If your child or your person is learning to read with phonics, they are being taught by well-trained staff in a specific and systematic way, using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. This starts with Foundations for Phonics, where we focus on listening, attention and tuning into sounds. At this stage, the letters are not introduced and children and young people use songs, rhymes and games to help them identify and hear phonemes (or letter sounds) in words. 

When children and your people are ready, they will move onto Phase 2 (and later Phases 3, 4, and 5), when they be taught to start associating specific sounds (phonemes) with the corresponding letters. It is important that letter sounds are taught consistently. Below is a guide to the correct way to say each of the letter sounds. Listen carefully and when you say them, make sure you don't add an ‘uh’ sound at the end, so say: ‘t’ not ‘tuh’.

We make sure children and young people only say the sound once when they see the letter (or if they are not making the sounds themselves, that you only say the sound once). This really helps when children and young people work on blending the sounds together to read words. If they are used to saying 'p p p ', 'a a a', 't t t', it is much harder to blend these together to say 'p a t - pat'.

Ignore the bit about when sounds are taught in the video titles, as we teach children and young people new sounds when they are ready and have secured the previous phoneme(s). What is important is the order that we introduce new phonemes, so children and young people will be taught phonemes in this sequence. Your child and young person's teacher will be able to tell you phonemes that they are working on.

There is no need or expectation for parents to work on phonics with children or young people at home, as they will be doing daily phonics sessions in school if this is appropriate. However, if you do want to practice these with your child or young person, it is important that you use the correct sound for each letter. These can be found in the short videos below.

Phase 2 sounds - Set 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 2 sounds - set 2

 

Phase 3 sounds 

 

How we teach blending

As soon as your child or young person knows six or so phonemes (letter sounds) they will start blending them together to read words. This is why the order we teach the phonemes is so important - because we can make lots of words with just a few letters. The video below shows how we teach children and young people to blend phonemes together to read words. Again, this is something that they will be working on regularly in school if appropriate, so the video below is for information.

 

Reading Practice books

There are two types of reading book that your child or young person may bring home:

A reading practice book This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently. 

A sharing book Your child or young person will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together. There is lots of information about how to enjoy this book on our 'Reading with your child at home' page

There is more information about how to support your child and young person's reading at home in the link below.

Support Your Child and Young Person at Home