Phonics
Phonics
Research shows that teaching phonics in a structured way is the most effective way to teach children to read and to become fluent readers. At MJS, we have built a systematic synthetic phonics program using a scheme called ‘Read Write Inc’ as this has been proven to be a rigorous approach to the teaching of phonics.
What is Phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They are taught how to
- recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes;
- identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make - such as /sh/ or /oo/
- blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.
Children can then use this knowledge to ‘de-code’ new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read. Almost all children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment.
How is phonics taught at MJS?
Most children will practise phonics in their reading and spelling lessons. However, some children will have extra phonics interventions in order to support their learning, if their phonics assessment shows that this would be beneficial. Some children will bring home phonics reading books in order to further support their learning. If your child brings a phonics book home, please enjoy it with them several times before returning it to school as it is important that they reread it in order to embed the learning, and become fluent in the sounds that they are practising.