Reading and writing are fundamental skills that are crucial for children’s success in school and beyond. What can be done to accelerate a child’s development?
What is Phonics?
Phonics is a method of teaching children how to read and write by focusing on the sounds and letters that form words. Written letters of the alphabet represent the sounds we use in spoken language. Through phonics, children learn to:
– Recognise sounds and their associated letters
– Identify the sounds that combinations of letters make
– Blend sounds together to form a word
Children develop a knowledge of the English alphabetic code and master the skills required to decode words.
Why is phonics important?
Phonics is the precursor to reading, writing and spelling. It provides a key foundation for children to develop crucial literacy skills that will carry them through life. Research shows that high-quality phonics teaching effectively supports younger children to master the basics of reading, with an average impact of an additional five months’ progress.
Children with accelerated reading skills can independently access other areas of the curriculum. The more progress they make with phonics, the more progress they will make across the board.
How do we teach phonics?
At Wandsworth Prep, our early years specialists implement the Read Wrtie Inc into the phonics curriculum to ensure all children successfully gain phonetic knowledge and master the associated skills.
Read Write Inc is a phonics literacy programme which aids children in learning to read fluently and quickly so they can develop their comprehension, spelling and vocabulary. The Read Write Inc programme encourages children to develop a lifelong love of books and reading.
Read Write Inc is particularly effective for helping children to climb to the top of the reading ladder. This method allows children to learn to blend letter sounds together following an exciting and effective programme.
To ensure all children make maximum progress, we tailor the learning to individual needs to ensure that low-attaining children receive any support they need. Children also receive group-based homework, so parents can see what their child has been learning in phonics and allow them to make the necessary progress outside of the classroom also.
Our strong phonics provision accelerates learning and enables our children to achieve better than the national average. Each term we assess children’s reading levels using the New Group Reading Test. This allows us to closely monitor how well your child is doing and diagnostically identify gaps in their learning.
To find out more about the curriculum at Wandsworth Prep, why not book a personalised tour with our Head, Laura Nike. Call us at 020 8870 4133 or email office@wandsworthprep.com
