English - Phonics & Interventions
Early reading begins with phonics. For children who need to consolidate those early reading techniques, we have constructed a formal waved approach to aid their catch up. The bespoke approach is made up of a combination of interventions:
- A daily, direct, focused phonics session based on the Monster Phonics programme
- A diet of progressive early reading books linked directly to the phonics programme and the phonetic sound they are learning
- Small group reading sessions to practice blending and fluency skills
- Comprehension catch up interventions including 'Targeted Reading Intervention' (TRI) and Cracking Comprehension
- 1 to 1 reading support using a range of books at the appropriate level
Staff analyse reading assessments to make informed decisions about each pupil’s future developments. We strive to ensure that pupils who are not at age-related expectations in reading are able to catch up, closing the gap between them and their peers.
Monster Phonics includes stories, songs and activities which are carefully woven into the lessons which are highly engaging for the children. Colour-coded flashcards, word charts and PowerPoints make the teaching of the Common Exception and High-Frequency Words far easier. Monster Phonics includes a colour-coded grapheme system which is unique to Monster Phonics; each coloured grapheme is paired with a monster character that makes the same sound to give audio-visual prompts that help children ‘see’ each sound within a word and pronounce it correctly. The monsters are really sound cues to help children remember how to read and pronounce graphemes.
Children have the opportunity to revisit and review previous phonics learning and are introduced to new phonemes and high-frequency words. They use and apply these in decoding and writing which develops confidence and a love of reading. The sessions are engaging but challenging which ensures that the children move through the units at an appropriate pace.
Further information, guidance and ideas about home learning can be found using the links below: