HILDENBOROUGH CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOLTo be the best we can be, for ourselves, for others and for God.

Tuesday 3rd March 2020

Dear Parents and Carers,

Phonics workshop information

We would just like to say it was lovely to see you so many of you at Thursday’s workshop. As promised, attached is the summary of key areas covered.

We have also included the following:

Parent guidance for accessing Oxford Owl resources Grammar terminology glossary for years 1 and 2. A reading list

Book share

As mentioned, all year R, 1 and 2 parents are invited to come and share a story with your child at 3pm on Monday the 9th March. The purpose of this informal session is to read with your child our decodable books and to ask questions about how to best support your child.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask any KS1 teacher or Mrs Morrish, who will be more than happy to help.

Many thanks,

The KS1 Team and Mrs Morrish (Year 6 teacher and English Lead)

Riding Lane, Hildenborough,Tonbridge,Kent TN11 9HY. Tel 01732 833394.Email: office@hildenborough.kent.sch.ukwww.hildenborough.kent.sch.ukHeadteacher: Pamela Scott, Deputy Headteacher: Emma Welch

Dear Parents/Carers,

Early reading

Learning to read: supporting your child at home Learning to read is one of the most important skills that your child will develop over the next few years. The more support and encouragement that you can offer your child, the more likely it is that he or she will make good progress.

At school we are using the Oxford Reading Tree series to take your child through the early stages of learning to read. We follow the Floppy’s Phonics teaching programme, which is a step-by-step phonics reading scheme. It introduces the children to the letters and sounds (the alphabetic code) that are at the foundation of all reading and writing.

To reinforce the teaching in school, your child will bring home some books to share with you.

These may be: ● Floppy’s Phonics Sounds Books, to practise the sounds and letters taught at school

● Floppy’s Phonics decodable readers to practise reading stories and different text types. All the books have notes on the inside cover to guide you on how to share them with your child.

We may also send home Grapheme and Picture Tiles, Activity Sheets, Cumulative Texts, Activity Books and Say the Sounds Posters for your child to practise phonics at home.

You may like to visit www.oxfordowl.co.uk for further information about phonics, helping your child to read and for free resources and eBooks. (Refer to attached pack for login details.)

Kind regards,

The KS1 team and Mrs Morrish

Phonics Terminology (from Phonics Workshop)

Systematic synthetic phonics programmes are the recommendation of the Rose Report as the most effective way to teach children to read.

They are carefully sequenced schemes which enable children to synthesise (blend) letter sounds together in an cumulative way.

The English language is the most complex in the world. It has origins in Anglo-Saxon, West Germanic, Latin and Norman French. It has many rules and irregular spellings which makes writing the language for both reading and spelling challenging.

Research has found that, “…around 90% of vocabulary is only really encountered when reading and it is not used in everyday speech,” (Ofsted Developing breadth of language) and hence it is essential that children learn to read. The Institute of Fiscal Studies highlights that future earning potential is affected by reading ability.

We follow the systematic synthetic phonics programme called Floppy’s Phonics, a step-by-step phonics reading scheme. This is use in conjunction with phonetically decodable books which contain the sounds being taught in class.

We teach 3 core skills Decoding = ‘sounding out and blending’ for readingThese are applied in cumulative texts.Encoding = identifying sounds in words for spellingHandwriting = letter formation

Floppy’s phonics is taught in 2 sessions Session 1– oral exploration (sounding out and blending, letter formation, spelling) Using online resources and flashcardsSession 2- independent applicationDecoding, handwriting, spelling And cumulative text (applying knowledge in sentences).

The alphabetThe alphabet consists of 26 letters (graphemes) which make more than 44 sounds (phonemes).

The children are initially taught the sounds and then letter names in year 1.

The alphabet is a code, which the children need to learn the sound each letter/letter combination makes to decode for reading and then encode for spelling and writing the correct graphemes (letters).

Alphabetic code chart

Every child in school has access to an alphabetic code chart to support with spelling.

This shows the sound (phoneme) on the left and the possible spellings (graphemes) on the right.

It is useful to say the sound and the word associated with it to make it clear.MonitoringTrained staff monitor children daily. Termly tests are carried outChildren’s progress is reviewed at the end of every unit.Short-term interventions (additional support) are put into place if required. These can be extra sessions or specialised help depending on the individual’s needs.Year 1 Phonics screening testCompulsory test carried out in June and checks your child’s progress and is reported along with the SATs (Statutory Assessment Tests) results.

• Sound out and blend graphemes (letters) in order to read simple words.

