Phonics
Phonics
Bug Club Phonics
At Holmleigh we follow the Bug Club Phonics programme to teach phonics. Daily phonics sessions begin in Reception Class and continue in Year 1 and Year 2.
Bug Club Phonics is a fun and interactive approach to teaching children to read and write. In addition to their daily phonics session, children in Key Stage 1 will have Daily Supported Reading and daily Literacy lessons.
Phonics lessons are delivered in the year group and there are catch up groups to ensure that all pupils keep up with the learning. Pupils are assessed at the end of each unit and phase. Each day the children revise recent sounds, learn a new sound, practice the sounds in words and apply the sounds to reading or writing. Children also learn high-frequency words in these sessions.
Beyond the direct teaching of phonic skills, the programme also offers decodable eBooks that children can access at home. The books are linked to the phonic stages and are filled with appealing illustrations and high-quality photographs, covering both fiction and non-fiction. Each eBook has two hotspot questions for the children to answer and this enables the teacher to track progress. There are also games for the children to play that are also linked to the sounds that they have been learning.
Bug club is a very motivational programme as children are rewarded with online coins, which they can use in pupil world to purchase rewards.
There is a national Phonics Check for Year 1 in the Summer Term. All children will be assessed on their ability to decode 40 real and pseudo words and the results are made available to the parents.
Children who do not reach the required pass will be required to repeat the Phonics Check in Year 2. These children will receive additional support in small groups in Year 2 and beyond if necessary.
Support staff are given specific training for in-class reading and interventions.
Parents and Phonics
There are many resources, programmes and apps which can support your child’s learning at home – and your class teacher can also explain the learning that takes place.
Welcome to Bug Club letter to parents
How to access Bug Club Phonics ebooks and games
Phonics Workshop 22nd October 2024 Powerpoint slides
Help with pronunciation and classroom learning – some parents may find the pronunciation and letter names confusing, Mr Thorne Does Phonics is a great site with easy to watch videos that will guide you through the expectations.
In the Autumn term, there is a parent/carers meeting to explain how we teach Phonics and the Year 1 Phonics Check.