Phonics

From Foundation Stage 1 to Year 1, we follow the Read. Write Inc approach to phonics. This is a fast-paced, structured scheme that provides our children with the perfect foundations to reading and writing. Children in Foundation Stage 1 and Year 1 have phonics groups 4 times a week.

Here is an introduction to phonics and the pure sounds we use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q 

Here is a guide to dots and dashes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBrntbY9uKM

Spelling

When children have passed the phonic screener, they will then move on to spelling lessons. Our spelling lesson structure has been designed for St Andrew's with many elements being taken from the Spelling Book. The spelling structure of lessons aim to build on the phonic foundations the children already have from their Read, Write, Inc phonics lessons. 

At St Andrew's, we use our own spelling squence of lessons that have been designed for our school. Although we use the Spelling Book to support our teaching and learning of different spelling rules and patterns, we have created our own sequence of lessons to support our children. Built on the fundamentals of teaching spelling with strong phonic foundations, our St Andrew's spelling curriculum engages our children in spelling activities, investigations and daily fast tasks that aim to recap a wide variety spelling rules. 

Spelling words are introduced at school on a two week cycle. During week A, children work on reading the 15 focus words, creating word families and identifying what makes them tricky to spell. They are also encouraged to annotate these spellings with simple notes personal to the child based on what might help them remember how to spell these spellings. During week B, children work through daily fast tasks that revise and revisit spelling rules and patterns through the lenses of the Spelling Rainbow. Children are then encouraged to delve deeper into their spelling words at home as they are sent home on a two week cycle. Spelling folders are sent home with a new word list in every two weeks for the children to practise their spellings at home. Please see the spelling selection menu below for some creative ideas around how children may choose to practise their spellings at home.