Queen's Park Primary School

Phonics at Queen’s Park Primary School

We know it is crucial to develop children’s early reading skills. We are passionate about fostering a love of reading and opening up a world of ideas and possibilities through sharing books and exploring language and pictures. We want every child to be exposed to a rich diet of texts in which they see themselves, their families and community represented. Alongside this we know that each child is capable of cracking the alphabetic code surprisingly quickly. Many Reception parents are blown away at how quickly their child is able to read simple words and sentences! It’s something incredibly special and somewhat magical to watch unfold. We believe in every child’s potential to succeed as a reader, unlocking knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

All children will receive 30 minutes per day of phonics teaching until they become fluent readers of age-appropriate books. Although children learn at different paces, as a general guide we aim for all children to have moved off phonics by the end of Year 2.

Phonics in Reception

We use Twinkl Phonics Programme to teach the children the sounds they need to know to read words. Beginning in Reception, the children learn one sound per day through an engaging story based around the Twinkl characters: Kit, Sam, Mum, Dad and Ben the dog. Children quickly progress to reading simple words such as sit, cat, mud, top, leg. They will cover Levels 2, 3 and 4 through their time in Reception, using PowerPoints, workbooks and Twinkl Rhino Reader books to support the development of decoding skills and reading fluency. By the end of Reception, we hope that most children will be able to have a go at reading a Level 4c Rhino Reader book.

Phonics in Year 1

Children continue their phonics journey in Year 1. They will cover Level 5, learning many more sounds and different ways of spelling the same sound. They will continue to use engaging Twinkl PowerPoints or workbooks within their lessons. The alphabetic code becomes more complex here and children need as much continued daily support with reading with parents and carers at home as possible. As children learn at their own pace, some children may even finish their phonics journey in Year 1, completing Level 6 and moving onto spelling.

Phonics in Year 2

In Year 2 many children will continue their phonics journey, covering Level 6 and continuing to gain fluency in reading Level 6a, 6b and 6c Rhino Reader books. It is vital that children continue to receive support in reading at home. The books they bring home are now longer and more complex and require thoughtful discussions to help develop children’s fluency and understanding.

Phonics in Key Stage 2

We are committed to ensuring that every child is supported to read at their own pace and we continue to deliver high-quality daily phonics teaching to children in Key Stage 2 who are still accessing phonics. Children will continue to use workbooks and extra Twinkl materials to support children’s fluency and will continue to take home Rhino Reader books at their level. As ever, support with reading at home will continue to help children develop their confidence as a reader.