Spotlight on Learning: F3 Phonics

We’ve been learning phonics sounds for about 6 weeks now in F3, in which we have covered many sounds in the alphabet. We’re using a programme called Read Write Inc. and through a variety of activities and games to make it as active, hands on and meaningful as possible for our little learners we are already seeing great progress and enthusiasm

We’ve been learning phonics sounds for about 6 weeks now in F3, in which we have covered many sounds in the alphabet. We’re using a programme called Read Write Inc. and through a variety of activities and games to make it as active, hands on and meaningful as possible for our little learners we are already seeing great progress and enthusiasm – from parents as well as children, who are noticing great enthusiasm and energy from the children in remembering lots of the sounds and spotting letters and words in the world around them, trying to ‘sound out’ or read.

We focus on the sound a letter makes instead of the name of a sound. We have a ‘patter’ or mnemonic to introduce the sound and help us recall the shape of the sound, both for reading and handwriting; so ‘m’ is ‘Maisie, mountain, mountain’, ‘p’ is ‘down the plait and around the pirate’s face’. Have a look at our F3 display outside Ms Gurvinder’s class to see some of the activities we have been doing to mark make single sounds. Our next step is putting sounds together to read simple words. We have a ‘froggy friend’ in class called Freddie who cannot speak properly but just in sounds. Children decide if a word has two or three sounds, we hold up that many fingers and press them as we say each sound, for example j-e-t.

The focus is on recognising sounds, making words, building simple sentences but all through making as much meaning as possible in as many fun and practical ways as possible. At home, get out the playdough, use your phone or iPads to spot and photograph words in the word, draw sounds on the walls of the shower using water and fingers, collect your own box of sounds with everyday items from the house but most importantly HAVE FUN!!

It was great to welcome F3 parents into school this week for a workshop to find out about phonics including what it is and how are we teaching it in F3. Please click this link to see the full presentation from Wednesday’s parent workshop.

Ms Maria Shooter, F3 Teacher and F3 Year Leader