Phonics

English

Primary

Developing a phonics and reading strategy at a primary in Brixton

A primary school shows how it has responded to the Rose Report and developed its own Phonics and Reading Strategy to suit its pupils. Hill Mead Primary School, Brixton, has developed its own programme of phonics based on letters and sounds. Staff have devised daily activities for each year group, leaving creative space for role play, games and reading for pleasure. Year 1 teacher Ashley Malekmian demonstrates the approach with her class. Deputy headteacher Becky Lawrence, and headteacher Richard West explain their strategy of making phonics teaching less isolated from reading and comprehension, focusing on the needs of their children.

A Home-Grown Phonics Programme

A video record of a pupil's progression in reading

A rare opportunity to see one pupil's progress in reading over a 12-week period, captured on camera by the teachers of Heather Primary School in rural Leicestershire. The video starts with five-year-old Adam talking to his teacher, Becca Suluga, about the books he likes to read and share. We then follow him as his reading skills improve through a variety of strategies. Developing his "self talk" or awareness about these strategies is a key aspect to the learning, which Becca encourages. The accompanying video diary footage by headteacher Lou Harrison includes both reflection on Adam's progress and discussion on the project itself. What does the video evidence show? How can video help in assessment? What is the effect on Adam? Everyone is involved in recording and sharing the video footage via the web. Adam's mum reflects on his progress with Becca, Lou uses the footage to moderate teacher assessments, and Adam even starts taking over the shooting to tell his own story!

Adam's Reading Journey

A phonics programme for EAL children at primary school

Elmhurst Primary School, Newington, transforms the reading levels of its high EAL intake, through the adoption of a commerical phonics scheme. The video shows a phonics session at the start of Year 2 delivered to a less able group, which includes letter sound work, segmenting and blending. This is followed by reading together and independently. The school's systematic approach to reading, based on the Read Write Inc scheme, includes assessment and setting of the children into five teacher-led classes. Their results have improved dramatically and the strategy has enabled them to completely avoid the need for reading recovery so that all children make good progress with their literacy. Teacher Marigold Russell, deputy headteacher Katherine Roberts, and headteacher Shahed Ahmed talk about the school's about the strategy.

Applying a Systematic Phonics Scheme

Expert advice on early reading and phonics, for trainee teachers

This PGCE lecture aims to tell trainee teachers more about key aspects of primary English and the two dimensions of the Simple View of Reading, in a talk given by Julie Bowtell from the School of Education, University of Hertfordshire. Julie explains how reading is an active process of getting meaning from print, and she explores different methods of achieving this. Using volunteers, Julie demonstrates activities that assist in the teaching of phonics, including Odd One Out, where pupils identify which pupil name sounds different from a small selection of the class; and Phonics Full Circle, where six pupils make a series of three-letter words from placards displaying a single letter. Finally, Julie demonstrates how to encourage primary pupils to engage with text by predicting and pronouncing the phonemes in a covered-up word from a popular story book. This lecture may also be of interest to newly qualified teachers (NQTs).

Early Reading - The Simple View of Reading

Assessing the value of phonics with early reading

Langley Primary School in Oldbury has been identified by Sir Jim Rose as having excellent practice in phonics. Teacher Helen Jones is teaching the reception and Year 1 class, using two techniques involving sound buttons and robot arms to help pronunciation. But is synthetic phonics just another fashion, and is there any evidence that it works? Helen believes that it does work, but it can be complicated and she shares some useful tips for other teachers starting a synthetics phonics programme.

Early Reading and Phonics

  A teacher reflects on the use of phonics in Year 1  

This programme looks at how Blue Gate Fields Infants School approaches teaching phonics in nursery, reception and Year 1, as part of their strategy for literacy. The teachers reflect on the development of listening skills and use of phonological knowledge, and assess the place of phonics work within the context of their overall approach to literacy. Dr Rhona Stainthorp, of the Institute of Education, reviews recent academic research on decoding and reading.

KS1 English - Cracking the Code

A look at how one school has used phonics to improve literacy

Broadmead Infants School in Croydon approaches literacy and phonics with a fresh outlook in order to encourage pupils to start reading, writing and enjoying books. We see Reception and Year 1 classes at work and hear how the key to Broadmead?s success has been to see phonics as a tool to be used in the bigger project of literacy, rather than an end in itself. Headteacher Alex Lundie admits she was initially a sceptic, but since taking over the failing school and giving the Rose Report recommendations a chance, she has seen achievement rocket.

KS1 Literacy - Phonics without Tears

A look at Brooklands School's systematic teaching of phonics

This programme focuses on Brooklands School's systematic teaching of phonics, which has led to Ofsted commending its pupils for achieving outstanding progress in English. The school currently follows the Jolly Phonics programme; each day the pupils are taught letter sounds in a dedicated twenty minute session. When a new phonic is introduced the children are given opportunities to practice and reinforce their learning in all areas of the curriculum. The teachers are impressed by the way in which this multi-sensory fun approach, currently focusing on games and role play on the subject of pirates, has made a huge impact on pupils, particularly boys. Headteacher Gloria Hunt believes the school's current practice matches the key recommendations of the Rose Report. Brooklands School plans to use the report and related local authority training to refine their practice further.

KS1/2 English - Synthetic Phonics: Brooklands School

A look at Marner Primary School's approach at teaching phonics

Marner Primary School's systematic approach at teaching phonics, aims to help its pupils improve their literacy and writing skills. Over 90 per cent of the children at the London school are learning English as an additional language. The children are carefully grouped, based around on-going assessment of their phonological awareness, and are taught within these groups at stages one to five. The teachers and teaching assistants, all well-versed in the teaching of phonics, are very enthusiastic about this approach. They find it works well for both boys and girls and helps their pupils' motivation to read and write. Headteacher Mary Todd is encouraged by the school's results, and strongly endorses a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics.

KS1/2 English - Synthetic Phonics: Marner School

An advanced TA delivers an oral language intervention lesson

A TA delivers an oral language intervention session for three Early Years pupils, at risk of poor literact development. Advanced teaching assistant, Sue Backhouse, has been trained by the University of York team to teach oral language to pre-school children in Hinderwell Community Primary School. This video focuses on the nursery phase of intervention, with early vocabulary and narrative, teaching to a group of three pupils at risk of poor literacy development in the Early Years. The research suggests that even at three and a half, these children will benefit from this intervention and achieve significantly better in their later literacy classes.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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