WHAT IS PHONICS?

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and

skilfully. Phonics teaches children to identify sounds
(phonemes) that make up a word and teaches how to write
each sound down (grapheme) in order to spell words.

During a phonic session, 3 main things are taught.

1. GPCs

 This stands for grapheme-phoneme correspondences. This

means that children are taught all the phonemes in the
English language and the ways of writing them down.
Sounds are taught in a particular order. The first sounds to
be taught are s, a, t, p.

2. Blending

 This is when children say that phonemes that make up a

word and are able to merge these together until they can
hear what the word is. This is a vital skill in order to read
words.

3. Segmenting

 This is the opposite of blending. Children here say the

word and then break it up into the phonemes that make it
up. This is a vital skill in being able to spell words.

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 DISPLAYS

Classrooms need to have phonics displays up to help children

with GPC's, blending and segmenting. Classes must have
certain resources displayed at all times. Interactive resources
must be used to help children practise.

Reception

 Jolly Phonics train and additional graphemes to be

displayed once taught. Words with the grapheme from
each carriage to be displayed as an example for children
to blend.
 Sound of the week interactive display. This should include
concrete objects which begin with the sound, whiteboards
and pens for children to write words containing the sound.
Challenges could also be included e.g. find the sound from
the magnetic letters, create a word with the sound... find
an object which begins with the sound...
 Tricky word working wall display.
 Phonic word mats to be used when writing.

Year 1

 Jolly Phonics Train. Additional sounds to also be displayed

when they have been taught. Words to be included next to
each grapheme.
 Phonic game to play using sounds that the children have
learnt.
 Tricky word working wall display.
 Phonic word mats to be used when writing.

Year 2

 GPC's: alternative phonemes.

 Word of the week display.
 Phonic word mats to be used when writing.

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 YEAR GROUP
EXPECTATIONS

Year Expectations

Reception 80% of children should be secure at phase

3 of the phonic phases by the end of
Reception.

Year 1 85% of children should be secure at phase

5 by the end of Year 1.

Year 2 Year 2 should be a consolidation of all of

the phonic phases.

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  Each session must be multi- sensory with seeing, hearing,
doing activities where all are involved.

 The whole thing must be systematic.

 Take the opportunities to practise skills like segmenting

and blending outside of the phonics sessions. Include
them in other literacy sessions e.g. modelled writing,
guided reading, cross curricular etc.

 Guided reading should also take place where phonic skills

can also be practised. In reception this could also be
linked to continuous provision and do some sessions then
to fit them all in. Groups should be constantly reviewed
and changed and should also be ability based.

TEACHING PHONICS

Phonics sessions are taught daily in Foundations stage and key

stage 1. We follow ‘letters and sounds’ and teach children the
Jolly phonics actions and songs to help them learn the
phonemes. The Phonics Play scheme is also used to help with
planning. They are taught all six phases and follow the same
structure each day for 20 minutes. Reading and writing takes
place during all sessions. Children are assessed each term and
grouped accordingly. All phonics sessions follow the same four
part teaching sequence:

 Review and revisit: previously taught sounds are revised

 Teach: new sounds or tricky words are taught.

 Practice: reading and writing letters ad words with the new

sound in it

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 Apply: read and write captions and sentences with the
new sound in it.

PLANNING SHOULD BE COMPLETED ON THE

PLANNING SHEET OR IN YOUR PLANNING BOOK. IF
YOU USE YOUR PLANNING BOOK, PLEASE USE THE
MARKING AND FEEDBACK BOOKLET.

Ensure you use the correct terminology:

Phoneme fingers (when sounding out words)
How many Phonemes?
How many Graphemes?

TIMESCALE FOR EACH PHASE

PHASE TIMESCALE

2 Up to 6 weeks

3 12 weeks

4 4 - 6 weeks

5a 4 weeks

5b 4 weeks
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 5c 22 weeks

6 Throughout Year 2

These are recommendations. Depending on the ability of

the children, it may take more or less time.

