Phonics policy

Progression

Please click on the links below to find see the progression documents.

Our approach:

At Westover we are proud to be a Little Wandle School. Little Wandle is a Systematic Synthetic Phonics scheme that enables us to teach your child how to read, write and spell. Each week throughout Year R and 1 your children will learn 4 new sounds and up to 5 new tricky words per week. With the final day recapping what we have learnt to ensure that the previous learning had been embedded.

At Westover your child will read with a trained adult 3 times a week. Each reading session has a different focus.

• The first is decoding, this is when the children focus on blending the sounds together to read the word.
• The second sessions are prosody, in this session we begin to add expression to our reading.
• The third session we concentrate on comprehension, this is where we ensure that the children have understood what they have read.

If you would like to support your child at home, then please feel free to follow this link to check out the Little Wandle’s parent section. On this page you will find useful vides such as how to pronounce the pure sounds, how we teach tricky words and how to guides.

Little Wandle – Parents Page

How to Help further at Home

We expect all of our children to read to an adult at home every day. Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a vital impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home. There are two types of reading book that your child will bring home in the early stages of learning to read:

A reading practice book – This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.

A library book – Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.

Reading practice book

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.

Library book

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The library book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together. Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, 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!