Phonics and Spelling
At Beresford Memorial CE First School, we believe that reading is fundamental to education. Proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language is vital for pupils’ success. We believe that for all of our children to become fluent readers and writers, phonics must be taught through a systematic and structured phonics programme.
We use a government approved validated systematic synthetic phonics programme called ‘Bug Club Phonics’ to plan and teach daily engaging phonics lessons. It is an approach to teaching phonics in which sounds made by individual letters, or a combination of letters, are blended and segmented to form words.
Our phonics teaching starts in our Nursery and follows a very specific sequence that allows children to build on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. Our daily phonics sessions are fun, involving lots of speaking, listening and games with the emphasis on children’s active participation and interactive teaching which is essential for their early reading and writing skills.
Our Phonics Programme
Bug Club Phonics is divided into six phases, with each phase building on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. There are no big leaps in learning. Children have time to practise, revise, recall and rapidly expand their ability to read and spell words.
- In the Nursery, children follow the ‘Bug Club Phonics’ Phase 1 guidance which concentrates on developing children’s speaking and listening skills and lays the foundations for the phonic work which starts in Phase 2. This is supplemented with high quality stories, rhymes and Jolly Phonics songs and actions to support their learning.
- In Reception and Key Stage 1, children follow the progression within the ‘Bug Club Phonics’
- Additional phonic lessons are taught daily to children who still have gaps by following the model of ‘Bug Club Phonics’ but plugging specific gaps identified through assessment.
- In Year 2 – Year 4 there are planned rapid phonic ‘catch-up’ sessions following a set model to address specific reading and writing gaps.
Phonics Screening Check
Children in Year 1 sit the Government Phonics Screening Check in the summer term. Children who do not pass the Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, will re-sit this in Year 2.
Please find the Phonics Screening Information below. Here are some links to websites which will support your child with their Phonics.