Phonics and Reading

What is Phonics?

Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children to hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Understanding phonics will help children know which letters to use when they are writing words as well as decoding and blending sounds in words to help them read. 

How do we teach phonics?

Students at Meadow High School have Reading Intervention lessons throughout their entire time at Meadow. The sessions are taught every morning from 9:25 - 9:50. 

At Northwood Road/Pathway 1, we teach early reading through the DFE validated scheme Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which offers a fully-resourced systematic synthetic phonics programme.

Little Wandle Letters & Sounds Revised is taught in small groups at the students’ relevant phase by the form tutor and their teaching assistants. Our students have multiple opportunities throughout the school day to apply these skills across the curriculum in order to become more independent and fluent readers.

Reading at home and school

The reading skills the students learn during Reading Intervention are practised across the curriculum. In addition we have dedicated reading time during the week to develop pupils reading skills, fluency and comprehension. For these we use Big Cat Phonics: a scheme of fully-decodable texts matched exactly to the programme progression.

• Key Stage 3 students have four reading practice sessions per week.
• Key Stage 4 students have three reading practice sessions per week.

These books will be sent home each week to allow parents, carers, siblings and family members to read with the student and practise these skills further. We at Northwood Road believe your involvement can help students take pride and pleasure in their reading and your help is essential in their reading development.

Click here for access to Little Wandle complete parent page where you will find useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel confident about supporting their reading at home. Please contact your form tutor for further help and information.

 

Mr M Parker
Reading Lead (Northwood Road)