We are so incredibly proud of how our Year 1 children have embraced their Little Wandle Letters and Sounds journey this term!
The transition from Reception to Year 1 is a big step, but the children have shown fantastic resilience.
How Well They Are Doing
Our recent assessments show that the majority of children are:
- Blending in their heads: Moving away from loud “sounding out” to more fluent, automatic reading.
- Spotting Digraphs: Quickly identifying two letters that make one sound (like sh, th, or ea) before reading a word.
- Tackling “Tricky Words”: Becoming experts at reading words that don’t follow the normal rules, such as their, people, and could.
No Learning Opportunity Missed!
At Rawmarsh Ashwood, we believe that every second counts, and we ensure that no learning opportunity is missed throughout the school day. To keep phonics “sticky” and front-of-mind, we’ve turned our daily routines into mini-challenges. You may have noticed children tapping a “Phonics Password” on the door before they enter or leave the room; this requires them to recall a specific grapheme or tricky word to “unlock” the door.
Furthermore, we often use “Graphemes on Sleeves,” where pupils wear a target sound on their arm. This encourages spontaneous “point and say” moments during transitions or while lining up, ensuring that even the shortest gaps in the day are filled with high-impact, incidental learning. This constant immersion helps children move their phonics knowledge from their short-term to their long-term memory with ease.
Ways to Support at Home
Your support at home makes a world of difference. Here are the best ways to keep that momentum going:
- The “Reading Practice” Book: This book is sent home once your child has already read it three times in school. They should be able to read it with 95% fluency. If they seem to find it “easy,” that’s great! It’s designed to build their confidence and “prosody” (reading with expression).
- The “Sharing Book”: This is a book for you to read to them. Snuggle up and enjoy the story together—this is all about developing a love for reading and expanding their vocabulary.
- Spot the Digraph: When reading together, play a game of “I Spy” with sounds. Can they find the ‘ay’ in play or the ‘igh’ in night?
- Pure Sounds: When helping your child sound out, remember to use “pure sounds” (e.g., say ‘s’, not ‘suh’). This makes blending much easier for them!
Tip: If your child gets stuck on a word, encourage them to “blend in their head” first, then say the whole word out loud.
Have a look at the parents section on the Little Wandle website for further support and ideas on supporting your child with their phonics. Use the following link!
