Phonics

Phonics and Reading at Park Primary School

At Park Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop. Strong reading skills support success across the whole curriculum and help children to become confident, independent learners.

We teach phonics using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, which is a structured and systematic approach to teaching early reading and spelling.

What Is Phonics?

Phonics teaches children how to: - Recognise the sounds that letters and groups of letters make - Blend sounds together to read words - Segment words into sounds for spelling - Develop fluency and confidence in reading

Through phonics, children learn to decode words quickly and accurately, helping them to enjoy reading and understand what they read.

Our Approach: Little Wandle

Little Wandle provides a clear, consistent and progressive programme that is followed by all staff. This ensures that children receive high-quality phonics teaching from Reception through to Key Stage 1 and beyond where needed.

Using Little Wandle, children: - Take part in daily, structured phonics lessons - Read carefully matched books that link directly to their phonics learning - Practise new sounds regularly - Build confidence through repetition and success - Receive additional support if they need it

This approach helps all children to keep up, rather than catch up, and develop strong foundations for reading and writing.

Supporting Your Child at Home

We value the important role that parents and carers play in supporting reading at home. You can help by: - Listening to your child read regularly - Encouraging them to sound out unfamiliar words - Praising their effort and progress - Sharing books together and talking about stories - Attending school workshops and meetings about phonics

Little Wandle for Parents

Little Wandle provides helpful videos, guidance and resources for families to support phonics learning at home.

You can find their parent support page here:

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds

Working Together

If you have any questions about phonics or your child’s reading development, please speak to your child’s class teacher. We are committed to working closely with families to ensure every child becomes a confident and enthusiastic reader.

At Park Primary School, we are proud to support children on their reading journey from their very first sounds to becoming fluent, lifelong readers.