Phonics and Early Reading
At Gordon Children’s Academy, 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.
When learning to read, it is vital that children practice using a book that is at their correct phonic stage. Children in EYFS will all take home a book that is fully decodable at their correct phonic stage. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.
As a result, all our children are able to tackle any unfamiliar words as they read. At Gordon Children’s Academy, 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 Gordon Children’s Academy, we value reading as a crucial life skill. By the time children leave us, most children 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.
For additional information on our chosen SSP, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, please visit the following website: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
The resources on this page will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. There are also some useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel confident about supporting their reading at home.
Homework
Tapestry is a secure online account which we use in our early years setting to share your child’s learning journey with you. We update your child’s account weekly showing the progress that they are making and to share “wow” moments taken during their time with us. We encourage parents and carers to comment and upload achievements too, creating a strong link between home and school. In addition to Tapestry being our main form of communication, we also use Tapestry to upload home learning activities on a weekly basis. This allows parents and carers to be a part of their child’s learning process and consolidate their taught knowledge and skills.
As well as the academic homework, including daily reading that the children complete, we want to encourage and celebrate the children’s creative side. The children are encouraged to use their thinking hats to create a piece of homework that we can share with the whole school community, including parents, at parent’s evening. They can pick from one of the suggested ideas included in the above curriculum information sway or create an idea of their own. The children will vote for the most creative homework (green hat thinking) from each class. Good luck!
Useful Websites
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Phonics Play: https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Games, Stories, Activities ideas http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies
Songs and Short Stories http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/
Online Educational Games http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html
Reading activities with Spot the Dog http://www.funwithspot.com/
Top Marks Learning Games: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/
Handwriting Support: https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/writingRepeater/
Maths Games: https://nrich.maths.org/early-years
Early Years Activities: https://abcdoes.com/
