In September 2021, we adopted the Oxford Reading Tree’s Floppy’s Phonics Programme. This resource integrates phonics with comprehension, spelling and handwriting, using whole class participation, engaging partner work and independent activities.

All staff in EYFS and KS1 have received extensive training and support using this resource to maximise progress and develop confident readers and writers.  Floppy’s Phonics sets out a detailed and systematic programme for teaching phonic skills for children starting by the age of five, with the aim of them becoming fluent readers by age seven.

The sequence of teaching can be found here.

The children are taught to understand the alphabetic code and that the letters represent sounds. The children are taught 44 phonemes and the pronunciation of these can be found here:

The children also learn that these phonemes can be represented using a range of different graphemes. This poster shows the different grapheme-phoneme correspondences.

Reading at Home

Children in EYFS and KS1 take home a phonetically decodable book matched to their phonic ability and stage they are at within the Floppy’s Phonics sequence. Continuity is ensured by the colour progression and each child works at an individual pace. Parents are encouraged to support reading at home and children are expected to read daily. 

Alongside this, we use the Oxford Owl reading platform so children can access additional reading books at home and in school. Each child in Foundation and Key Stage 1 is provided with a log in. This short video explains how to access and use this system:

Children are also encouraged to take books home from the school library which can be enjoyed and shared together with an adult. 

Key Vocabulary

Blend – saying the individual sounds that make up a word and then merging or blending the sounds together to say a word.

Digraph – two letters which together make one sound. Eg: ee, oa, ea, ch, ay.

Grapheme – written letters or a group of letters which represent one single sound (phoneme). Eg. a, l, sh, air, ck.

Phoneme – a single sound that can be made by one or more letters. Eg: s, k, z, oo, ph, igh.

Phonics – phonics teaches children to listen to and identify the sounds that make up words. This helps them to read and write words.

Segment – this is the opposite of blending. Splitting a word up into individual sounds.

For further information on phonics and early reading please contact: Mr. J. Williams jwilliams@molescroftprimary.net