Phonics at Bracken Edge

At Bracken Edge we use the Floppy’s Phonics scheme (started January 2021) to teach children how to read. We recognise how vital it is that children read and develop fluency whilst at Bracken Edge, which is why we make Phonics a daily priority, teaching it discretely every day in Reception and KS1 and as often as possible for those who need it in KS2, until they can read.  Phonics coverage is mapped out for each year group that teaches it, with built in consolidation time to ensure children embed their latest phonics learning. Consolidation and regular assessments allow teachers to evaluate individual phonic knowledge and plan next steps.

Phonics starts in Nursery where learning and experiences center around developing pre-reading skills, such as, listening, beat, rhythm and rhyme and oral blending and segmenting. The children are exposed to this during teaching inputs, whilst accessing provision and when using Floppy’s wordless practice books.  Children are taught new vocabulary, songs and rhymes to complement their topics and encourage them to make links. 

In Reception the children have daily phonics sessions covering 2-4 phonemes per week and new tricky words. During Phonics, children focus on keywords using Floppy’s online resources, in addition to their new phoneme and words.  The children are encouraged to apply the reading routine when accessing group reading sessions. Phonic skill development is encouraged within the areas of provision, with various resources, enhancements and activities.

Phonics sessions take 1 hour each day in KS1, covering a new phoneme and tricky words each day, using Floppy’s Phonics online resources and individual workbooks. Children are expected to apply the reading routine when reading both at school and in the home with their reading books, homework and with the day’s phoneme worksheet for those that need extra practice with it. In addition to Floppy’s Phonics, children in Year 1 are also given opportunity to practice their blending skills with pseudo words in preparation for the Phonics Screen Check.

Any child that requires additional practice or support with the daily learning revisits aspects of that session later in the day, receiving targeted support to give every individual the opportunity to keep up. Reading books are matched as closely as possible to each child’s reading ability, allowing them to consolidate and embed their phonics learning.

The structure of all daily Floppy's Phonics sessions are as follows:-

• Revisit/review of previously taught graphemes and words
• Introduction of new phoneme, including how to write it correctly
• Time to practice blending and segmenting with the new phoneme
• Opportunity to apply what has been taught with independence

Please see the following attachments below to support your child's phonics learning at home.