounds
Why is it important to say the sounds correctly? To blend to read, and segment to spell.
“pure” sound - Adding “uh” on the end will not help your children in their reading and writing e.g. Difference between “tuh” and /t/
Articulate each sound for parents to hear
Tip for hearing the ‘pure sound’ – play ‘bouncy’ or ‘stretchy’ sounds
e.g. take the phoneme /t/ can you try and stretch this sound out? T, t, t... no! It’s a ‘bouncy sound’ (mime bouncing ball on the spot)
Now try /s/ “sssssssssssssssssssssss” it stretches! As you say it bring both hands away from each other to stretch out the sound

11. Phonics at our school Learn the sound and the letter name
Practise blending and segmenting
Letter formation
Read Write Inc
Writing in various forms
Briefly talk through what phonic sessions look like in your school e.g. Which scheme you use some of the routines/rhymes/stories/puppets used in the daily discrete session
Letters and Sounds is recommended to be used as a guide to the pace and progression of which ever phonics scheme is used in school
A daily discrete session of 15/20 minutes following the 4 main aspects:
Revisit and Review
Teach a new skill
Practise the new skill
Apply the new skill into reading and writing
Phonics games
Tricky words

12. Reading books with your child Information or storybooks
How can I help at home?
Reading books with your child
Information or storybooks
Sitting with your child and reading to them – allowing them to see the book too
Can be fiction or non fiction – go with your children’s interests

13. How can I help at home?
Completion – leave a blank at the end for children to complete
Recall – ask about something they have read
Open-ended - often a focus on the picture
Wh prompts that begin with who, what, where, when, why
Distancing – connect the book to the children’s life experience
5 prompts to help you during shared reading time
Helps the child to develop vocabulary, comprehension and background knowledge
Completion – works particularly well with rhymes or repetitive phrases
Recall – supports children in understanding the plot
Open ended – works well with illustrations and encourages children to express their ideas
Wh – what question develops vocabulary
Distancing – provides an opportunity for high quality discussion
e.g. parent points at picture and asks, “What is that?” (prompt) Child replies “zebra.” Adult responds “that’s right (evaluating their response) it’s a black and white stripy zebra (expansion). Can you say ‘stripy zebra’?” (repetition helping them to learn from the expansion)

14. How can I help at home? Reading scheme
Help them to read the book – encourage them to sound out and blend the words
Help them to recognise what makes a sentence
Count the number of words in a sentence
Discuss the story – questions/ideas on inside covers
Read the book a couple of times before returning
Always write in the yellow reading record when you have read with your child – even if you just draw a
When your child knows approx. 18 sounds and can blend – start on reading scheme
Book should stay at home for a number of nights to allow them to read the book a few times and for you to discuss the book with them
PLEASE write in the yellow reading record every time you listen to them read– then we know that you have read with them ( and how many times) and it helps us to know when to change their reading book
Do not need to send the book back in until it is ready to be changed

15. Recognising print in the environment
How can I help at home?
Recognising print in the environment
Recognise print in the environment, start with finding the same letter shape that your child’s name begins with
Many children say they can’t read... their confidence is vital to continue the journey as readers
Help your child by finding words/letters in the environment that they know
Acknowledge different fonts

16. How can I help at home? Phonics sheets - sit with them
- pre-cursive – always start on the line
- encourage tripod grip
Sounds we have learnt that week – information for you and a chance for them to reinforce their learning
Keep the sheets at home in the blue folder
Talk about objects that begin with that sound and practise writing the sound
Later on, we will send home the tricky words that we are learning for them to practise

17. How can I help at home? Useful websites https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Mr Thorne does Phonics
Alphablocks
Useful websites or programmes

18. Be a role model But most of all... be a reading role-model!
Emphasise here the range of text types, it’s not just about books!
The more the children see adults at home read the better (particularly male family members/friends)

19. Any questions?