Welcome to our Phonics page, designed especially for parents who want to support their child’s reading journey. At Bridge & Patrixbourne CEP School, a warm and nurturing village primary school near Canterbury, we believe that every pupil can flourish and grow through a love of learning. Our phonics teaching reflects our Christian values of Service, Trust, Compassion, Generosity, and Forgiveness, as we work together to help pupils develop confidence and resilience in their reading skills.

What is Phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching children to read by breaking words down into their individual sounds, known as phonemes. There are 44 different phonemes in the English language. Learning phonics is like learning a secret code: by knowing just a few sounds, your child can decode hundreds of words. The more phonemes and graphemes (letters or letter groups representing sounds) they learn, the more words they can read and understand.

How Do We Teach Phonics at Bridge & Patrixbourne?

We use a systematic synthetic phonics programme (SSP) called Little Wandle Letters and Sounds, which is carefully structured to help pupils build their reading skills step-by-step.

  • Daily phonics lessons are delivered to all pupils in Reception and Year 1.
  • Pupils develop their ability to decode words, blend sounds, and recognise tricky words.
  • If any pupil falls behind, they receive extra support through small group or 1:1 sessions to help them catch up quickly.
  • Our phonics teaching supports pupils to write what they decode, improving both reading and spelling.

This approach embodies our vision of nurturing each pupil’s unique gifts and encouraging them to become confident, independent readers.

How Can Parents Support Reading at Home?

Your involvement is vital to your child’s reading success. Here’s how you can help:

  • Read daily with your child. This shared time boosts their confidence and fluency.
  • Your child will bring home two types of books:
    • Reading practice book: Matched to your child’s current reading level. It may seem easy, but re-reading this book builds fluency and comprehension.
    • Sharing book: Often a more challenging book chosen by your child to enjoy together, fostering a love of stories and language.
  • Discuss pictures, predict what happens next, and enjoy exploring facts in non-fiction books.
  • Use the Reading Record to track progress. We note reading done in school and any areas to practise at home. Please add positive comments about reading experiences at home to encourage your child.

Phonics Terminology Explained

To help you support your child, here are some key phonics terms you might hear:

  • Alien words: Fun ‘made-up’ words like smork or glub used to practise decoding.
  • Blend: Combining individual sounds to say a whole word.
  • Compound word: Joining two words together, e.g., houseboat.
  • Digraph: Two letters making one sound, e.g., sh or ch.
  • Grapheme: Letters representing sounds in writing.
  • Phoneme: The smallest distinct sound in a word.
  • Segment: Breaking a word into its individual sounds, important for spelling.
  • Split vowel digraph: Two letters representing one vowel sound with a consonant in between, e.g., a_e in take.
  • Tricky words: High-frequency words that don’t follow standard phonics rules.
  • Trigraph: Three letters making one sound, e.g., igh

Where to Find More Information

For further support, please visit the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Parents Resource page. It contains helpful videos and downloadable guides to assist you in supporting your child’s phonics learning at home