Early Reading and Phonics
At Berkswell Church of England Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will ever develop. Reading opens the door to the entire curriculum, enabling children to become confident, independent learners with a lifelong love of books.
We teach early reading through Floppy's Phonics, a systematic synthetic phonics programme that develops children's knowledge of letter sounds, blending, segmenting and reading fluency through carefully sequenced teaching. Daily phonics lessons follow a consistent routine, allowing children to revisit previous learning, learn new sounds and apply their knowledge through reading and writing. Each lesson includes opportunities to review previously taught sounds, develop oral blending, introduce new graphemes, practise reading and writing, develop comprehension and build fluency through carefully matched reading activities. This consistent approach enables children to know more, remember more and apply their phonics confidently.
We believe that children should not only be able to decode words accurately but also read with increasing speed, confidence and understanding. Alongside phonics, children are taught Green Words (Wonder Words). These are fully decodable words that we encourage children to recognise and read automatically without sounding them out. Reading these words at a glance develops reading fluency and frees children's thinking to focus on comprehension. Our bespoke progression of Green Words has been carefully designed to match children's increasing phonic knowledge and the decodable books they are reading, ensuring every child experiences success.
Children also learn a carefully planned sequence of Tricky Words, introduced only when they have the phonic knowledge needed to access them. This progression is closely aligned to our reading books and supports children in becoming fluent, confident readers.
To support early writing alongside reading, we have developed our own handwriting phrases, carefully matched to each Floppy's Phonics mnemonic. These memorable phrases help children make strong connections between the picture, the sound and the correct letter formation, supporting automatic letter recall and developing accurate handwriting from the very beginning. Handwriting is taught alongside every new sound so that children can immediately apply their learning in both reading and writing.
We recognise that children need to be physically ready to write before they can develop fluent handwriting. Alongside phonics, children take part in a carefully planned Handwriting Readiness Programme, developing shoulder stability, core strength, gross and fine motor control, pencil grip and letter formation through progressive activities. Our bespoke handwriting phrases, matched to each Floppy's Phonics mnemonic, help children make meaningful links between the sound, picture and correct letter formation, building confidence and automaticity from the very beginning.
Every child takes home a fully decodable reading book that closely matches the sounds they have been taught in school. To strengthen the partnership between home and school, each child also has an individual Oxford Owl login, giving families access to the same Floppy's Phonics reading book online each week. This allows children to revisit the text, build confidence and develop fluency through repeated reading.
Developing a love of reading extends beyond phonics. Children enjoy daily story times, Talk Through Stories, high-quality picture books and rich discussions that broaden vocabulary, develop comprehension and inspire a genuine enjoyment of
reading. These experiences help children understand that reading is not only a skill but a source of knowledge, imagination and pleasure.
We continually monitor every child's progress through ongoing assessment, ensuring that support is provided as soon as it is needed. Children requiring additional practice receive targeted intervention through our bespoke Floppy's Phonics One-to-One Tutoring Programme, developed at Berkswell to address gaps quickly and effectively. Built around the principle of "Keep up, not catch up," the programme provides personalised teaching so that every child has the opportunity to become a successful reader.
By the end of Reception, our aim is for every child to leave as a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader who can decode accurately, read with automaticity, understand what they have read and, above all, develop a lifelong love of reading.
Link to sound articulation- https://youtu.be/BqhXUW_v-1s?si=ogQEx4ZButMNQD1L
