Early Reading and Phonics
Phonics and Early Reading at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School
Phonics Teaching Approach
At St Augustine’s, phonics is taught daily to all children in Reception and Year 1, and to some children in Year 2 where appropriate. We follow the ‘Phonics Bug’ programme, a systematic synthetic phonics scheme that meets 100% of the DfE criteria for effective phonics teaching.
Phonics Bug supports children in learning the letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds, using engaging resources that include:
- Beautiful artwork, humour, and loveable characters.
- Interactive whiteboard activities and videos for fast-paced lessons.
- Online games, word generators, and mock screening checks to prepare for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check.
- A blend of online eBooks and printed books to spark enthusiasm and support independent reading.
📺 Watch this video to support phonics at home
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44mZZQfgkjY
Lesson Structure and Grouping
Phonics sessions are taught five days a week, lasting 30–40 minutes. Within each session, children also take part in guided reading, linked to the sound taught that day. Children are grouped by ability within their class to ensure targeted and effective teaching.
Progression Through Phases
- Reception: Children are expected to know all Phase 3 sounds by the end of the year.
- Year 1: Children progress to Phase 5 sounds.
- Year 2: Most children are secure in Phase 6, which focuses on spelling rules and patterns rather than new sounds.
Phonics Screening Check
At the end of Year 1, all children take the Phonics Screening Check, a national assessment where pupils read 40 words—both real and pseudo (‘alien’) words. Children practise reading alien words daily to build confidence and fluency.
Reading Scheme
We use Phonics Bug Club as our core reading scheme in Early Years and Year 1, and for Year 2 pupils who have not yet passed the Phonics Screening Check. This scheme provides:
- Access to decodable books matched to the phonics phase being taught.
- A personalised online reading world for each child.
- A rich and varied reading experience that supports independent reading.
In addition, children take home a ‘Read With Me’ book from a range of published schemes (e.g. ORT, Bug Club, Rigby Star) and our school library. These books are chosen to promote a love of reading, even if they don’t match the child’s current phonics phase.
In Key Stage 2, books are organised into book bands, and our library is structured by key stage and genre, offering both fiction and non-fiction texts.
Supporting Reading at Home
We offer a wealth of resources to help parents understand and support phonics and reading at home. Regular parent workshops are held in school to build confidence and knowledge.
🎬 Fun phonics videos to watch with your child:
- Phase 2 sounds and actions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atgcl6-am5E
- Phase 3 sounds and actions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJOBJmxMkOk
- Phase 5 sounds and actions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myIrdbQp1PA
If you have any questions, please speak to Ms Benson, who will be happy to help.