• Read phonically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, e.g. cat, sand, windmill.

• Read a selection of nonsense words which are referred to as pseudo words.]

It consists of 40 words – some are real words and some are pseudo words.Handwriting

Encourage your child to have ‘froggy fingers’ and form the tripod grip. “ Froggy legs with the log under”

You may need to keep on gently reminding them to hold the pencil correctly.We teach non-cursive writing in year R, pre-cursive (with lead ins and exit lines) in Year 1 and then cursive in year 2 and KS2.

Oxford Owl – online information, resources and games

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/?selLanguage=en&mode=hubIndividual year groups have their own login stuck into the front of their reading logs.

Saying the soundsOn the Oxford Owl website under the ‘Learn to read with phonics: parent guide’ there is a phonics audio guide to help pronounce the sounds.Say the sound posters

Use these to practise the sounds with your child.

Recommended reading lists (compiled by Penny Bill KCC English Coordinator)

These are suggested texts that are broadly age-appropriate. Most importantly, this is a starting point for sharing books and reading with children and these lists, compiled by the Local Authority Literacy Leader, are full of books which should inspire a love of reading and foster comprehension skills.

Texts We Like in YR:

Title Author/sOliver’s vegetables Vivien FrenchMeg and Mog Helen Nicoll and Jan PiencowskiThe Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster David Conway and Melanie WilliamsonThe Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric CarleThe Enormous Turnip Ladybird HB versionCommotion in the Ocean Giles Andreae and David WojtowyczTitch Pat HutchinsWe’re going on a bear hunt Michael RosenNaughty Bus Jan and Jerry OkeThe Very Ugly Bug Liz PichonNight Song Ari BerkThe Gruffalo Julia DonaldsonBrown Bear, what do you see?Polar Bear, what do you hear?

Eric CarleBill Martin Jr

The Dawn Chorus Suzanne BartonSlug needs a Hug Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Texts We Like in Y1:

Title Author/sTrust me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks Eric BraunThe Kiss that Missed David MellingThe Owl who was Afraid of the Dark Jill TomlinsonThe Snail and the Whale Julia DonaldsonLittle Beauty Anthony BrowneThe Lonely Beast Chris JudgeBeegu Alexis DeaconHanda’s Surprise Eileen BrowneJasper’s Beanstalk Nick ButterworthThe Frog Prince and The Frog Prince M Gordon; John ScieszkaHarry and the Dinosaurs Ian WhybrowDiary of a Worm Doreen CroninSlinky Malinki Lynley DoddLila and the Secret of Rain David Conway and Jude DalyPanda Bear What do you See? Eric CarleThe House that Jack Built Jenny StowLittle Answer Tim HopgoodThe Jasmine Sneeze Nadine Kaadan

Texts We Like in Y2:

Don’t let the pigeon stay up late Mo WillemsTraction Man Mini GreyThe Getaway Ed VereThe Lonely Beast Chris JudgeAmphibby Anne Jeanne WillisRigby Red Giant series VariousThat Rabbit belongs to Emily Brown Cressida CowellThe Story of the Little Mole Werner HolzwarthMeerkat Mail Emily GravettThe Indoor Pirates Jeremy StrongHerb, the Vegetarian Dragon Jules BassTell me Dragon Jackie MorrisCinderella – an art deco love story L RobertsKatie Morag Island Stories Mairi HedderwickThe Wizard of Oz Rosie DickinsMan on the Moon Simon BartramThe Hodgeheg Dick King SmithJack and the Baked Beanstalk Colin SimpsonThe Tunnel Anthony BrowneHansel and Gretel Anthony BrowneOn the way home Jill MurphyThe Heart and the Bottle Oliver JeffersThe Whale’s Song Dyan SheldonTell me a Dragon Dyan SheldonThe Tin Forest Helen WardJack’s Fantastic Voyage Michael ForemanThe Owl who was Afraid of the Dark Jill TomlinsonInto the Forest Anthony BrowneLost and Found Oliver JeffersWild Emily HughesVoices in the Park Anthony BrowneThe Slightly Annoying Elephant David WalliamsJourney Aaron BeckerLibrary Lion Michelle KnudsenThis is not my hat Jon KlassenThe Book before Bedtime / Use your imagination Nicola O’ByrneBear’s Magic Pencil Anthony BrowneBear Hunt Anthony BrowneThe Paper bag Princess Robert MunschA Necklace of Raindrops Joan Aiken and Jen

PierikoswsiThe Day the Crayons Quit Drew Daywault and Oliver

Jeffers