Phonics & Early Reading
At Stanford Infant School, we use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, Department for Education -validated phonics programme to support early reading from phonics to fluency.
Please click on the video below to find out more about the programme.
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Please visit the Little Wandle Parent Resource Page to find out how you can support at home. 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: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Supporting Phonics at Home
For further information on how to support your child with phonics, please visit the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Website:
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
You will find a grapheme information sheet to help you with formation and pronunciation. It is really important that you pronounce the sounds correctly at home if you are supporting your child. The videos are on the website for you to refer to and if you are unsure, please ask your child’s teacher.
Reading
Children are taught to read using the Collins BIG CAT Phonics books.
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 take part in Reading Practice Sessions.
Reading Teaching Sessions are:
- Timetabled 3 times a week
- Taught by their Teacher or Teaching Assistant
- Taught in small groups
The children read the same book at least three times a week. The first time we work on decoding (sounding out) the words, the second time we work on prosody, which is reading with expression - making the book sound more interesting and the third time we look at comprehension. We re-read the book in school because we want to develop fluency. The more children see words, the more they begin to read them automatically without having to sound them out. In the initial stages, some of these books may be wordless to encourage book discussion. There is a useful video about how to use wordless books at home with your child here: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/#tabnametabBooksComingHome
Supporting Your Child with 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 will be two types of reading book that your child will bring home:
- An Online Reading Practice Book. This book will be an electronic copy of the same book shared in the classroom teaching sessions.
- A Sharing Book.
Reading Practice Books (the eBook)
The children have access to an online library, where a copy of the same book they are reading in school will become available for them to access at home. These decodable books have been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. The eBook ensures that every child has the right book to read at home.
When listening to them read the book, please remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success and where necessary their perseverance!
Tips:
- If they cannot read a word, allow them time to use their sounds to build it up, where necessary help them to build the word or read it to them.
- Re-read sentences with the children to develop rhythm and intonation.
- After they have finished, talk about the book together.
- Re-read the book a few times.
Accessing the Online Library
Every Thursday, your child’s current reading book will be added to their e-library page. You will be able to access the book in the Collins Big Cat eBook library. We would like you to read the new assigned book; however, please remember their previous books are there to revisit (for some Year 2 children, who have come to the end of the Little Wandle Programme, they will not have new books assigned but can still read previously assigned books and will have physical books to bring home).
Sharing Book
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 should not expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, and 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!
It is vitally important that sharing books are returned to school before your child can choose a new book.
Reception – change sharing books on a Monday and Thursday
Year 1 – change sharing books on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Year 2 - change sharing books on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday