Phonics at Larchwood

At Larchwood we follow Bug Club Phonics which is a fun and child centred approach to teaching phonics. The programme is a balanced approach to the teaching of reading using systematic synthetic phonics.

Children in EYFS and Year 1 have a daily phonics session which includes four key elements: teach, practise, apply and assess. Children are given Bug Club Phonics decodable books to read at home that link to the sounds they are learning that week.

After Year 1, children who require more phonics input, continue this in intervention groups.

Reading at Larchwood

As well as following a phonics scheme from Reception through to Year 1, we also implement a rigorous scheme for reading at home, whereby the children are nurtured and have plenty of opportunities to read in school and practise their skills. Books are closely linked to the children’s current phonics phase, through the collection of Bug Club Phonics decodable books that we have, in order to give them opportunities to consolidate and apply their phonic understanding. When starting Year 2, most children are ready to be moved onto the Accelerated Reader programme.

When using Accelerated Reader, children complete a reading assessment four times a year which takes place in September, December, April and July. This assesses their understanding of language and comprehension and they are awarded a reading range that closely matches their reading ability. Children then complete quizzes after each book to ensure that they have understood what they are reading and that their reading range continues to be appropriate for them.