Phonics

Early Reading at Our School: Floppy's Phonics

At our school, we use Floppy's Phonics as our systematic synthetic phonics programme to support children in becoming confident, fluent readers and writers.

What is Synthetic Phonics?

Synthetic phonics is a method of teaching reading that helps children understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Children are taught to:

• Recognise individual letter sounds (phonemes).

  

• Link sounds to the letters and groups of letters that represent them (graphemes).
• Blend sounds together to read words.
• Segment words into sounds to support spelling and writing.

Teaching begins with simple sounds and gradually introduces more complex letter patterns, enabling children to build their reading skills step by step.

Why Do We Use Floppy's Phonics?

Floppy's Phonics is a comprehensive, engaging programme developed by Oxford University Press. It provides a clear progression through the phonics phases and uses memorable characters and stories to make learning enjoyable for young children.

The programme offers:

• Daily, structured phonics teaching.
• Regular opportunities to practise reading and spelling.
• Decodable reading books that match the sounds children have learned.
• Consistent assessment to ensure children are making good progress.

The Importance of Synthetic Phonics

Learning to read is one of the most important skills children develop during their early years of education. Synthetic phonics provides children with the tools they need to decode unfamiliar words independently, helping them become successful readers from an early age.

Research has shown that systematic synthetic phonics is one of the most effective approaches for teaching early reading. It helps children to:

• Develop strong word-reading skills.
• Build confidence and independence as readers.
• Improve spelling and writing accuracy.
• Access the wider curriculum through reading.

By providing children with a secure foundation in phonics, we help them develop a lifelong love of reading and the confidence to succeed across all areas of learning.

Supporting Reading at Home

Parents and carers play a vital role in helping children become successful readers. We encourage families to regularly read with their children, practise the sounds and words sent home, and celebrate reading achievements together. Working in partnership ensures that children make the best possible progress in their reading journey.

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