Literacy
Our aim is for all children to become competent readers and writers. At Firfield Primary School we follow the Letters and Sounds programme to teach phonics. In the Foundation Stage and Year 1, phonics is taught daily. In Year 2, children who did not pass the phonics screening in Year 1 continue with daily phonics lessons. Those who did pass move onto the No Nonsense Spelling Programme for Year 2 alongside spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary lessons.
The statutory Year 1 Phonics Screening Check takes place in June each year. The check is carried out by the class teacher. Each child has to read 40 words (a selection from each phase) including pseudo words (eg. zog). The pass mark changes each year but is usually between 32 and 34. If your child does not pass at the end of Year 1, they will get extra support and re-take the test at the end of Year 2.
Phase | Sounds | Examples of words |
Phase 2 (Reception) |
s a t p | sat, pat, tap |
i n m d | sit, mat, pin | |
g o c k | dig, top, cat | |
c k e u r | red, run, crack | |
h b f ff l ll ss | hat, bat, hiss, pull, frog | |
j v w x | jug, wig, six, taxi | |
y z zz qu | boy, buzz, frizz, quick | |
Phase 3 (Reception / Yr 1) |
ch sh th (th) ng | chip, shop, thin, then, ring |
ai ee igh oa | rain, feet, night, boat | |
oo ar or | good, farm, for | |
ow ur ow oi | cow, hurt, show, coin | |
ear air ure er | dear, fair, sure, corner | |
Phase 5 (Yr 1 / Yr 2) |
ay ou ie ea | day, out, tie, eat |
oy ir ue aw | boy, girl, blue, saw | |
wh ph ew oe au | when, photo, new, toe, Paul | |
a-e e-e i-e o-e u-e | make, these, like, home, fume |
Letters and sounds: High Frequency Words Checklist
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 2
a | an | as | at | if | in |
is | it | of | off | on | can |
dad | had | back | and | get | big |
him | his | not | got | up | mum |
but | the | to | I | no | go |
into |
will | that | this | then | them | with |
see | for | now | down | look | too |
he | she | we | me | be | was |
you | they | all | are | my | her |
Phase 4
went | it's | from | children | just | help |
aid | have | like | so | do | some |
come | were | there | little | one | when |
out | what |
Phase 5
don't | old | I'm | by | time | house |
about | your | day | made | came | make |
here | saw | very | put | oh | their |
people | Mr | Mrs | looked | called | asked |
could |
Next 200 common words in order
water | away | good | want | over |
how | did | man | going | whre |
would | or | took | school | think |
home | who | didn't | ran | know |
bear | can't | again | cat | long |
things | new | after | wanted | eat |
everyone | our | two | has | yes |
play | take | thought | dog | well |
find | more | I'll | round | tree |
magic | shouted | us | other | food |
fox | through | way | been | stop |
must | red | door | right | sea |
these | began | boy | animals | never |
next | first | work | lots | need |
that's | baby | fish | gave | mouse |
something | bed | may | still | found |
live | ay | soon | night | narrator |
small | car | couldn't | three | head |
king | town | I've | around | every |
garden | fast | only | many | laughed |
let's | much | suddenly | told | another |
great | why | cried | keep | room |
last | jumped | because | even | am |
before | gran | clothes | tell | key |
fun | place | mother | sat | boat |
window | sleep | feet | morning | queen |
each | book | its | green | different |
let | girl | which | inside | run |
any | under | hat | snow | air |
trees | bad | tea | top | eyes |
fell | friends | box | dark | grandad |
there's | looking | end | than | best |
better | hot | sun | across | gone |
hard | floppy | really | wind | wish |
eggs | once | please | thing | stopped |
ever | miss | most | cold | park |
lived | birds | duck | horse | rabbit |
white | coming | he's | river | liked |
giant | looks | use | along | plants |
dragon | pulled | we're | fly | grow |
All children at Firfield have a reading book to practise at home and at school. In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, children have the opportunity to read a variety of books from Oxford Reading Tree, Rigby Rocket, Phonic Bugs, Superphonics and many others. These books are internally banded so that children are reading a book appropriate for their level. As they progress into Year 3, this will continue but with a wider opportunity for personal choice into their desired text type. Children also have the opportunity to use books from home as their reading book. Free reading will occur at some point in Key Stage 2 based on the ability of the child. We encourage children to read to an adult for ten minutes every day and to make a note of what they have done in their reading record. In school, children are heard to read either individually or in a guided reading session each week.