Your curriculum leader is Mrs Dawson

We teach early reading using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, a systematic and structured phonics approach. From the very start of Reception, children enjoy daily phonics lessons that follow the progression of the Little Wandle programme. This continues into Year One to help children become confident and fluent readers.

Phonics lessons last for up to 30 minutes each day. In Reception, we begin with shorter 10-minute lessons, alongside daily oral blending games, gradually building up to the full lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s learning to support fluency and understanding.

Children in Reception start early—teaching begins in Week 2 of the Autumn term. Each week, they learn four new phonemes and their corresponding graphemes (GPCs), which are practised in a weekly review. Children also learn tricky words during these lessons.

• In the Autumn and Spring terms, Reception children focus on Phase 2 and Phase 3 GPCs.

• In the Summer term, they consolidate their learning with Phase 4 GPCs.

In Year One, the Autumn term begins with three weeks of revision of Phases 2, 3, and 4 before moving on to Phase 5, which is completed by the end of the year. Year Two starts by revisiting Phase 5 and earlier phases to ensure all children are confident in applying their phonics knowledge to both reading and writing.

We use half-termly assessments in Reception and Year One to guide teaching and identify any gaps in phonics knowledge. In-class daily assessment allows staff to quickly support children who may be at risk of falling behind through targeted ‘Keep Up’ interventions.

For guidance on pronouncing phonemes, please see the helpful videos below.

Children in Reception and Year 1 take part in ‘Reading Practice’ sessions three times a week, reading fully decodable books with an adult. These books are then sent home, giving children the chance to develop their reading fluency and share their growing skills and phonics knowledge with parents and carers.

Each of the three weekly sessions focuses on a different aspect of reading: decoding, prosody (expression and phrasing), and comprehension.

Our reading books for Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 include Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised and Big Cat books.

Reading at home:

At Pirehill, we believe that reading is an essential skill that empowers children to explore new ideas and develop a lifelong love of learning. We work closely with families to support every child’s reading journey, ensuring that they become confident, enthusiastic readers.

Why Reading at Home Matters
Reading at home plays a crucial role in reinforcing the skills children are developing in school. Regular practice improves fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, and it helps foster a deep love for stories and books. Your involvement is key to your child’s progress.

How We Support Your Child’s Reading Journey
In Reception and Year 1, pupils receive a carefully matched decodable reading book from the Collins Big Cat Phonics range. These books are chosen based on each child’s phonics ability, ensuring they have the right level of challenge and support. As part of their weekly routine, pupils also have the opportunity to read to an adult at school, which further boosts their confidence and fluency.

To help your child make the most of their reading journey, we encourage parents to:

• Read with your child regularly, aiming for at least 10–15 minutes a day.

• Support phonics practice using the decodable books they bring home.

• Encourage discussions about the stories they read, focusing on comprehension and enjoyment.

• Complete home learning activities, such as phonics sheets and reading logs

Reading Together, Growing Together

We believe that the partnership between school and home is key to your child’s success. By reading together, we help your child build not only their reading skills but also a love of books. If you have any questions or need advice on how to support your child’s reading at home, please feel free to reach out to us.