At Chollerton First school we aim for all our children to become fluent, confident readers who are passionate about reading.

Children who read regularly or are read to regularly have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds! More importantly, reading will give your child the tools to become independent life-long learners.

We can achieve this together through:

• Little Wandle Phonics, a programme to help to your child read at school
• Encouraging children to develop a love of books by reading to them daily, at home and at school
• Giving children access to a wide range of books at school and at home

At Chollerton First School we use Little Wandle Phonics to give your child the best possible start with their literacy. 

What is Little Wandle Phonics?

Little Wandle Phonics is a phonics complete literacy programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. All children are assessed every half term by their class teacher so they work with children at the same level. This allows complete participation in lessons. We will continue the programme beyond year 2 if children still need support in their reading.

What does Little Wandle Phonics look like at Chollerton?

At Chollerton First we have tailored the Little Wandle Phonics programme to meet the needs our children and school environment. Our Little Wandle Phonics programme consists daily sessions delivered by experienced teachers and TA’s. Children are currently taught for 30 minutes per day. In reception this builds starting from 10 minute lessons. Each Friday we review the weeks teaching to help children become fluent readers.  

Reception

In Reception all children will learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down.

Reading

The children:

• are introduced to 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts.
• read from a range of storybooks and non-fictions books matched to their phonic knowledge.
• learn to read 'tricky words' by sight.

Writing

The children:

• learn to write and form the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds with the help of fun phrases.
• learn to write words.
• learn to build sentences by practising sentences out loud before they write. 

Talking

The children learn to

• answer questions.
• practise every activity. 
• take turns in talking and reading to each other.
• develop ambitious vocabulary.

Year One & Year Two

Children follow the same format as Reception but will work on complex sounds and read books appropriate to their reading level.  Once children become fluent speedy readers they will move on to literacy.

Phonics Screening Check Year One

What is the Year 1 phonics screening check?

The Year 1 phonics screening check is a short, light-touch assessment to confirm whether individual pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard.

It will identify the children who need extra help so they are given support by their school to improve their reading skills. They will then be able to retake the check so that schools can track pupils until they are able to decode.

Useful websites for Parents

Please find a list of websites that you may find useful in helping you and your child  learn about phonics. Games and fun activity websites are also included.

Little Wandle - resources to help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. 

Twinkl – lots of games, stories and worksheets to enjoy at home

Jolly Learning - Games and information for parents

Phonics Play - many games to play

BBC Bitesize - fun games for the children to play

ICT Games  - fun games for the children to play

Starfall  - fun games for the children to play

First School Years  - fun games for the children to play

BBC Bitesize - many games to play covering all areas of the curriculum