Reading, Early Reading & Phonics | St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School

Early Reading & Phonics

‘Phonics helps us to hear, identify and use different sounds we can then apply to our reading and writing.’

Early Reading & Phonics

Promoting a love of reading is at the centre of everything we do here at St. Mary's. Each topic is linked to a class novel and reading opportunities will be prevalent across every area of the curriculum, beginning in the Early Years. All of the reading books on offer in EYFS and Key Stage 1 will connect closely to the phonics knowledge children are taught when they are learning to read. From children’s first day at school, there will be a sharp focus on ensuring that they gain the phonics knowledge and language comprehension necessary to read, and the skills to communicate, as we feel these are the foundations for future learning to take place. There will also be a consistent focus throughout school on topic related vocabulary so that children can develop this and use it in their own speech and future writing.

For phonics, we teach direct, focused phonics every day without exception in the Early Years and Key Stage 1, following the Red Rose Letters and Sounds systematic, synthetic phonics planning programme (written by the Lancashire Professional Development Service), using the Red Rose Letters and Sounds systematic, synthetic phonics planning programme (from Lancashire Professional Development Service).

Pupils are streamed into ability groups, regularly assessed, and our phonics lead, Mrs Hinett, regularly visits other schools to share good and outstanding practice. She also makes sure that our staff are fully confident in the delivery of phonics by providing regular CPD and training, delivered both by herself and the Lancashire Literacy Team who are led by Nicola Martin.

School has continued to be in line with or above national and Lancashire phonics pass rates in recent years.