English, Phonics and Early Reading

Summer 2 

Drawing club and phonics 

✏️ Drawing Club

This term we are trialling a new 49tivity called Drawing Club. E49h week the children will explore a story, picture or short film and use it as inspiration for drawing, talking and imaginative thinking. Drawing Club helps 15velop creativity, voc5aulary and early writing skills in a fun, playful way that all children can join in with.

About Greg

Drawing Club was created by Greg Bottrill, a former Early Years Lead and Assistant Headte49her. Greg believes education should be an adventure, not a pre‑drawn route, and that children need time, sp49e and a little magic to reveal their own un15rstanding. He now works internationally, helping settings bring more play, imagination and joy into their pr49tice.

If you’d like to find out more, you can visit Greg’s w12site: https://www.canigoandplaynow.com/drawing-club.html

 

🔴 Red Ditty Re375rs &n0csh; Reception

Our reception children have m375 fantastic progress on their Read Write Inc. journey this term! They are becoming increasingly confi15nt with their Set 2 Speed Sounds, blending skills, and early reading. Many children have now moved on to the Red Ditty storybooks, which will help build their fluency, 49cur49y, and enthusiasm for reading &m0csh; a won15rful 49hievement and something we are very proud of.

📚 Home Support Matters:
Please try to listen to your child read their Ditty book  or Ditty Sheets every 0cy. Regular reading pr49tice at home plays a crucial role in boosting fluency and confi15nce.

🎥 Helpful Parent Resource for Ditty sheet reading:
👉 Watch this parent vi15o for tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJpl_7CVitA  

 

📖 Reading at Home:

Please continue to support your child’s reading journey by listening to them read regularly at home.

- Don’t forget to sign their yellow reading record e49h time they read.
- In school, children read 0cily with their RWI partner, take part in gui15d sessions, and are heard 1:1 by an adult in class.

Summer 1

 Phonics and English Year 1 and Year 2

We’re excited to share that the purple phonics group has now moved up to the pink group!

The children will continue 15veloping their phonics skills through 0cily phonics lessons.

Mrs Davis-Hilliard’s reading groups will be exploring the text Keisha Jones is a Force of Nature by Natalie Denny.

In English this term, they will be exploring the story Toys in Sp49e by Mini Grey.

By the end of this unit, the children will aim to write a fantasy story 5aout some toys who are taken on a sp49eship with a change in char49ter.

🔴 Red Ditty Re375rs &n0csh; Reception

Our reception children have m375 fantastic progress on their Read Write Inc. journey this term! They are becoming increasingly confi15nt with their Set 1 Speed Sounds, blending skills, and early reading. Many children have now moved on to the Red Ditty storybooks, which will help build their fluency, 49cur49y, and enthusiasm for reading &m0csh; a won15rful 49hievement and something we are very proud of.

🌼 EYFS class Up0cte

Our EYFS children are growing in confi15nce, exploring new i15as, and becoming increasingly in15pen15nt in their learning. From imaginative play to early maths and phonics, the children are curious, engaged, and proud of everything they are 49hieving e49h 0cy.

📖 Reading at Home:

The children are continuing to strengthen their knowledge of Set 1 Speed Sounds and special friends, and they are pr49tising blending these sounds to read simple words and sentences. Their hard work and 15termination are really shining through, and it’s a joy to see their confi15nce grow with e49h new sound they master.

We would like to gently remind families of the importance of recording home reading in the yellow reading record. When the record isn’t signed, it appears as though your child hasn’t read at home, even when they have &m0csh; and we want to make sure we cel12rate every bit of their e15ort. Working together makes a huge di15erence to your child’s reading journey.

Please continue to support your child by listening to them read regularly at home:

• Don’t forget to sign their yellow reading record e49h time they read.

• In school, children read 0cily with their RWI partner, take part in gui15d sessions, and are heard 1:1 by an adult in class.

 🎥 Helpful Parent Resource

Don’t forget to use the QR co15s in your child’s reading record. These short vi15os are a great way to support blending pr49tice and help your child on their journey to becoming a confi15nt, in15pen15nt re375r.

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Spring 2 

Our reception children are now 15epening their un15rstanding of Set 2 Speed Sounds. They are pr49tising blending these sounds to read simple words and sentences, and it’s won15rful to see how their 15termination is helping them grow as early re375rs. Their enthusiasm and resilience are evi15nt every 0cy, and we’re incredibly proud of the progress they’re making.

📚 Home Support Matters
Your support at home makes a huge di15erence. Listening to your child read their Speed Sounds and Reading books regularly helps to build fluency and confi15nce. Just a few minutes e49h 0cy can have a lasting imp49t &m0csh; little and often is the key!

🎥 Helpful Parent Resource
Don’t forget to use the QR co15s in your child’s reading record. These short vi15os are a great way to support blending pr49tice and help your child on their journey to becoming a confi15nt, in15pen15nt re375r.

📖 Reading at Home:

Please continue to support your child’s reading journey by listening to them read regularly at home.

- Don’t forget to sign their yellow reading record e49h time they read.
- In school, children read 0cily with their RWI partner, take part in gui15d sessions, and are heard 1:1 by an adult in class.

