Learning and Teaching

Vision for Instruction

So far this term, we have included information about two of the components essential to reading. They were fluency and phonological awareness. This week we will focus on phonics. 

At Corpus Christi School, we follow the Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar Program. Jolly Phonics is a thorough foundation for reading and writing. It uses the synthetic phonics method of teaching the letter sounds in a way that is fun and multi-sensory. Children learn how to use the letter sounds to read and write words.

Jolly Phonics teaches both stages thoroughly through the primary years at school. In the first stage, the letter sounds are taught in a fun, multisensory way. Children learn how to use the letter sounds to read and write words. In the second, grammar stage, the structure of the language is taught. This includes parts of speech, spelling, punctuation and more. Children learn how to express themselves accurately and well.

How does phonics contribute to reading success?

Phonics builds on phonological awareness. During phonics lessons at school, children learn to connect the sound or phoneme to the letter of the alphabet or group of letters that is used to represent it.

How can families help with phonics learning at home?

• Teach children to write their name. Use a capital letter at the beginning and lower case for the rest of the letters. Write it for them and let them trace it, copy it, make it from play dough or draw it in sand.
• Point out words and letters when reading together. ‘There’s the letter M, it says mmm for Mummy. Can you see the S that says sss for Sam?’
• Encourage children to find the letters in their name or the names of family members and in other places such as books, signs, product packaging and shop windows.
• Point out different fonts, different ways to write the same letter, when reading and in your local environment. 
• Sort words by base/root words (word families), or by prefixes or suffixes
• Word Detective -  break longer words down into their prefixes, suffixes, and base words.
• Word Builder - give base words and prefixes/suffixes and see how many words they can build, and what meaning they might have.

Deborah Courtney

Director of Learning and Teaching