Phonics

At Headfield Junior School we believe that for all our children to become fluent readers and writers, phonics must be taught through a systematic and structured phonics programme.

Phonics at Headfield is taught using the structure of our systematic synthetic programme: ‘Little Wandle Letters & Sounds’. This comprehensive programme provides a multI-sensory approach, using letter frames, flash cards, phonic games and listening activities.

The resources on this page will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. The first three videos show you how to pronounce the sounds, as they are taught in school. Notice how the children don’t add an ‘uh’ sound at the end, so they say: ‘t’ not ‘tuh’. Click on each video to watch.

Use the downloadable information underneath to help your child remember how to write their letters and say their sounds. Further down the page you can learn about specific aspects of phonics teaching and about the reading books your child will bring home.

Our feeder infant schools Pentland Infants, Savile Town Infants and Thornhill Lees Infants also use Little Wandle so if you have younger children attending those schools, this page will help them with their phonics learning too.

Phase 5 sounds

How we teach different aspects of phonics

The videos below show you how we teach your child specific aspects of phonics in class.

How we teach tricky words

How we teach blending

How we teach alien words

Glossary of phonics terminology

glossary of the phonics terminology.pdf

Books coming home

Supporting your child with reading

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:

A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.

A library book. This book is within your child's ZPD (zone of proximal development) but they may need a little support reading it as some of the phonics sounds in the words may not be secure. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.

Reading practice book (Big Cat book)

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.

Library book

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The library book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!