“There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” —Frank Serafini
At Willow Farm Primary School, phonics is one of my passions. I believe that giving children the tools to read opens doors for all other learning and helps them become confident, independent learners.
We teach phonics using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP) designed by schools for schools. It provides a structured, fun, and interactive approach that meets the National Curriculum expectations and prepares children to go beyond the Phonics Screening Check.
From the start of Reception, children learn to listen carefully to sounds (phonemes), recognise their written forms (graphemes), and blend these to read and spell words. They progress to digraphs (two letters making one sound, e.g., th, ch, ng) and trigraphs (three letters making one sound, e.g., igh, ure).
Phonics is taught every day in Key Stage 1 through engaging sessions that help children practise, apply, and embed their skills. Every child is assessed regularly, and targeted support is given immediately through daily ‘keep up’ sessions if needed. Children also take home books that match the phonemes they are learning, helping them to read with confidence and fluency.
Through systematic, high-quality phonics teaching, we ensure that all children at Willow Farm develop the strong reading skills and love of books that will support them throughout their education.
Becky Blakey, Phonics Lead
Here is a link to the parents page on the Little Wandle website
For parents | Letters and Sounds (littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk)
If you need any more information or support with phonics please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Blakey.