Phonics is a systematic way to teach children to read and spell words. It enables children to blend the individual phonemes (the sound letter(s) make) and also supports their spelling to segment (break down) words orally by individual phonemes e.g. d_o_g.
At Westwood with Iford, Phonics is taught daily using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme. Should you wish to explore this further the Little Wandle website has many resources which may help you to support your child at home.
“High quality phonics teaching gives children a solid base on which to build as they progress through school. Children who master the mechanics of reading are well-placed to go on to develop a love of reading."
Children undertake a statutory screening check at the end of Year 1. The phonics screening check is a short and simple assessment of phonic decoding. It consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which Year 1 children read to a teacher. Administering the assessment usually takes between four and nine minutes per child.
The check is designed to confirm whether individual pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard and have grasped the essential skills that underpin good reading.
Phonics Resources
Phonics is taught daily using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds systematic synthetic phonics programme. Should you wish to explore this further the Little Wandle website has many resources which may help you to support your child at home.
There are 44+ common phonemes in the English language which are taught throughout a child’s time in the reception year and year one. The phonemes are listed in the grids below by the phases they are taught in.
Phases Taught In Reception
Autumn 1 Phase 2 graphemes
New tricky words
s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h b f l
is I the
Autumn 2 Phase 2 graphemes
New tricky words
ff ll ss j v w x y z zz qu ch sh th ng nk
words with –s /s/ added at the end (hats sits)
words ending –s /z/ (his) and with –s /z/ added at the end (bags)
put* pull* full* as and has his her go no to into she push* he of we me be
*The tricky words ‘put’, ‘pull’, ‘full’ and ‘push’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
Spring 1 Phase 3 graphemes
New tricky words
ai ee igh oa oo oo ar or ur ow oi ear air er
words with double letters
longer words
was you they my by all are sure pure
Spring 2 Phase 3 graphemes
No new tricky words
Review Phase 3
longer words, including those with double letters
words with –s /z/ in the middle
words with –es /z/ at the end
words with –s /s/ and /z/ at the end
Review all taught so far
Summer 1 Phase 4
New tricky words
Short vowels with adjacent consonants
• CVCC CCVC CCVCC CCCVC CCCVCC • longer words and compound words • words ending in suffixes:
–ing, –ed /t/, –ed /id/ /ed/, –est
said so have like some come love do were here little says there when what one out today
Summer 2
Revist and review previously taught phonemes and tricky words.
Year 1
Autumn 1
Review tricky words Phases 2–4
Review Phase 3 and 4
Phase 5
/ai/ ay play
/ow/ ou cloud
/oi/ oy toy
/ea/ ea each
Phases 2–4: the put* pull* full* push* to into I no go of he she we me be was you they all are my by sure pure said have like so do some come love were there little one when out what says here today
*The tricky words ‘put’, ‘pull’, ‘full’ and ‘push’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
Autumn 2 Phase 5 graphemes
New tricky words
/ur/ ir bird
/igh/ ie pie
/oo/ /yoo/ ue blue rescue
/yoo/ u unicorn
/oa/ o go
/igh/ i tiger
/ai/ a paper
/ee/ e he
/ai/ a-e shake
/igh/ i-e time
/oa/ o-e home
/oo/ /yoo/ u-e rude cute
/ee/ e-e these
/oo/ /yoo/ ew chew new
/ee/ ie shield
/or/ aw claw
their people oh your Mr Mrs Ms ask* could would should our house mouse water want
The tricky word ‘ask’ may not be tricky in some regional pronunciations
Spring 1 Phase 5 graphemes
New tricky words
/ee/ y funny
/e/ ea head
/w/ wh wheel
/oa/ oe ou toe shoulder
/igh/ y fly
/oa/ ow snow
/j/ g giant
/f/ ph phone
/l/ le al apple metal
/s/ c ice
/v/ ve give
/u/ o-e o ou some mother young
/z/ se cheese
/s/ se ce mouse fence
/ee/ ey donkey
/oo/ ui ou fruit soup
any many again who whole where two
school call different thought through friend work
Spring 2 Phase 5 graphemes
New tricky words
/ur/ or word
/oo/ u oul awful could
/air/ are share
/or/ au aur oor al author dinosaur floor walk
/ch/ tch ture match adventure
/ar/ al a half* father*
/or/ a water
schwa in longer words: different
/o/ a want
/air/ ear ere bear there
/ur/ ear learn
/r/ wr wrist
/s/ st sc whistle science
/c/ ch school
/sh/ ch chef /z/ ze freeze
schwa at the end of words: actor
once laugh because eye
*The tricky words ‘half’ and ‘father’ may not be pronounced as this in some regional pronunciations
Summer 1: Phonics screening check review – no new GPCs or tricky words
Summer 2 Phase 5 graphemes
New tricky words
/ai/ eigh aigh ey ea eight straight grey break
/n/ kn gn knee gnaw
/m/ mb thumb
/ear/ ere eer here deer
/zh/ su si treasure vision
/j/ dge bridge
/i/ y crystal
/j/ ge large
/sh/ ti ssi si ci potion mission mansion delicious
