Phonics

Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 follow the ‘Sounds-Write’ programme. It is a highly structured, synthetic phonics programme using a multi-sensory, incremental and code-oriented, approach to teaching children to read and spell. 

Our daily phonics sessions are fun, involving lots of speaking, listening and games. The emphasis is on children’s active participation. Children learn to use their phonic knowledge for reading and writing activities and in their independent play.

Sounds-Write is divided into three sections, Initial Code, Extended Code and Polysyllabic Words, with each phase building on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. There are no big leaps in learning. Children have time to practice and rapidly expand their ability to read and spell words.

Watch a short video about Sounds Write Phonics!

Phonics and Reading Year 1 Presentation

Phonics Screening Check for Year 1 parents

Click here for our recommended reads! 

Reading

​In EYFS and Year 1 children read decodable reading books from Sounds-Write and Dandelion Readers. These books are fully decodable texts that build on the knowledge or ‘code’ that is being taught during Sounds-Write phonics lessons.

The books are carefully graded with a step-by-step introduction to new sounds and spellings and provide children with opportunities to practice and consolidate their reading skills of blending and segmenting throughout the text as well as the opportunity to practice reading fluency.
 
We also believe that children need exposure to high quality, rich texts to develop a love of reading and this is something that we want to promote at Ashby Hill Top. Children also have access to class libraries which are made up of collections of different books, for example:

• Story books
• Picture books
• Favourite books
• Traditional tales
• Topic related books  

These books have been carefully chosen so that children will enjoy sharing them and gain pleasure from reading them. They will also support the children’s development of personal book preferences meaning they are more likely to be motivated to read, read widely and develop lifelong reading habits.
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We also teach a wide range of nursery rhymes and songs and read good books to and with the children. This helps to increase the number of words they know– their vocabulary – and helps them talk confidently about books. 

World Book Day- ​Bedtime Stories!