Early Reading / Phonics 
At Franciscan Primary School, we want every child to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader who developsa lifelong love of reading.
We teach early reading through Little WandleLetters and Sounds Revised, a systematic synthetic phonics programme. Our approach begins in Nursery and continues through Reception and Key Stage 1, providing children with a clear and carefully sequenced journey towards becoming independent readers.
Phonics teaches children that letters and groups of letters represent sounds. Children learn to recognise these sounds, blend them together to read words and use their phonics knowledge to support spelling and writing.
We regularly assess children's progress so that teaching can be matched to their needs. Children who require additional support receive targeted phonics and reading practice to help them make progress and develop secure reading skills.
Nursery – Getting Ready to Read
Phonics focus: Foundations for Phonics
In Nursery, we build the foundations children need to become successful readers. Through Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics, children develop their listening, attention, speaking, vocabulary and awareness of sounds through stories, songs, rhymes, conversation and play.
Children learn to listen carefully to sounds, recognise rhythm and rhyme, enjoy and join in with stories and songs, and begin to blend sounds orally. These skills prepare children for formal phonics teaching in Reception.
How Can I Help at Home?
- Share and talk about books together every day.
- Sing songs and nursery rhymes.
- Talk together and introduce new vocabulary.
- Play listening, rhyming and sound games.
Nursery Rhymes
Singing nursery rhymes helps children develop their listening, language, vocabulary and awareness of rhyme. Little Wandle has nursery rhyme videos for families to enjoy together at home.
Watch and Sing Little Wandle Nursery Rhymes
Reception – Learning to Read
Phonics focus: Phases 2, 3 and 4
In Reception, children begin daily Little Wandle phonics lessons.
Children start with Phase 2, learning their first letter–sound correspondences and how to blend sounds together to read words. They then progress through Phase 3, learning further sounds, including digraphs and trigraphs, before moving into Phase 4, where they consolidate their knowledge and learn to read words containing more complex combinations of sounds.
Children also learn tricky words and regularly revisit previously taught sounds and words so that their reading becomes increasingly accurate, confident and automatic.
Sounds we learn in Reception
View our Reception overview to see the sounds, tricky words and phonics taught across the year.
View Reception Phonics Overview
Year 1 – Building Fluency and Confidence
Phonics focus: Review of Phases 2–4 and Phase 5
At the beginning of Year 1, children revisit and consolidate their learning from Reception before progressing through Phase 5.
During Phase 5, children broaden their knowledge of the alphabetic code. They learn that the same sound can sometimes be represented in different ways and that the same letters can sometimes represent different sounds.
Children continue to develop their ability to decode unfamiliar words, recognise familiar words automatically and read with increasing accuracy, fluency and expression.
Sounds We Learn in Year 1
See the sounds, alternative spellings and tricky words taught across the Year 1 phonics programme.
Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
Children usually take the statutory Phonics Screening Check in June of Year 1.
The check helps teachers identify how securely children can use their phonics knowledge to decode words. Children read a mixture of real words and unfamiliar 'pseudo-words' using the phonics skills they have developed through their normal teaching.
There is no need to prepare children separately for the check. Regular reading and phonics practice at home is the best way to support your child.
Year 2 – Developing Fluent and Confident Readers
Reading focus: Fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, with targeted phonics support where needed
In Year 2, children build on the strong phonics and reading foundations developed in Reception and Year 1. For most children, the focus increasingly moves towards becoming fluent, expressive and confident readers who understand and enjoy what they read.
Children develop their ability to read with greater accuracy and automaticity, use appropriate expression and phrasing, explore new vocabulary and discuss texts in greater depth.
Phonics remains an important tool when children encounter unfamiliar words. Where assessment identifies gaps in a child's phonics knowledge, they receive targeted Little Wandle teaching and additional practice at the appropriate point in the programme.
Children who did not meet the expected standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check continue to receive appropriate phonics support and take the statutory check again in Year 2.
Phonics and Reading in Year 2
See how children build on their phonics knowledge and continue to develop increasingly fluent and confident reading.
Reading Practice Sessions – Reception to Year 2
Children from Reception to Year 2 take part in three Reading Practice Sessions each week. Children read in a small group with an adult using a book carefully matched to their current reading and phonics knowledge.
Each session has a different focus:
- Decoding – Reading the words
Children use their phonics knowledge to read words accurately and develop automatic word recognition. - Prosody – Reading with fluency and expression
Children practise reading smoothly, using appropriate expression, phrasing and punctuation. - Comprehension – Understanding the text
Children discuss what they have read, explore vocabulary, answer questions and develop their understanding of the text.
Across the three sessions, children develop accuracy, fluency, confidence and understanding, supporting their progression towards becoming independent readers.
After the three Reading Practice Sessions, the book is sent home for your child to read with you. Rereading this familiar book at home provides an opportunity to celebrate their success and further develop fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading.
Supporting Reading at Home
Parents and carers play an important part in helping children become confident and successful readers. You do not need to be a phonics expert to help your child.
When reading with your child:
- encourage them to use the sounds they have been taught;
- encourage them to blend sounds together rather than guess unfamiliar words;
- give them time to work words out independently;
- reread sentences to develop fluency and expression;
- talk about new words and their meanings;
- ask questions about what they have read;
- praise their effort and celebrate their progress.
Alongside your child's reading book, continue to read and share books together. Reading stories, poems and non-fiction aloud introduces children to new vocabulary, ideas and language that may be beyond the books they can currently read independently.
Watch: How We Teach Phonics
For many families, it is much easier to hear and see phonics being taught than to read about it.
Little Wandle provides short videos for parents and carers demonstrating how to pronounce the sounds correctly and support children with blending and reading at home.
Watch Little Wandle Videos for Parents and Carers
We particularly recommend watching the sound pronunciation videos, as using the same pronunciation at home and at school helps children when blending sounds together to read words.
Need Some Help?
Children learn to read at different rates, and we regularly assess their progress to identify where additional teaching or practice may be needed.
If you have questions about what your child is learning, how to pronounce the sounds or how to support reading at home, please speak to your child's class teacher.
We are always happy to work with families to ensure children receive the right support at the right time.
Our goal is for every child at Franciscan to learn to read successfully, read with confidence and enjoy being a reader.