Phonics

Phonics

Why do we follow Phonics Shed?

At Allithwaite CE School, we follow Phonics Shed because it provides a fully systematic, evidence-based approach to the teaching of early reading and spelling. We have implemented the Phonics Shed scheme as it allows multisensory and engaging content that is accessible to all students. It is aligned with the principles of the DfE-validated systematic synthetic phonics programme, ensuring that our teaching meets national expectations and reflects current research into how children learn to read. All staff have received up to date training on how to deliver this scheme.

Phonics Shed offers:

A carefully sequenced progression of sounds and skills
Consistent terminology and routines across all classes
High-quality resources that engage children and support teachers
Built-in assessment tools to help us track progress and identify children who need extra support.

Children begin their phonics journey in our Nursery, where they are introduced to the main character that is used throughout the scheme. This journey continues through the Early Years and Year 1 in preparation for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. After the screening, children continue to develop their knowledge and application skills in Year 2, learning alternative pronunciations and spelling patterns. The scheme is also accessed by children in Key Stage 2 who require additional phonics support.

How do we structure and deliver phonics?

Phonics is taught daily from Nursery and through to the end Year 1, with additional support for any children who need it beyond this point.

Children engage in daily phonics lessons where they:

Meet a new character
Learn a new action to support memory
Explore a new song and stories to help them recall their learning

Our phonics sessions are:

Systematic – sounds are introduced in a clearly defined order, building from simple to more complex
Explicit – children are taught how to recognise sounds (phonemes), match them to letters (graphemes) and blend them to read words
Multi-sensory – lessons include speaking, listening, reading, writing and practical activities

Each session follows a consistent structure:

Revisit and review – practising previously taught sounds and words
Teach – introducing a new sound or spelling pattern
Practise – applying the new learning through reading and writing activities
Apply – using phonics in real reading and writing contexts

We use fully decodable reading books that are carefully matched to the sounds taught during reading lessons within the school day. These are supplemented with the Dandelion and the Collins Big Cat reading scheme to ensure that children have access to a wide range of appropriate text types.

Through the use of our school library, we actively promote reading for pleasure. Children are supported when choosing books to ensure they are appropriate to their phonetic knowledge, while also offering an appropriate level of challenge. Children are encouraged to select books that they can share with their grown up at home.

Regular assessment helps us to:

Identify children who need extra practice or targeted intervention
Provide timely support to keep all children on track
Celebrate progress and achievement

Through our structured and engaging approach to phonics, we aim to ensure that all children become confident, fluent readers with a strong foundation for future learning

How can I support my child?

In Snowy and Tawny Owls, a handy parent and carer guide is given to parents during the class welcome meeting, to give parents and carers more information about Phonics. Here is also a copy of the GPC Character Overview document.

Talk, Talk,Talk!

As a parent/carer, you are the model of good speaking and listening. Regularly introduce new words (vocabulary). For example, for the word big you could also introduce large, huge, or enormous. Encourage them to say the word too. This is not about reading the words but about your child hearing and saying them.

Model blending

Start off using just the speech sounds and then immediately say the word. For example, At the shop I will buy a… /p/ /e/ /n/ - pen, a /b/ /oo/ /k/ – book, a piece of /f/ /i/ /sh/ - fish and a block of /ch/ /ee/ /s/ /e/ - cheese.

Encourage your child to join in with you after you have this modelled for them. Then say the sounds and ask your child to say the whole word.

Practising and reading with your child every day

Even if it’s just for 10 minutes! Read their school library book with them and talk about what they’ve heard or read for themselves. Re-read books so that they build up their bank of stories and texts that they know well.

Praise and praise again!

Children will be more engaged with encouragement and praise and will learn much faster.

Help children to practise saying the sounds correctly

Correct pronunciation of phonemes—the smallest units of sound—is critical for ensuring clear communication, boosting confidence, and enabling accurate reading and spelling. Mastering these sounds, e.g. using ‘pure sounds’ like “b” instead of “buh” and “sss” instead of “suh” allows for accurate word blending, prevents misunderstandings, and is essential for effective language acquisition.

Click on the video links to find the pronunciation of each set of sounds:

Sounds learned in Reception

Chapter 2 set 1 – s a t p

Chapter 2 set 2 – i n m d

Chapter 2 set 3 – g o c k

Chapter 2 set 4 – ck e u r

Chapter 2 set 5 – h b f l

Chapter 2 set 6 – j v w x

Chapter 2 set 7 – y z qu a (as in llama)

Chapter 3 set 1 – ng ch sh th (as in them) th (as in thin)

Chapter 3 set 2 – ai ee igh oa

Chapter 3 set 3 – ue ow oi oo (as in moon) oo (as in book)