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 PHASE 1 OBJECTIVES

Learning Aspects Example

Objective /Skill Activities
(See ‘Letters
and Sounds’)
 To REALLY  General sound  Listening
listen and discrimination walks to
discriminate – listen for
environmental
between sounds
sounds in the
sounds.  General sound room/outside
 To take part discrimination .
in activities – instrumental  Drum
that sounds outdoors
distinguish  General sound  Which
between discrimination instrument?
– body
different percussion
 Matching
sounds in the  Rhythm and Sounds
environment rhyme  Action Songs
and  Alliteration  Follow the
phonemes.  Voice Sounds sound
 To show an  Oral blending  Learning
awareness of and Rhymes/pup
Segmenting
‘rhyme’ and pets
‘alliteration’  Musical
*This stage can continue to
in words. run alongside the next corners
 To explore phase to keep developing  Voice sound
skills.
and game
experiment  I Spy objects
with sounds
and words.
 ORT Phonics
– Pack 1

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 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Words Frequency
Objective /Skill Words

(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase is

To teach at least 19 it
letters and move from I
Order of Phonemes in
oral blending and
segmentation to if
segmenting and blending to
with letters. To read and at
Set 1: s a t p
spell some VC and CVC an
words. To learn some Set 2: i n m d
high frequency ‘tricky’ go of
words. Set 3: g o c k off
Learning Objectives
Set 4: ck e u r as
 To know that words no
Set 5: h b f l put
are constructed
from phonemes can
and that phonemes
are represented by the dad
graphemes. *Sounds are
had
 To know a small introduced at
selection of and
common
appropriate speed for into
consonants and the his
vowels which they class/group/individua
can blend through him
the word in the ls –
big
order that they
appear for reading ( Recommendation is get
and segment for
spelling cv / cvc 4 sounds each back
words E.g. sit and week ) but
tap
 To practise mum
segmenting and
blending cvc words up
for reading and
writing. got
 To explore and be not
able to continue a
rhyming string.
 Begin to form each
letter correctly in

8
 the air, sand etc
PHASE 2 OBJECTIVES
when modelled.

PHASE 3i OBJECTIVES

Learning Phonemes Tricky High

Words Frequency
Objective /Skill Words

(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase

To teach the next group of
phonemes, represented by Recap all of Phase will
the graphemes. 2 phonemes:
he
To practise CVC blending
and segmentation and apply she
the knowledge to reading
and spelling simple two-
syllable words and captions. Plus: we
To begin to read and spell
some tricky words. me
Learning Objectives Set 6: j v w x be
 To read and spell a
few CVC words using
a limited range of
letters and short
Set 7: y z qu
vowels.
 To blend and segment
words for reading
(blend) and writing
(segment).
 To recognise CVC
words and blend the
sounds through the
word in the order that
the phonemes
appear.
 To know the phoneme
– grapheme
correspondences for
these words (To be
able to attempt to
write the words that
they sound out and

9
 spell).
 Form some letters
correctly when
modelled.

PHASE 3ii OBJECTIVES

Learning Phonemes Tricky High

Frequency
Words
Objective /Skill Words

(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase Recap Phase 2

To teach the next group of and 3i Phonemes
was will
phonemes, represented by
the graphemes. all
To practise CVC blending Plus 3ii
and segmentation and apply you that
the knowledge to reading Consonant
my
and spelling simple two- Digraphs:
syllable words and captions. her this
To read and spell some ch
tricky words. To learn letter they
names. sh
then
Learning Objectives th
 To read and spell a
ng
wider range of CVC
words using a wider them
range of letters, short
vowels, some
consonant digraphs
and double letters with
E.g. bell / chick /
shot / hiss / three /
buzz / buff / quiz
 To know the phoneme
– grapheme
correspondences for

10
 the CVC words
created.
 Form most letters
correctly when writing

PHASE 3iii OBJECTIVES

11
 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Frequency
Objective /Skill Words Words
(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase Recap Phase 2, 3i there will

To teach the next group of and 3ii Phonemes
out that
phonemes, represented by
the graphemes. were this
To practise CVC blending
and segmentation and said then
apply the knowledge to
so them
reading and spelling simple
two-syllable words and Plus
some with
captions. To read and spell
3iii Phonemes
some tricky words. To one see
learn letter names.
Vowel Digraphs
come for
ai ee igh oa
Learning Objectives now
oo ar or ur
 To hear and say the look
identified phonemes in
ow oi ear air
words. too
 To read and spell a
wide range of CVC ure er
words using all letters
down
and less frequent
consonant digraphs
( consonant blends )
and some long vowel
phonemes E.g. sheep,
boat, pie, train, glue.
Blending through the
word in the order in
which the phonemes
appear.
 To know the
phoneme / grapheme
representations for
identified words.
 To segment and blend
words to read and
spell them.
 Spell tricky words -
the, to, go , no, I, into
 Form each letter
correctly when writing
PHASE 4 OBJECTIVES

