Phonics in Action

Parent Workshop November 2016

 

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend our ‘Phonics in Action’ workshop. Below is the information we have discussed today. Please read through this at home and if you have any questions at all then please speak to your class teacher.

Phonics

• At Bursledon Infant School we teach phonics through a scheme called Letters and Sounds supported by cued articulation.  Have fun watching Jane Passy demonstrating  cued articulation on You Tube.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBJ9-SBe2eI

• We teach pure sounds to the children. This helps them to be able to blend sounds together to build words. You can find how to say and use pure sounds at the following link: http://mrthorne.com
• Your child may talk about Metal Mike the robot. We use him to help us separate or segment the sounds in words for the children to blend back together. For example Mike would say

  c – a- t, we would then blend the sounds to say cat.

• We use sound buttons under each sound in a word to help your child hear each sound.
• Letter formation is linked to the sounds your child is learning. To help with pencil grip we use the chant ‘snap, snap, snap, flick.’

Ways you can help at home:

• Practise the sound cards that are coming home in the book bags.
• Play ‘I spy….’ using the pure sounds your child is learning.

• Use the games and links on http://mrthorne.com and http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/alphablocks to support pure sounds.
• Have a go at talking like Metal Mike e.g. ‘come and s-i-t o-n the m-a-t.’

 

 

Reading

• Your child will start with non-worded books. This is to help them develop book handling skills such as holding the book the correct way up, turning pages one at a time, locating the title (even though they may not be able to read it) and telling a story from the pictures.
• Your child will develop their skill of retelling a story using pictures by adding more detail and vocabulary. For example ‘I see a dog’ will become…. ’Once upon a time there was a big, fierce dog!’
• We teach the children to use story language and time connectives when talking about the pictures. Please see separate sheet for these and their actions!
• Even with non-worded books there are a lot of opportunities to ask and answer questions about the story. For example, how is he feeling? How do you know that? What clues are in the picture?
• Being able to read pictures opens up a very useful strategy once your child is reading books with words. They will be able to use ‘picture clues’ to help them work out unfamiliar words.
• Reading diaries are used as a link between home and school. The teacher writes in the diary when they read or check keywords with your child. Please write or just sign when you have read with your child at home. Three or more reads a week and they will receive a regular reader sticker on a Friday.

Ways you can help at home:

• Model handling books carefully and reading for enjoyment at home.
• Share stories with your child.
• Use props to help stories come alive.
• Play a story telling game with the whole family. First person starts with “Once upon a time there was a……” each person takes it in turns to build up the story by adding the next sentence.
• Try and read stories and keywords at least 3 times a week.
• Singing songs and nursery rhymes really helps your child to be ready to hear sounds and patterns in language which in turn helps them learn to read.
• Useful website links to support reading:

www.cbeebies/storytelling/listening games     www.teachyourmonstertoread.com