Phonics and Early Reading 

This page describes the approach taken to the teaching of Early Reading at Frith Manor Primary School from Early Years through to Year 6.

Frith Manor have chosen to adopt the Little Wandle validated systematic, synthetic phonics (SSP) programme .  

Teaching Approach

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to teach children how to read. 

The main programme is used in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to teach children how to decode letters on a page into the sounds and words they represent, Children apply this knowledge in Reading Practice sessions where they learn to read books that are carefully matched to the current stage of their phonics decoding knowledge and skill.

In Nursery, we develop children's phonological knowledge and awareness, so that they are ready to start linking sounds to letters in Reception.  We do this in many ways, including using the Foundation aspects of the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme.

In Year 2 and through to Year 6, we use the Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up Programme to teach children whose reading skills are for whatever reason below age-related expectations.  For instance, we use this programme to support children joining our school with little or no English to urgently teach them to read English so that they can access the wider curriculum.