Phonics Delivery
At Eaton Park, we teach phonics through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This systematic and structured approach enables children to develop the knowledge and skills needed to become confident, fluent readers.
Children take part in engaging daily phonics lessons that are carefully sequenced to build their understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and tricky words. Learning is revisited and built upon over time to ensure knowledge is secure and long-lasting. Regular assessment allows teachers to identify any gaps in learning and provide timely support, ensuring children are supported to achieve success and make strong progress in their reading journey.
- In Nursery, children follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Foundations for Phonics guidance. The focus is on developing speaking and listening skills, language development, and early phonological awareness through daily oral blending, songs, rhymes and high-quality stories.
- In Reception and Year 1, children follow the progression outlined in the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Phonics is taught daily, with regular review sessions and dedicated consolidation weeks each half term to strengthen and secure learning.
- By the end of Reception, children are expected to have completed Phase 4 of the programme.
- By the end of Year 1, children are expected to have completed Phase 5 of the programme.
- In Year 2, children who are on track continue to consolidate and apply their phonics knowledge through the Little Wandle Phase 5 Review.
- Children who require additional support in Year 2 take part in the Rapid Catch-up programme, ensuring that any gaps in learning are addressed quickly and effectively.
- Older pupils who need further phonics support also access the Rapid Catch-up programme, enabling them to develop the knowledge and confidence needed to become fluent readers.
Reading Practice Sessions
- Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, autumn term (and beyond, where appropriate) take part in small-group reading practice sessions using fully matched decodable books that align with their phonics knowledge.
- Reading practice sessions take place three times each week and last approximately 15 minutes.
- Following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised approach, these sessions provide opportunities for children to apply and consolidate their phonics learning while developing accuracy, fluency and confidence in reading.
- Children take home the same decodable book they have practised in school, enabling them to revisit and build fluency through repeated reading.
- We encourage children to read at home regularly and expect a minimum of four reading sessions each week to support their progress.
Little Wandle Fluency
Once children have securely completed Phase 5 phonics and are reading with increasing accuracy and confidence, they move on to the Little Wandle Fluency programme. This programme is designed to develop reading fluency, helping children to read with greater pace, expression, accuracy and understanding.
Pupils engage with age-appropriate texts through structured fluency sessions, which support them in developing comprehension skills, building confidence and deepening their enjoyment of reading. Children in Year 3 continue to access the programme, enabling them to further strengthen their fluency and successfully tackle longer and more challenging texts as they progress through Key Stage 2.
Fully Decodable Books
- To support early reading development, children are provided with reading books that closely match the phonics knowledge they have already secured.
- This carefully matched approach allows children to read with increasing accuracy and confidence, helping to foster enjoyment and success as readers.
- Our fully decodable books are aligned with the progression of the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, ensuring that children can apply the sounds and words they have been taught.
- Through these texts, children have regular opportunities to practise blending, consolidate their phonics knowledge and build fluency in reading.
- We work in partnership with parents and carers, offering support and guidance through phonics information sessions and ‘Watch Me Learn’ events to help children develop as confident readers at home and at school.
- Alongside their decodable reading books, children are immersed in a range of high-quality texts that promote a love of reading. For children at the earliest stages of learning to read, wordless books provide valuable opportunities to develop language, vocabulary, comprehension and storytelling skills, creating strong foundations for future reading and writing
How Do We Assess Phonics?
We use a combination of ongoing assessment and formal checks to ensure that every child is making strong progress in phonics and receives the support they need to become a confident reader.
- In Reception and Year 1, children take part in regular review sessions that revisit and consolidate previously taught learning.
- Planned review weeks, alongside bespoke review opportunities, allow teachers to address any gaps identified through ongoing assessment.
- Children who require additional support are quickly identified and receive targeted Keep Up sessions, following the Little Wandle programme to help ensure they remain on track.
- Children in Reception and Year 1 are assessed at the end of each half term using the Little Wandle assessment materials.
- Pupils who are not yet meeting expected milestones are assessed more frequently to closely monitor progress and inform further support.
- In Year 1, children participate in the statutory Phonics Screening Check in the summer term. Children who do not meet the expected standard retake the check in Year 2.
Assessment information is used to inform teaching, identify next steps and ensure that all children receive the appropriate level of challenge and support to become fluent, confident readers.
Early Reading Experts
At Eaton Park, we are committed to providing high-quality phonics and reading teaching. All staff are trained in our chosen phonics programme and have a secure understanding of how children learn to read.
Regular training and professional development ensure that staff remain knowledgeable and confident in delivering effective phonics and early reading provision.
Leaders work closely with staff to maintain high standards and continually develop practice, ensuring that every child is supported to become a confident, fluent and enthusiastic reader.
If you are a parent and would like more information about how to support your child with phonics at home, please follow this link to find the Reception and Year 1 overview as well as videos of the sound pronunciations, letter formation sheets and other helpful resources.
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Watch our Little Wandle parent/carer information session here:
