Phonics

All the children will begin phonics teaching in week 3 and there will be a homework sheet sent out every Friday. If this could be returned by Friday, the following week, we would be very grateful. A phonics meeting will be arranged for a later date so we can talk you through how your child will be taught phonics in school so they can hopefully practice these sounds at home.

Word Lists
Children will begin receiving word lists in Term 2 once they start blending sounds to read. Lists will be given out on a Friday and checked the following Friday. Word lists will include a mix of phonetically decodable words (words that can be sounded out by each sound, for example: c – a – t ) and tricky words (words that cannot be decoded by sounds, for example: the, was, said) that need to be learnt and read on sight.

Reading

Children are expected to read for a minimum of 10 minutes a day. Please make a note in your children’s reading record - either a comment or a smiley face. In Year R, after 100 nights of reading you will be presented with a brand new book from our prize book cabinet!

It is really important that the children read their reading scheme book out loud, to practice fluency and expression.  Please do ask your child lots of questions about the text, in order to develop their understanding of the plot, characters, setting and vocabulary.  Many of the books have key sounds, words and vocabulary inside the front cover to read together before reading the book, and at the end of the book, many have comprehension style questions. 

It is also important that the children still hear you read to them regularly, using a book that maybe beyond their level of fluency.