At Fritchley CofE (Aided) Primary School we are deeply committed to developing a love of books in our children. This is achieved in two main ways; teaching reading skills and giving the children the opportunity to read for pleasure.
Developing Reading Skills
We begin with our youngest learners following the ‘Little Wandle Revised’ program for phonics. The children in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 take part in daily lessons where they learn letters and sounds which are grouped into phases. Intially, these start as 10 minute sessions when children start in Early Years building up to 30 minutes each day. Little Wandle's thoughtful planning ensures that children learn new letters and sounds whilst revising and consolidating those prevously learned.
Alongside this, children in Reception and Year 1 read a book aligned to their phase, 3 times per week with an adult in school. We use 'Collins Big Cat' books which are linked to Little Wandle to ensure consistency and progression. These early steps give the children the skills they need to be able to read aloud with fluency and understand what they have read.
Everyone learns in their own way, at their own pace therefore some children may need to repeat a phase, have catch up or keep up support or a different reading book to their peers. This also extends to children beyond Year 1 who need support to master phonics.
You can find a glossary of terms for the Little Wandle Revised scheme below. Additional resources for parents including helpful videos can be found here Little Wandle for parents .