English: Early Reading - Phonics
Reading Intent Statement
By the time our pupils leave Year 6, they will be fluent, confident and motivated readers who can access and enjoy a wide range of high-quality texts, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They will read accurately and with automaticity, drawing on secure phonics knowledge, word recognition, and an understanding of morphology and etymology. Pupils will demonstrate strong comprehension skills by retrieving, inferring and interpreting meaning, summarising key ideas, and analysing how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning, justifying their views with evidence.
Through exposure to rich and diverse texts, pupils will develop a broad vocabulary, cultural understanding and a love of reading. They will make connections within and across texts, linking their reading to the wider curriculum and the world around them. By the end of Year 6, our pupils will see themselves as readers—equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to read widely for both pleasure and purpose.
Policy
The policy for this subject can be found on our main policy section of the website.
Phonics Scheme of Learning
We use the Lancashire Red Rose Phonics scheme of work to guide our progression in phonics. The aim is that our children complete this programme by the end of Year 1.
National Curriculum
Useful Websites
PhonicsPlay (https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/) - this website has a range of games for different phases of phonics. Use your child's data report or a conversation with your child's class teacher to choose the appropriate phase to work on or practice.
Oxford Owl Phonics (https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/phonics/) - this is a useful website that explains what phonics is.
Oxford Owl Letters and Sounds Phonics (https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/what-is-letters-and-sounds/) - this website is particularly useful as the information relates to how we teach phonics at Benjamin Hargreaves. There are some useful videos to watch.
Reading Buddies (https://www.youtube.com/c/readingbuddiestrl) - this is an excellent resource. It is a TV show that helps children understand the Science of Reading while teaching them how to read.
Mr T's Phonics (https://www.youtube.com/user/breakthruchris) - this YouTube page has a number of videos explaining the different phonemes. These videos can be useful to support children's knowledge.
Subject Progression Document
How do I say the phonemes?
How to blend sounds to read words
How can I help my child with this subject?
You can make a big difference to your child’s reading by supporting their phonics learning at home. Short, regular practice is the most effective approach.
Read together every day
Spend a few minutes each day listening to your child read their school book. Encourage them to:
say each sound
blend the sounds together
try again if they get stuck
Re-reading familiar books helps children become fluent and confident readers.
Use sounds when reading and spelling
When helping your child:
say the sounds, not letter names
point to each letter as they read
encourage them to “sound out” words
Example:
c – a – t → cat
This matches how phonics is taught in school using the Red Rose Letters and Sounds approach.
Play simple sound games together
Try:
“I spy something beginning with…” (use the sound, e.g. /b/)
spotting rhyming words (cat, hat, sat)
clapping syllables in names or objects
breaking words into sounds and blending them back together
These activities build listening skills that support reading success.
Help with spelling using “phoneme fingers”
Encourage your child to:
say the word
count the sounds on their fingers
write a letter for each sound
Example:
dog → /d/ /o/ /g/
Keep it positive and encouraging
If your child finds a word tricky:
give them time to try
help them say the sounds
praise their effort
Confidence grows quickly when children feel successful.
Talk, sing and share stories together
Listening to stories, singing songs and talking about new words all strengthen early reading skills and help children become confident learners.
If you are unsure how best to support your child, please speak to your child’s class teacher — we are always happy to help.