At Pendle, we teach Phonics daily. Phonics is a short and fast-paced 15-20 minute session.
1. We revisit old sounds & 'tricky words'.
2. We introduce a new sound or focus on recapping a previously learned sound.
3. We practise reading or writing our new sound in different words through games.
4. We apply our new sound to read or write it within a sentence.
5. We learn or recap our 'tricky word'
Children then practise their Phonics within Literacy, within provision and when reading their Reading Books.
| 'Tricky' Words | Decodable Words (Fred-Talk Words) |
| Tricky Words are words we cannot use our 'Fred-Fingers' for i.e. no, go, to, the, into. We learn these words by practise, practise, practise. | These are words we can use our Fred Fingers to read i.e. cat, pot, huff, peel, pool. We learn these by adding sound buttons and reading each sound at once and then blending them together. |
Phonics Glossary
Sometimes, your child will come home saying unfamiliar phrases like "Fred-talk" or "digraphs". Below is a glossary which outlines which each phrase means.
Information about Phonics & Helping your Child to Read
Physical Phonics Games
Phonics Flashcards
These are the pictures and rhymes we use to help us learn the different letters and sounds.
Progression of Sounds and Tricky Words in Reception
Phonics is taught in a set progression from Phase 1 to Phase 6. Children start Phase 1 in Nursery and Phase 6 takes place in Year 2.
Below are words and phrases from the phases covered in Reception. These can be used to adapt into games as above, and for you to have an understanding of the type of words children are expected to be able to read as they progress through their time in Reception.
Phase 1
Phase 1 is all about helping children tune into sounds in preparation for Phase 2 later on. Phase 1 aims to develop speaking, listening and phonological awareness skills.
Phase 2 Words and Phrases
These are words and phrases which we would typically expect children to be able to read confidently by Christmas. Children are encouraged to read the words by pressing each sound button, and then blending the word together.
Phase 3 Words and Phrases
These are words and phrases we would expect children to start to be able to read over Spring, and confidently by the end of Summer.
Phase 4 Words and Phrases
These are words and phrases we would expect children to make good attempts at by the end of the Reception year.