Phonics

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. They are taught how to:

• recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes.

• identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make such as 'sh' or 'oo'; and

• blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.

Children can then use this knowledge to 'de-code' new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.  Children receive daily phonics sessions in Early Years and KS1. Those children who require phonics in KS2 also receive Phonics interventions to support their reading.

At Hugo we have adopted a phonics scheme called The Teach Hub Letters and Sounds.  They have developed the scheme to match the National Curriculum expectations for both phonics and spelling.  

The scheme includes:

• Full overview mapping document of coverage from EYFS to end of Key Stage One that is progressive and sequential. 

• Phonics and Spelling teaching and desk charts for EYFS

• Weekly units of work for Phase 2 to Phase 5 that include a teaching overview, revision, oral blending, teaching objective, word examples, segmenting, blending, handwriting, reading and spelling practice, pseudoword practice, sound button practice, daily PowerPoint (or PDF) and task sheet. 

• High-frequency words listed within phases, linked to the Common Exception words from the National Curriculum. 

• Flashcards for each Phase including word examples. 

The scheme is splits learning into 6 Phonic Phases.

• Phase 1 develops children's ability to hear and distinguish sounds around them. It focuses on oral blending and segmenting and rhyming.

• Phase 2 introduces letter sounds for reading and writing with a set of letters being taught weekly. It begins to look at blending for reading and segmenting for writing. A selection of 'common exception words are taught during Phase 2.

• Phase 3 introduces the rest of the individual letter sounds and diagraphs. Children will continue blending and segmenting and further tricky words are taught. Children will also learn the letter names of the alphabet during this phase.

• Phase 4 helps build on the previous understanding of blending and segmenting and children gain experience of using words that have adjacent consonants such as trap, milk. No new sounds are taught.