Phonics and Spelling

At Wisbech St Mary school, we teach children to decode (read the words on the page) using the Sounds Write phonics programme. This is a linguistic phonics programme that teaches children 175 sound-spelling correspondences over YR to Y2 and beyond. Rather than moving on to spelling rules, which have many exceptions and contradictions, children learn and apply more sound-spelling correspondences (the extended code) in their reading and writing throughout their time at Wisbech St Mary. The linguistic phonics approach looks at the relationship between the spoken language and the written word. Children will study three main skills to enable them to learn to read: blending, the skills of blending letters together; segmenting, separating sounds for spelling; and manipulating, swapping sounds to develop reading accuracy. 

Throughout KS2, children study etymology (the origin of words) which enables them to discover the meaning of new words and apply their extensive code knowledge. Phonics lessons in KS2 replace spelling lessons. 

All teachers and support staff from EYFS to Year 6 receive extensive Sounds Write training to support them to deliver the linguistic phonics lessons and yearly refresher training. The programme takes the children step-by-step through phonics, introducing them to the 44 different sounds in the English language and their different spellings gradually and systematically. The programme is highly specified, carefully sequenced and code knowledge is revisited so that it is taught to be remembered.   

Phonics is taught whole-class and any children who did not fully grasp the learning repeat the lesson / part of the lesson that same day to ensure gaps do not form. Children working below age-related expectations still join in with the whole-class phonics lesson and then receive additional phonics teaching focused on their stage of code knowledge. This approach ensures children catch up quickly and keep up. 

Our Phonics Programme

Phonics at Wisbech St Mary Academy

Since September 2020, we have adopted a synthetic phonics approach called Sounds Write. The majority of staff are now linguistic phonics practitioners and are trained to support your child to develop their phonemic awareness and spelling. From adopting this approach, we have seen a positive change in the children's confidence when reading, spelling and developing their fluency. 

Phonic Sessions

Phonics sessions are taught daily from Reception to Year 6. Sessions are delivered in whole class groups so that children are receiving daily segmenting, blending and practise at applying their knowledge to reading and writing. Children who may take longer to grasp a concept or sound are taken in the afternoons for catch up sessions to allow them to keep up with the rest of the class. 

Reading Books

As a school, we have recently invested in new phonetically decodable reading materials for children to take home. These are aligned with the teaching sequence of Sounds write units within school. Books that the children take to read at home are at the units just below where they are working in the classroom to allow them to build fluency in their reading. Children also have access to other reading materials such as Sounds write stories and library books which they take home weekly. 

Useful links and resources

Here are some very useful links explaining more about Sounds Write:

An Introduction from John Walker, the Sounds Write founder – although it written for parents of children in Reception, it is a useful read for all.

Links to free resources, including free online courses:

John Walker's Course Resource

Free printable resources here.

Please do not hesitate to talk to your child’s teacher should you have any questions about this approach.