Reading and Phonics

Phonics and early reading and writing

Each child's reading journey at Landmark starts with sounds discrimination and phonological awareness. They build their skills in reading through dedicated daily phonics lessons in the Lower Primary. At Landmark we use the DfE approved Phonics Teaching Programme, Supersonic Phonic Friends, which ensures children develop passion for reading and the confidence to independently apply each skill when reading and writing, through a carefully structured and sequenced progression.

In coordination with their developing skills in segmenting and blending, when ready, children will start to bring home banded books levelled to match their progress in the phonic programme. We ask parents to read on a daily basis with them and record a note in their yellow reading record. Alongside reading their levelled book, we strongly recommend embedding regular opportunities for children to listen to stories read to them, both in English and the home and family language, as well as songs, games and rhymes. Please remember to include questions, wonderings and comprehension discussions when enjoying books together, to help develop connections and imaginative language.

Meet some of the fun, friendly forest creatures that help our youngest students learn to read and write!

Jazzy Jack and Magic Mack

Listening Len and See it Sam

Watch some of our students share how to correctly make each of the 44 sounds of the English language!

The Basics 2

At least one spelling for the first 19 speech sounds in the English Language

The Basics 3

One Spelling for the 44 Sounds of the English Language Starring Listening Len, See it Sam & the rest of the gang

The Basics 4

The Basics 4 teaches children to be able to hear more than 3 sounds in a word. They will continue to embed their mastery of The Basics 1 and 2 spellings for sounds in words and progress to 4, 5 and 6 sounds in a word. They will be supported by Magic Mack and Jazzy Jack who will help them hear the tricky adjacent consonants that are challenging to hear in words of more than 3 sounds. Children will learn their tricky words with Tess and read nonsense words with Nan.

The Higher Levels of Phonics – Choose to Use Spellings

Choose to Use Spellings teaches children the concept that there are more than one spelling for a sound that they can hear in a word. With the help of Choose to Use Suze, they will find out all about ‘sounds the same but looks different’ and cool and not so cool choose to use spelling rules for up to 85 spellings for the 44 sounds of the English Language.

VIDEO COMING SOON

The Higher Levels of Phonics – Switch it Spell Sounds

With the help of Switch it Mitch, they will also find out all about ‘ looks the same, sounds different’ and switch it spelling sounds where one spelling can make up to 2 different sounds in words. Children will learn their tricky words with Tess and read nonsense words with Nan.

VIDEO COMING SOON

Reading for learning and pleasure

Once children master the schemes of reading, they are able to select "free" readers from the fiction and non-fiction sections, as well as graphic novels and magazines of interest. The Librarian, with the class teachers' support, will guide students in browsing the wide range of titles available, offering suggestions and encouraging them to try out new genres.

Within the inquiry lessons, children are taught explicit research skills to enable them to independently search for and locate relevant information. Reading for learning and pleasure is built into all facets of life at Landmark, and the teachers work closely with our dedicated and qualified Librarian to ensure our Units of Learning are well-resourced, and students have access to a range of digital and visual, as well as paper texts.

A good guide for whether a book is at an appropriate reading level, is to use the "5 finger" guide to choosing a book.

Library

All classes in the Primary have a weekly dedicated Library slot with the Librarian. In addition to their reading book, your child will have the opportunity to select a book of their choice to take home. The purpose of this book is to enjoy reading it together, it may be above the level your child is currently reading, but it is fine to read it to them, or read parts together. What is important is that they have the opportunity to expand their reading horizons.

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