Phonics and Early Reading
Building the foundations for confident, fluent readers.
At Sacred Heart, we want every child to become a confident reader and to discover the pleasure that books, stories and reading can bring.
Phonics gives children the knowledge and skills they need to work out unfamiliar words. Alongside this, we help children develop their language, understanding and love of reading through stories, poems, conversation and a wide range of books.
Our core approach to phonics is Essential Letters and Sounds.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children how the sounds in spoken words are represented by letters or groups of letters. Children learn to recognise these relationships and use them when reading and spelling.
When reading, children look at the letters, say the sounds and blend them together to read the word. This is called decoding.
An example of blending
A child sees the word cat and says the sounds c – a – t. They then blend the sounds together to read cat.
In a word such as ship, the letters sh work together to represent one sound: sh – i – p.
For spelling, children learn to hear the sounds in a word and select the letters that represent them. This is often called segmenting.
Our core approach: Essential Letters and Sounds
Essential Letters and Sounds, often called ELS, is our core systematic synthetic phonics approach.
ELS provides the order in which sounds and the letters that represent them are taught. Children build their knowledge step by step, revisit previous learning and practise using what they know to read and spell.
ELS also guides the selection of fully decodable reading books. These books are matched to the phonics knowledge a child has been taught, so that they can apply their learning and experience success as readers.
A consistent order of teaching
Children encounter new sounds and spelling patterns in a planned sequence. Teachers revisit and assess learning so that children can practise and secure what they know.
Books matched to learning
A decodable book allows a child to use the sounds they have already been taught, together with any familiar exception words, to read the text.
What does “fully decodable” mean? The words in a child’s practice book are chosen so that they can use the phonics knowledge they have learned. The book may also include a small number of exception words that have already been taught.
Helping every child keep up and catch up
Children are grouped for phonics so that teaching and practice can be matched to what they know and what they need to learn next. This helps us provide the right support and challenge for children as they develop as readers.
Teachers check children’s progress and use what they find to plan the next steps. Children who need further practice or support can receive additional teaching to help them keep up and catch up.
Grouping is kept under review as children learn and progress. Our ambition is for every child to develop secure phonics knowledge and the confidence to use it independently.
If you have a question about your child’s phonics learning, reading book or next steps, please speak to your child’s teacher.
Working with the English Hub
We have worked with the English Hub in Blackpool to support the development of our phonics and early reading provision.
This partnership has helped us consider how our approach can be implemented effectively and aligned to the context and needs of our school community, while retaining Essential Letters and Sounds as our core approach.
English Hubs support schools with the teaching of early language, phonics and reading.
Useful phonics terms
You may hear some of these words when talking to your child or their teacher about phonics:
Phoneme
A sound in a spoken word. For example, the word cat contains three sounds: c – a – t.
Grapheme
A letter or group of letters used to represent a sound. For example, sh is a way of writing the sound at the start of ship.
Blending
Saying the sounds in a word and bringing them together to read the whole word.
Segmenting
Breaking a spoken word into its separate sounds to help with spelling.
Digraph
Two letters that represent one sound, such as sh in ship or ee in tree.
Harder-to-read-and-spell words
Some familiar words contain parts that do not follow the sound–letter patterns a child has learned so far. Children are taught how to recognise and read these words as part of the programme.
Phonics pronunciation videos
These Essential Letters and Sounds videos show how to say the sounds taught in different phases. They can help you support your child using the same sound pronunciations they hear at school.
Try to say each sound clearly, without adding an extra “uh” sound where possible. The videos demonstrate how this sounds.
Phase 2 pronunciation
Watch the Phase 2 video below, or use the link underneath to open it directly.
If the embedded video does not load, use the Phase 2 link to watch it on Vimeo.
Helping your child at home
Reading together is one of the most valuable ways to support your child. Short, encouraging practice can help children build confidence and enjoy sharing books with you.
Make time to read
Find a calm time to listen to your child read. Celebrate their efforts and let them know that it is fine to take time to work out a word.
Use the sounds they know
If your child comes to an unfamiliar word in their decodable book, encourage them to look at the letters, say the sounds and blend them together from left to right.
Read the book again
Re-reading a familiar decodable book gives children another opportunity to practise. It can help them become more accurate, fluent and confident.
Talk about the story
Once your child has read the words, talk together about what happened, what words mean, the characters and their favourite parts.
Share books for pleasure
Continue to read stories, poems, information books and favourite books aloud to your child. Books you share together can introduce ideas and vocabulary beyond those your child can yet read independently.
Keep in touch with school
Let your child’s teacher know about successes, questions or anything your child finds difficult. Their teacher can suggest ways to support the next steps.
When reading unfamiliar words: encourage your child to use the letters and sounds they know rather than guessing the word from a picture. Pictures and discussion can still add to the enjoyment and understanding of the story after the words have been read.
The phonics screening check
The phonics screening check is a short national check that usually takes place in June of Year 1. It helps teachers understand how well children can use their phonics knowledge to read words.
Children read 40 words to a teacher. The check includes real words and made-up words, sometimes called pseudo-words. Made-up words help show whether a child can use phonics to read a word they have not encountered before.
Families receive their child’s result. Children who do not meet the expected standard in Year 1 receive further support and normally take the check again in Year 2.
Supporting your child: the most helpful preparation is to keep reading enjoyable, practise the sounds and books provided by school, and encourage your child as their confidence grows.
Reading is more than reading the words
Phonics is an essential foundation for reading. Children also need opportunities to understand and enjoy what they read, develop vocabulary, discuss ideas and hear stories that capture their imagination.
At Sacred Heart, we want children to experience the pleasure of books as well as develop the skills to read them. Conversations, storytelling, poetry and reading aloud all contribute to children’s development as readers.
As children become more confident and fluent, they continue to develop their understanding, explore a wider range of texts and use reading to learn across the curriculum.
Useful information and resources
These resources provide further information for families who would like to learn more about phonics and early reading.
Essential Letters and Sounds: information for families
Explore the ELS approach, the order in which sounds are introduced and ideas for supporting reading at home.
Essential Letters and Sounds: information for school websites
The original information document linked from this page is available below.
The reading framework
The Department for Education’s guidance brings together information on early language, systematic phonics, reading fluency, comprehension and reading for pleasure.
Phonics screening check
Government information for families explains the phonics screening check and how parents can support their child.
English Hub in Blackpool
Visit the St John Vianney’s English Hub website to learn more about its work supporting schools with early language, phonics and reading.
Questions about phonics or reading?
If you would like to know more about your child’s phonics learning, their reading book, the phonics screening check or how to help at home, please contact your child’s teacher.
We are happy to work with you to support your child as they grow in confidence and enjoyment as a reader.
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