All children are assessed regularly by Mrs Ellis and Mrs Thomas so they work with children at the same level. This allows complete participation in lessons.

Sea Phase

Children in Nursery begin by identifying environmental sounds e.g. loud, quiet and common sounds we hear all around us in everyday life. When appropriate, children will be introduced to the initial sounds in short sessions.  We use pure sounds so that your child will be able to blend the sounds into words more easily.

In Reception all children will learn how to ‘read’ and ‘write’ all of the sounds in Set 1 and then taught how to blend these into words. Fred the frog helps the children to blend the sounds together which is then used to help children read. The teachers will often use the phrase ‘fred talk’ to sound out words. 

The children take part in lessons every day progressing to reading books. They also learn how to spell red words (words that cannot be sounded out) and 3/4 letter words during these lessons. 

Land Phase

Children follow the same format as Reception but will work on complex sounds (Set 2 and 3 sounds) and read books appropriate to their reading level. Daily sessions of RWI phonics last for one 40 minutes.  Once children become fluent speedy readers they will move onto the Language and Literacy programme in Year 1.

Speed Sounds: Set1, Set 2 and Set 3

Once your child knows all Set 1 sounds by sight and sound and uses them to blend to read words, we start teaching Set 2 initially and then Set 3 long vowel sounds. Your child will need to learn that most vowel sounds have more than one spelling.

There are 12 Set 2 ‘speed sounds’ that are made up of two or three letters which represent just one sound, e.g. ay as in play, ee as in tree and igh as in high. It is important that your child does not pronounce these as 2 or 3 separate sounds. When your child sees the ‘speed sound’ letters together in a word, they must say just one sound for these letters.

Set 1 Sounds are taught in the following order together with rhymes to help children form the letters correctly and instantly recognise sounds ready for blending.

Set 2 & 3 Sounds:

The children are then taught Set 2 Sounds – the long vowels. 

When they are very confident with all of set 1 and 2 they are taught Set 3 Sounds.