Early Reading and Phonics at Martock Church School

At our school, we believe that learning to read is the foundation of all learning. We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to ensure that every child learns to read quickly, confidently and with enjoyment. Little Wandle is a systematic, synthetic phonics (SSP) programme that is fully aligned with the expectations of the National Curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).

Our Approach to Phonics

Phonics is taught daily from the start of Reception and continues through Year 1, with targeted support for any children who need it beyond this point.

The Little Wandle scheme ensures that:

• Phonics is taught in a clear, structured sequence
• Children learn to blend sounds to read words and segment sounds to spell
• Reading practice is closely matched to children’s phonics knowledge
• No child is left behind

Early Reading in Reception

In Reception, children:

• Learn new sounds daily and revisit previous learning
• Are taught to recognise sounds, blend them to read words and read simple sentences
• Practise reading in small, focused groups using fully decodable books
• Take home reading books that are closely matched to the sounds they know

Alongside phonics, children develop a love of stories through:

• Daily story time
• Rhymes, songs and poems
• High-quality picture books and non-fiction texts

Phonics in Year 1

In Year 1, children:

• Build on their phonics knowledge at a faster pace
• Learn more complex sounds and alternative spellings
• Continue to read decodable books that match their phonics stage
• Are prepared thoroughly for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

Reading practice sessions focus on:

• Decoding (sounding out and blending)
• Fluency (reading with pace and accuracy)
• Prosody (reading with expression and understanding)

Reading Practice Sessions

Children take part in three reading practice sessions each week. These sessions are:

• Taught in small groups
• Led by a trained adult
• Closely matched to the child’s current phonics stage

Each session has a clear focus:

1. Decoding
2. Fluency
3. Comprehension

The same book is read across the week to build confidence and accuracy.

Supporting Children Who Need Extra Help

We are committed to ensuring every child becomes a reader.

Children who need additional support receive:

• Daily keep-up sessions
• Carefully targeted teaching
• Immediate intervention to address gaps in learning

These sessions are designed to help children catch up quickly and keep pace with the programme.

Year 2 Phonics Catch-Up

Some children may need additional phonics support as they move into Year 2. We continue to use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Catch-Up Programme to support these children.

In Year 2 catch-up, children:

• Are quickly identified through regular assessment
• Take part in short, focused catch-up sessions alongside the main curriculum
• Revisit gaps in phonics knowledge in a clear, structured way
• Continue to read fully decodable books that are carefully matched to their phonics stage

The aim of Year 2 catch-up is to ensure that all children:

• Secure their phonics knowledge
• Develop reading fluency and confidence
• Are able to access the wider curriculum independently

Catch-up support continues for as long as needed to ensure every child becomes a fluent, confident reader.

Reading Books Sent Home

Children take home:

• A fully decodable reading book that matches their phonics stage
• A sharing book to enjoy with an adult

We ask parents and carers to:

• Listen to their child read regularly
• Encourage sounding out and blending
• Celebrate reading success and build confidence

Partnership with Stakeholders

We value the support of parents and carers in developing children’s reading skills. We provide:

• Information sessions on phonics and early reading
• Guidance on how to support reading at home
• Regular communication about progress

Together, we aim to develop confident, fluent readers who enjoy books and reading.

The Phonics Screening Check

During the Summer term every Year 1 child will take part in the Government Phonics Screening Check.  This is a check which involves children reading 40 decodable words using their phonic knowledge.  The 40 words will include 20 'alien' or nonsense words in order to ensure use of phonics as opposed to sight recognition of words. This is a progress check to identify those children not at the expected level in their reading. The results will be reported to parents. Children will be re-checked in Year 2 if they do not reach the  expected level.  

https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/