Phonics

Why Teach Phonics?

At Oakwood Primary School we aim to inspire an appreciation of learning. It is essential that our approach to teaching phonics and reading is accessible to all learners, regardless of background or starting point. We recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their reading in a range of contexts to help access other areas of our curriculum. We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in Phonics, which follows a clear pathway of progression as they advance through the primary curriculum, starting in Reception. We believe that a secure basis of skills is crucial to a high quality education and will give our children the tools they need to participate fully as a member of society.

We believe that all our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. We start teaching phonics in Reception and follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised progression, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read. We also model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we know that speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

At Oakwood, we value reading as a crucial life skill. By the time children leave us, they read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure. Our readers are equipped with the tools to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary. We encourage our children to see themselves as readers for both pleasure and purpose.

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