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 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Frequency
Objective /Skill Words Words
(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase All Phase 2, 3i, 3ii when

To consolidate children’s and 3iii Phonemes
have went
knowledge of graphemes
in reading and spelling do
words containing adjacent
consonants and like it’s
polysyllabic words.
little

Learning Objectives what children

 To blend adjacent
consonants in words
and apply this skill from
when reading
unfamiliar texts or
spelling unfamiliar
words just
 To blend and segment
polysyllabic words.
 To spell tricky words –
he, she, we, me, be, help
was, my, you, her,
they, all, are
 To form each letter
correctly when writing

PHASE 5a OBJECTIVES

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 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Frequency
Words
Objective /Skill Words
(read)
(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase ay, ou, ie, ea oh came

To broaden children’s
knowledge of phonemes their make
for use in reading and
oy, ir, ue, aw
spelling. To learn new people here
graphemes. To become wh, ph, ew,
quicker at recognising Mr saw
graphemes and blending
oe
the phonemes they Mrs very
represent au, ey
looked house
Learning Objectives
 To give the sound a-e, e-e, i-e, said about
when shown any o-e, u-e
grapheme that has so your
been taught
 To write the have day
common graphemes
for any given sound- like made
ai, ay, a-e (though
not necessarily all
rare alternatives) some don’t
 To segment to spell
and blend to read come old
words containing the
long vowel were I’m
phonemes.
 To form each letter there by
correctly when
writing time

PHASE 5b OBJECTIVES

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 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Frequency
Objective /Skill Words Words

(read) (Blend and

Read)

Purpose of the Phase i – find do came

To teach some alternative
pronunciations for c – city like make
graphemes.
u – music little here
Learning Objectives
 To write the ie – field what saw
common graphemes
for any given sound- er – farmer there very
ai, ay, a-e (though
not necessarily all y – by, very out house
rare alternatives)
 To segment to spell ou – shoulder, were about
and blend to read
words containing the could, you
long vowel
when your
phonemes. o – cold
 To form each letter have day
correctly when g – giant
writing said made
 To read and spell a ow – blow
larger number of so don’t
tricky words.
ea – bread
 Read most of the some old
100 HF words
automatically. a – what one I’m
ch – school, come by
chef
time

PHASE 5c OBJECTIVES

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 Learning Phonemes Tricky High
Words Frequency
Objective /Skill Words
(read)
(Blend and
Read)

Purpose of the Phase ear- cheer j- do came

When spelling words they bridge
will learn to choose the like make
appropriate graphemes to m- thumb n-knee
represent phonemes and little here
begin to build word-specific n-gnome s-
knowledge of the spellings of scissors what saw
words.
or-floor s- castle there very
Learning Objectives
ch-adventure c- out house
 To write the common
graphemes for any chemist
given sound- ai, ay, a- were about
e (though not ai- eight ai-
necessarily all rare break when your
alternatives)
 Use phonic knowledge ee-trolley oo- have day
and skill as prime
approach to reading
fruit
and spelling unfamiliar
said made
words, including those
f-cough or-
that are not fourteen so don’t
completely decodable.
 Read and spell igh- behind f- some old
phonically decodable laugh
two-syllable and one I’m by
three-syllable words. o-watch v-
 Read automatically all
loaves come
words in list of 100 time
high-frequency words
 Accurately spell most oo-should ure-
words in list of 100 tour
high-frequency words
 Form each letter s-horse ar-half
correctly
air-bear r-
wrong
sh-station er-
earth
e-bread i-tiny

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 PHASE 6 OBJECTIVES

Learning Objective Phoneme Tricky High

Frequency
/Skill s Words Words

(read) (Blend and

Read)

Purpose of the Phase

To consolidate children’s
knowledge of common
grapheme / phonemes All All All
correspondences for use in
reading and spelling. To
become fluent readers and
increasingly accurate spellers.