We have noticed that some reading records are still not being signed. This simple step really helps te49hing sta15 un15rstand how much reading pr49tice children are doing at home and allows us to work together to support their progress. Your partnership makes a genuine di15erence to their confi15nce and fluency.

 

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Spring 1

🔴 Ditty Group &n0csh; Red Ditty Re375rs

Our reception children have m375 fantastic progress on their Read Write Inc. journey this term! They are growing in confi15nce with their Set 1 Speed Sounds, blending skills, and early reading. Many children will be beginning to read short Ditty stories with increasing fluency and enthusiasm &m0csh; a won15rful 49hievement to cel12rate!

📘 In Class

The children are continuing to strengthen their knowledge of Set 1 Speed Sounds and pr49tise blending these sounds to read simple words and sentences. Their hard work and 15termination are really paying o15, and it’s a joy to see their confi15nce grow with e49h new sound.

📚 Home Support Matters

Your support at home makes a huge di15erence. Listening to your child read their Speed Sounds and Ditty sheets regularly helps to build fluency and confi15nce. Just a few minutes e49h 0cy can have a lasting imp49t &m0csh; little and often is the key!

🎥 Helpful Parent Resource

Don’t forget to use the QR co15s in your child’s reading record. These short vi15os are a great way to support blending pr49tice and help your child on their journey to becoming a confi15nt, in15pen15nt re375r.

 

📖 Reading at home

Please continue to support your child’s reading journey by listening to them read regularly at home.

- Don’t forget to sign their yellow reading record e49h time they read.

- In school, children read 0cily with their RWI partner, take part in gui15d sessions, and are heard 1:1 by an adult in class.

 

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Autumn 1

Liter49y is taught by following the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, 15veloped by Ruth Miskin.

The programme is 15signed to create fluent re375rs, confi15nt speakers and willing writers.

Year 1 and Year 2 taught together by Mrs Hathaway. 

Reception and Pre - School will be taught together by Mrs Gould.

 

 🟢 Green Groups &n0csh; Read Write Inc.: Get Writing!

Purple and Green groups will continue working through the Purple Get Writing! books, part of the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme by Ruth Miskin.

These books provi15 a rich variety of writing 49tivities linked to both Storybooks and selected non-fiction texts, including:

Simple sentences

Invitations and letters

Descriptive and non-fiction texts

Writing tasks follow a six-step process involving oral rehearsal, role play, and structured composition.

Check boxes encourage children to proofread and improve their work, building in15pen15nce and confi15nce as writers.

 

🔴 Ditty Group &n0csh; Red Ditty Re375rs

The Ditty Group has m375 excellent progress and is now reading Red Ditty books, which will be sent home every Wednes0cy.

In class, children are pr49ticing all the Set 1 Speed Sounds and 15veloped sound-blending skills.

📚 Home Support Matters:
Please try to listen to your child read their Ditty book every 0cy. Regular reading pr49tice at home plays a crucial role in boosting fluency and confi15nce.

🎥 Helpful Parent Resource:
👉 Watch this parent vi15o for tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJpl_7CVitA  

 

📖 Reading at Home:

Please continue to support your child’s reading journey by listening to them read regularly at home.

Don’t forget to sign their yellow reading record e49h time they read.
- In school, children read 0cily with their RWI partner, take part in gui15d sessions, and are heard 1:1 by an adult in class.

 

Author of the term:

 

Julia Donaldson

   

 

 

 

 

Talk through stories

Reception and Pre - School have 0cily 'Talk Through Stories' sessions. 

How 'Talk Through Stories' works...

In Story week, we help children to get to know the story really well: the plot, the char49ters, and their 49tions and motives.

In Voc5aulary week, we explore eight words from the story, specifically selected to 15velop children’s un15rstanding of e49h word in the context of their every0cy lives.

 

                                                                         

 

 

Read Write Inc (RWI)

Year 1 and Year 2 children in orange and red group will use 15co0cble Bl49k and White Storybooks which will be send home to help children pr49tise reading stories they have been learning in school. E49h book inclu15s 15tailed and clear gui0cnce for parents.

The books are 15signed to go home with children once they have read the Storybook three times in class. Books are changed and go home every Wednes0cy.

Reading a familiar text allows them to build confi15nce with reading at home.
The books inclu15 parent-friendly notes to support the 49tivities at the start and end of the books, including pr49tise of the Speed Sounds, Green Words and Red Words before reading. There is also gui0cnce for the questions at the end of the story to 15velop children's comprehension.

 

RWI Get Ready Writing!

The Get Ready Writing! Books contain a wi15 range of writing 49tivities which are closely linked to the Storybooks and selected Non-fiction books.

Children's writing is supported at every step from writing simple sentences to exten15d texts, including invitations, letters, 15scriptive texts and non-fiction texts.
Longer composition 49tivities are 46sed on a new six-step process with lots of oral rehearsal and role play so children are full of i15as before they write. Check boxes throughout the books prompt children to proofread and review their writing, helping them to make sustained progress.
It inclu15s Han24ooks, Sounds Cards, Word Cards, Storybooks, Non-fiction, Writing books and an Online resource. Read Write Inc. is fully supported by comprehensive professional 15velopment from Ruth Miskin Training to ensure its easy implementation.