At Lacock School we use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised as our systematic, synthetic phonics (SSP) programme to teach early reading and spelling.
This page will give you an overview of Little Wandle and how the programme works.
We will also provide you with some resources to help facilitate reading at home with your child, which in turn will give them the will to read and celebrate their learning with you too.
The Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme is used nationally and is fully validated and approved by the Department for Education.
What is phonics?
“Phonics is making connections between the sounds of our spoken words and the letters that are used to write them down.”
Through the English Hubs programme seven key features have been identified as characterising phonics teaching in highly successful schools
These are:
• direct teaching in frequent, short bursts
• consistency of approach
• secure, systematic progression in phonics learning
• maintaining pace of learning
• providing repeated practice
• application of phonics using matched decodable books
• early identification of children at risk of falling behind, linked to the provision of effective keep-up support.
All of these essential characteristics are found in the Little Wandle programme giving us confidence as a school that we will be able to deliver a good grounding in phonics teaching for your child.
Direct Teaching
Children are at an advantage if they are taught phonics efficiently and as early as possible in their learning journey. Considering the young age of the children, regular short bursts of direct teaching are most effective, although these do not necessarily need to be of a particular duration. We teach phonics daily and each lesson generally takes 15–30 minutes, depending on the age and stage of the children being taught.
Consistency
Our school has appointed a dedicated Reading Leader, who is responsible for coaching teachers, monitoring provision, gathering data and ensuring that all teachers are trained to deliver the programme in a consistent way. Senior management also monitors phonics teaching, with a focus on consistency.
Secure and Systematic
The programme uses a clear sequence that enables children to begin to read and write simple words, phrases and sentences as early as possible. It then, systematically and cumulatively, works towards children being able to decode any unknown words in age appropriate texts by the time they complete the programme.
Maintaining Pace
In Little Wandle the pace allows for full coverage of all aspects of the progression, in a cumulative way, without adding too many elements of new learning at any one time. It also allows for significant periods of practice, consolidation and revision.
Providing Repeated Practice
The programme builds repeated practice into all lessons. The lessons then return several times to further practise and consolidate learning.
Application of Phonics using Matched Decodable Books
A decodable book is a book which allows the child to apply all that they have learned so far in phonics. It gives children the vital opportunity to practise the phonic skills they are learning without the distraction of words they have not yet learned to read.
Little Wandle Resources for Parents
This Link from the Little Wandle website will help you as parents engage with this programme
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
It has the videos to help you ensure that your child is using the correct pronunciation for phonics.
Phase 2 sounds taught in Reception Autumn 1
Phase 2 sounds taught in Reception Autumn 2
Phase 3 sounds taught in Reception Spring 1
There are others to teach you how we use blending in our teaching, how we teach tricky words that do not follow the phonic rules and how you can support your child when they bring books home to read and much more.
This Link from the Little Wandle website will help you as parents engage with this programme
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
It has the videos to help you ensure that your child is using the correct pronunciation for phonics.
Phase 2 sounds taught in Reception Autumn 1
Phase 2 sounds taught in Reception Autumn 2
Phase 3 sounds taught in Reception Spring 1
There are others to teach you how we use blending in our teaching, how we teach tricky words that do not follow the phonic rules and how you can support your child when they bring books home to read and much more.
The children are taught the technical vocabulary within phonics right from the very start, so you may start to hear about digraphs, trigraphs, graphemes and phonemes. Click here to view the glossary of terms that we expect our children to use and understand so that you are able to support them at home.
The attached document below is a guide on how important reading together with your child is
Click here to read Little Wandle's 'Everybody Read' - a guide for parents
If you have further questions regarding the teaching of phonics to your child within the Little Wandle programme please contact the Little Wandle Reading Lead for Lacock School Mrs Ley.
Phonics Screening Check
During Year 1 all children will sit a phonics check set by the Government. The Phonics check consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which all Year 1 children read to the teacher. It takes place at the end of Year 1 and is a statutory requirement. If children do not pass the phonics screening check in Year 1, they will retake it in Year 2.
The attached document below is a guide on how important reading together with your child is
Click here to read Little Wandle's 'Everybody Read' - a guide for parents
If you have further questions regarding the teaching of phonics to your child within the Little Wandle programme please contact the Little Wandle Reading Lead for Lacock School Mrs Ley.
Phonics Screening Check
During Year 1 all children will sit a phonics check set by the Government. The Phonics check consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half non-words, which all Year 1 children read to the teacher. It takes place at the end of Year 1 and is a statutory requirement. If children do not pass the phonics screening check in Year 1, they will retake it in Year 2.
Useful resources to support parents
| Common_exception_words_years_1_and_2.pdf |
| 4_to_5_years_old_great_books_guide_2021.pdf |
| 6_to_7_years_old_great_books_guide_2021.pdf |