Learning Objectives
 To apply phonic skills
and knowledge to
recognise, read and
spell an increasing
number of complex
words.
 To be secure with the
less common grapheme
– phoneme
correspondences E.g. s
= zh as in ‘treasure’.
 To recognise phonic
irregularities.
 Introducing and
teaching the past tense
 Investigating and
learning how to add

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 suffixes
 Teaching spelling long
words
 Finding and learning the
difficult bits in words

PLANNING SHEET

This can be found in the Phonics folder in Staff shared. You can
use this or your planning book. Make sure you use the marking
and feedback booklet if you are not using this sheet.
Class: Term: Week:
Focus GPC's: Focus HFW's and Tricky
words:

Day Revisit/ Teach Practis Apply Assessm

Review e ent

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesd
ay

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Thursday

Friday

Resources:
SCHOOL RESOURCES

 Phase 2 Magnetic Letters

 Phase 3 Magnetic Letters

 Phase 5 Magnetic Letters

 Ping Pong Balls

 Lacing Letters

19
 Alphabet Sound Bags

 Alphabet Catch

 Phonic Cubes

 Spelling Cubes

 Rhyming Houses

 Phonic Cube Mats

20
 Active Phonics Bibs

 Phase 2 Phonics Kit

 Phase 3 Phonics Kit

 Phase 4 Phonics Kit

 Phase 5 Phonics Kit

 Phase 6 Phonics Kit

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 Magnetic Gel Boards

 Magnetic Phoneme Frames

 Talking Jolly Phonics

 Phonics Posters

 Phonics Flash Cards

 Giant Grid Board Cards

 Phonics Play

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 Rhyming Word Games

 Phoneme Flip Stands

 Recordable Postcards

 Magnetic Words

 Jolly Phonics

 Magnetic Letters

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 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

 Letters and Sounds

 Jolly Phonics- handbook, CD, stories, jingles, videos.

 Oxford Reading Tree Phonics Kit and Teachers Handbook

(this includes games, big cards, phoneme poems)

 Big Cat Phonic CD (very good for practising the skills of

segmenting and blending)

 ORT Songbirds ICT Discs and Storybooks

 Floppy Phonic Storybooks: great for the 'apply' section

 Big Cat decodable reading books: fiction/non-fiction on

KS1 reading shelves

 Literacy Box

 Speed sounds

 Phonics resources folder on 'Staff shared'

 www.phonicsplay.com

 www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/phonics/

 http://www.ictgames.com/literacy.html

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 USING THE RESOURCES

There are many ways to use each resource for each part of
your phonics session. Here are a few examples for a selection
of resources we have in school.

1. Ping Pong Balls

 Throw the balls to the children and get them to say the
sound (GPC)
 Throw the ball to a child and children to write a word with
that phoneme (segmenting)
 Bingo: children to have graphemes written down.
Teacher/child to read the ball and children to mark off
(GPC)

2. Lacing letters/Phonic cubes

 Find the grapheme (GPC)
 Children to create words with the phoneme that has been
taught (GPC)
 Spell the word... (segmenting)

3. Active phonic bibs

 Throw a ball and children to say the phoneme they are.
Everybody point to the sound... (GPC)
 More than 1 child needs to be wearing the same
grapheme: If you are wearing the sound... jump/hop (GPC)
 Creating words with children actively making a word with
the phoneme that has been taught (GPC)
 Reading the phonemes and words containing them
(blending)
 Create the word ___ with your friends (segmenting)

25
4. Beach balls
 Say the sound your thumb lands on when you catch the
ball (GPC)
 One child to catch the ball and say the sound- children to
write the grapheme down (GPC). Extension: think of a
word with that grapheme (segmenting)
 Look at the words and pictures on the board. Find the
word that has that sound in it (blending)

5. Giant Grid Board Cards

 Good for the teach, creating words with the sound
 Good to practise saying the words with sound buttons
 Yes/No game: real or nonsense words

6. Magnetic letters
 Find the write letters to make a grapheme
 Creating words

7. ORT Phonics Cards

 Who can find words that have ___ sound
 Practise blending words
 Good for apply

8. Phoneme flip stands

 Making words
 Real or nonsense game

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 ASSESSMENT

 Data should be put onto your ‘Year Group Tracker’

and put onto ‘staff shared’ in the assessment folder.
A hard copy of the tracker needs to be handed in to
the Phonics Leader with the pupil progress sheet.

