How we teach phonics at St Dennis Primary Academy from the start

• In the last term of Nursery, children are taught to say the sounds of letters with the help of mnemonics, to blend the sounds into words and read 'simple blending books'. The focus is on reading aloud, teaching the children poems and songs and talking with the children.
• Pupils begin learning letter sounds on entry to Reception. Through RWI, children are immersed in a direct teaching approach which embeds systematic phonics skills as the core skills for reading. Sounds are taught in a specific order, and regular assessment informs future planning and interventions.

• To support the learning in school, pupils take home their phonetically decodable reading books to reinforce the sounds and the common exception words (red words) taught.
• Workshops are provided for parents and carers throughout the year where they are given resources and advice on how to support phonics at home.