Phonics
Intent
At Hammond Junior School, we believe that all of our children can become fluent readers and writers. This is why in Lower Key Stage 2 we teach phonics through Little Wandle, which is a systematic and synthetic phonics programme. The Rapid Catch-up programme is designed for children who need additional support to read at the expected level for their age. It mirrors and builds upon, the main phonics programme that many of our children learnt at their Infant schools but has been created to help children catch up quickly, so has a faster pace. Little Wandle ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through the programme. By the end of the Rapid Catch-up programme, children should be reading with enough fluency and accuracy to confidently access the curriculum in class and to read with enjoyment and understanding.
Please click on the image below for a video that explains Little Wandle in more detail
Implementation
On entry to Year 3, we identify children who need additional support in their reading and assess them using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments to identify the gaps in their phonic knowledge. Any children we identify who need additional support, or who did not pass the Phonics Screening Check in KS1, has daily Little Wandle Rapid Catch-Up sessions with a specialist reading support teacher. Children are grouped according to their phase based on the gaps in their phonic knowledge and follow the weekly timetable below:
Day 1 20-minute phonics lesson
Day 2 20-minute phonics lesson
Day 3 Review Day and a reading practise session
Day 4 10 to 15-minute reading practise session
Day 5 10 to 15-minute reading practise session
Children with SEND who require a more graduated approach are taught through Little Wandle SEND Programme. Staff are fully trained in both the Rapid Catch-Up and SEND programme and are able to identify which is the most suitable pathway for each child.
Impact
Children are assessed in the weekly Review lesson to assess gaps, these are addressed immediately to ensure secure fluency of GPCs, words and spellings. Regular assessments are also undertaken throughout the programme and progression is documented through the Little Wandle Rapid Catch-Up Assessment Tracker.
Here is what the children have to say:
"Our phonics lessons are fun!" Year 3 pupil
"I enjoy the lessons because they are fun." Year 3 pupil
"Mrs Naumova helps us learn new sounds." Year 3 pupil
"Mrs Naumova makes in fun and it helps me with my reading." Year 4 pupil
"It is good because it is fun and I like it when we use tricky words." Year 4 pupil
"I like that she always tries to teach us and helps us when we struggle. She is caring and helps us understand the sounds which helps us with our work." Year 4 pupil
Documents for Parents
Rapid Catch up Tricky words for parents Phase 2-5
SEND Tricky words for parents Phase2-5