 With the help from the phonics leader, use the

assessment to regroup and identify children who
need additional help.

 The assessment consists of reading phonemes,

writing graphemes, blending words to read and
segmenting words to spell. The children are also
required to read and spell all 'tricky' words and to
read a set of 'high frequency' words.

 Formative assessment should be completed and

recorded in the marking and feedback book.

 Please note assessment meetings with the phonics

leader will take place before and after assessments.
Complete the pupil progress sheet before this which
can be found below the assessment tracker.
Reception assessment dates
 Autumn 2
 Spring 2
 End of Summer 1

Year 1 assessment dates

 Entry
 Spring 1
 Summer 1
 Any for additional phonics in Y2 will be assessed in
Summer 2

One mock phonics reading test may be taken at the end of

Summer 1 so that the children are aware of the format. The
Phonics play assessment and formative assessment should be

27
enough to inform you of any children at risk of not passing the
test.

YEAR GROUP TRACKER

PHASES OF PROGRESSION AUTUMN SPRING SUMMER

Phase 6 – Reading Phase 6 – Spelling

 Learn less common  Segment words into phonemes by selecting appropriate

grapheme – phoneme – grapheme form alternatives
correspondences – s = zh  Use known spelling conventions – magic e
(treasure)  Use conventions for adding common suffixes – ed, ing, ly,
 Increasing numbers of er
more complex words read  Develop strategies for independent spelling
automatically
 Recognise phonic
irregularities

 Phase 5c
 Know some alternative spellings for phonemes- s (c, sc) air (are, ear)
 Read and spell phonetically decodable 2/3 syllable words – bleating, shopkeeper
 Read automatically all of the 100 HF words
 Spell most of 100 HF words

Phase 5b

 Know some alternative pronunciations for graphemes

 Read tricky words- look, called, asked, could, oh, their, people, Mr, Mrs
 Spell tricky words – some, one, said, come, do, so, were, when, have, their, out, like, little, what
 Read most of the 100 HF words

Phase 5a

 5i (a) Give the sound when shown any grapheme that has been taught
 Write the common graphemes for any given sound – ai, ay, a_e
 Form each letter correctly when writing

Phase 4

 Say the sound for and recognise all phase 2/3 graphemes
 Blend, read, segment and spell words containing adjacent consonants – spoon, cried, nest
 Be able to read tricky words – some, one, said, come, do, so, were, when, have, their, out, like, little,
what
 Can spell tricky words – he, she, we, me, be, was, my, you, her, they, all, are
 Form each letter correctly when writing

Phase 3iii

 Blend, read, segment and spell a wide range of CVC words using all letters, less frequent consonant
digraphs and some long vowel phonemes – sheep boat
 Say the sound for and recognise all phase 2/3 graphemes
 Graphemes:
o ear, air, ure, er,
o ar, or, ur, ow, oi,
o ai, ee, igh, oa, oo
 Can read tricky words – he, she, we, me, be, was, my, you, her, they, all, are
 Spell tricky words - the, to, go , no, I, into
 Form each letter correctly when writing

Phase 3ii

 Blend, read, segment and spell a wider range of CVC words to include short vowels, consonant digraphs
and double letters – chick, bell
 Consonant digraphs ch, sh, th, ng
 Form most letters correctly when writing

Phase 3i

 Blend, read, segment and spell some CVC words using some consonants and vowels
 Set 7: y, z, zz, qu
 Set 6: j, v, w, x
 Form some letters correctly when modelled

Phase 2

 Recognise any phase 2 letter from its sound

 Give the sound when shown any phase 2 letter
 Set 5: h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss
 Set 4: ck, e, u, r
 Set 3: g, o, c, k
 Set 2: I, n, m, d
 Set 1: s, a, t, p
 Orally blend and segment VC and then CVC words
 Can read tricky words – the, to, go , no, I, into
 Begin to form each letter correctly in the air, sand etc when modelled

28
Phase 1

 Show awareness of rhyme and alliteration

 Distinguish between different sounds in the environment and phonemes
 Explore and experiment with sounds and with words
 Discriminate speech sounds in words
 Begin to orally blend and segment phonemes

29