1. PHONICS, READING AND WRITING WORKSHOP
EARLY YEARS & KEY STAGE 1

2. PHONICS

3. What Is Synthetic Phonics?
The adjective ‘synthetic’ refers to the fact that children are taught to ‘synthesise’ (i.e. put together or build up) pronunciations for unfamiliar written words by translating letters into sounds and blending the sounds together.
Synthetic phonics teaches the phonemes (sounds) associated with the graphemes (letters). The sounds are taught in isolation and then blended together.

4. 5 ELEMENTS OF A SYNTHETIC PHONICS PROGRAMME
Learning The Phonemes
Learning The Graphemes Which Represent The Phonemes
Blending Sounds For Reading
Segmenting Words For Writing
Reading And Spelling High Frequency/Tricky Words

5. PHONIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
LETTERS AND SOUNDS
Letters and Sounds is a phonics resource published by the Department for Education and Skills in It sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills, starting in Nursery, with the aim of children becoming fluent readers by the age of seven.
PHONIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Phase 1
(N/R)
Pre-phonic knowledge and skills. Activities are divided into seven aspects.
Phase 2
(R)
19 PGCs. Blending sounds together to make words. Segmenting words into their separate sounds. Beginning to read simple captions.
Phase 3
25 additional PGCs including 7 single letter phonemes. Reading captions, sentences and questions. On completion of this phase, children will have learnt the "simple code", i.e. one grapheme for each phoneme in the English language.
Phase 4
No new PGCs (phoneme-grapheme correspondences). Focus on blending and segmenting longer words with adjacent consonants, e.g. swim, clap, jump.
Phase 5
(Y1)
The "complex code". Alternative graphemes for known phonemes are introduced. Also different ways of pronouncing graphemes already known.

6. oo hook? or soon? ow low? or cow? ea sea? or head? g gate? or gem? c
HOW DO YOU SAY………..? oo
hook? or soon? ow
low? or cow? ea
sea? or head? g
gate? or gem? c
cat? or circle?

7. (and how to say them!) a b j
PHONICS ORDER
(and how to say them!) s
sss not suh a t
t not tuh p
p not puh i
i not eye r
rrr not ruh h
h not huh b f
fff not fuh ff l
lll not luh ll ss j v
vvv not vuh ai
as in rain ee
as in been
igh
as in night oa
as in boat oo
as in balloon
as in look ar
as in car or
as in for ur
as in burn ow
as in blow
e-e
as in Pete
i-e
as in like
o-e
as in home
u-e
as in cute

8. PHONICS LESSONS Must be practical and interactive
Pace should be fairly quick
Provide opportunities to say sound out loud in real and alien words every day
Provide opportunities for writing real and alien words every day
Robot speak and bring in phonological awareness at all opportunities throughout the day

9. PHONICS IN EYFS
Children’s phonic knowledge assessed on entry into Nursery and Reception
Children grouped according to need
Up to 5 sounds taught per week – 30 minute sessions every day
Constant reinforcement of phonic skills throughout the day
Activities/worksheets sent home every week

10. A multi – sensory approach:
See the letter shape(s) – grapheme
Hear the sound (phoneme) - “ay”
Learn a song and action to accompany
each phoneme

11. PHONICS IN KEY STAGE 1
Children’s phonic knowledge assessed throughout Key Stage 1
Children grouped according to need
Up to 5 sounds taught per week – 30 minute sessions every day
Constant reinforcement of phonic skills throughout the day
Activities/worksheets sent home every week
Year 2 lessons become more GAPs focussed

12. PHONICS HOMEWORK
Based on the sound or sounds worked on during the week
Should show examples of the “sound” made by the grapheme if there are alternatives eg look or food
Should be completed by the child with adult support
Must be completed and returned to school every week

13. PHONICS SCREENING CHECK
A phonic decoding assessment carried out in Year 1 at the end of the Summer term
40 words and non-words that each child attempts to read independently
Children need to correctly read 32 words out of 40 to pass
Children who do not pass will take the check again at the end of Year 2

14. READING

15. PHEASEY PARK FARM READING SCHEME
Books of different genres –
fiction, non-fiction, and poetry
Standards First to 16 – clear progression in reading and comprehension skills
Runs through EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Follow up activities/guide for
parents in the majority of books

16. HOME READING
Three Elements
Key Words
Reading Books
Children’s Reading Record

17. KEY WORDS Flashcards Words that can be “sounded out” Sight words
Chip went and
Sight words
wanted said the
Learn in a random order!
Checked by staff regularly

18. BOOKS Same characters appear regularly
Familiar situations/range of topics/interests
Constant reinforcement of key words
Extremely detailed illustrations
Text may appear easy but can the child understand the book?

19. Children’s Reading Record
For parents and school staff
Date/sign every time you read together
Make comments!
Please send words,
reading book and
reading record to school EVERY DAY

20. Reading Together Find somewhere quiet!
Read the title and talk about the front cover
Ask questions throughout – “what might happen next?”
Discuss own experiences that relate to the story
Use the correct terms - author, blurb,
speech marks, exclamation marks etc.
Discuss the story together – what did
you like about the book? favourite part?
Re-tell the story in own words

21. If your child gets stuck on a word…
Give them some thinking time!
Sound out the word
Look at the picture for a clue
Ask child to read sentence again – missing out difficult word. What could fit in the gap? Does that make sense?
Read sentence again (missing out difficult word) – ask what could fit in the gap

22. Comprehension
Comprehension is children’s understanding of what they have read
Begin with verbal responses to questions
Worksheets to compliment the books children bring home from school
Children should read questions carefully and record answer in a full sentence
This prepares children for the end of Key Stage 1 assessments

23. WRITING

24. HANDWRITING Tripod pencil grip Letter families
Long ladders l, i, t, u, j, y
One armed robots r, n, m, h, b, k, p
Curly caterpillars c, a, d, o, s, g, q, e, f
Zig zag monsters z, v, w, x

25. STAGES OF WRITING
Emergent writing.

26. STAGES OF WRITING Initial or final sounds. Initial and final sounds.
Medial Sounds.
CVC Words.
Tricky Words.

27. SEGMENTING SOUNDS FOR WRITING
Listening for the initial, medial and final sounds in a word by “stretching it out”
“shop” 3 phonemes = sh – o - p
Knowing the correct graphemes to represent the sounds heard
Children tend to identify and write initial, then initial and final sounds (medial vowels are often more difficult to hear).

28. WRITING EXPECTATIONS END OF RECEPTION
Uses phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.
Writes some irregular common words.
Writes simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.
Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

29. Example of end of Reception Expectations

30. WRITING EXPECTATIONS END OF KEY STAGE 1
Consistent use of capital letters and full stops.
Use a range of connectives to extend sentences e.g. because, so, then, when, but…
Use descriptive features to add detail e.g. adjectives, expanded noun phrases, similes.
Use a variety of sentence starters.

32. Literacy Homework in Year 2
To be returned on the specified date
Must be written in pencil
Pupils should take pride in the presentation of their work
Based on concepts taught in school during the week, e.g. descriptive writing, connectives, letter writing
Parents to support children but allow them to develop their own ideas