What is phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching children to read and write. Through a systematic synthetic phonics programme, children learn that words can be broken down into phonemes (sounds), which are represented in writing by graphemes (letters or groups of letters). By learning these GPCs (grapheme-phoneme correspondences) and how to blend sounds together, children develop the skills they need to read words accurately and fluently.

Our school follows Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS), a Department for Education validated systematic synthetic phonics programme. ELS provides a clear and consistent approach to teaching phonics and early reading, with the aim that every child learns to read well, quickly.

Through ELS, children are taught to:

• recognise and say the sounds represented by different graphemes
• blend sounds together to read words
• segment words into sounds to support spelling
• read Harder to Read and Spell (HRS) words
• develop increasing accuracy, fluency and confidence when reading
• apply their phonics knowledge independently when reading and writing
• develop a love of reading and a growing vocabulary

Children begin their formal phonics teaching in Reception, where they are introduced systematically to new sounds and the graphemes that represent them. Their phonics knowledge is then built upon throughout Reception and Year 1, with regular opportunities to revisit and practise previously taught sounds.

ELS is designed around the principle of “keep up, not catch up.” Children are regularly assessed so that any gaps in their phonics knowledge can be identified quickly. Where additional support is needed, children receive targeted intervention to help them keep up with the programme.

Early reading is taught through phonics as the main approach to decoding words. Children are taught to blend sounds throughout a word to read it and to segment words into their individual sounds when spelling. Children also learn Harder to Read and Spell words. These are words containing parts that do not yet correspond to the phonics knowledge children have been taught, so children learn to recognise the harder-to-read-and-spell part of the word.

Children read books that are carefully matched to the phonics knowledge they have been taught, enabling them to practise their developing skills successfully. Through repeated reading and regular practice, children build accuracy, fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading.

This structured approach supports children in developing the knowledge and skills they need to become confident readers and to work towards the expected standard in the Year One Phonics Screening Check (see below).