Phonics and Spelling

Phonics

What is phonics and why is it important?

In Early Years and Year 1, phonics is taught on a daily basis. Phonics is the word used to describe the sounds the letters make. In simple terms, the word ‘rat’ can be read from its three sounds: r-a-t.

These are not the names of the letters as we say them in the alphabet, but the sounds these letters make. Likewise, the word ‘light’ is made up of three sounds: l-igh-t, where pairs or groups of letters combine to make a single sound. Similarly, ‘rash’ is made up of three sounds: r-a-sh.

Former Ofsted Director, Jim Rose, has said that phonics – where children learn the sounds of all the letters and combinations of letters – should be taught “first and fast” to young children.

We teach phonics proactively and systematically to children in Reception by showing them the sounds of the letters (not the letter names) and how these sounds can be blended to run together to make short words.

We use a validated phonics programme called Little Wandle. Our early reading books reinforce and support our phonics learning.

In helping your child, it is really important that you pronounce the sounds correctly at home in order to support your child.

The following pages videos are for you to refer to and if you are unsure, please ask your child’s teacher.

https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/parents

Obviously, some children learn more quickly than others, so we still have phonics groups in Year 2 and above. This is to ensure that all individual children are secure in their phonic knowledge.

Every year, parents in Acorns and Oaks are invited to an information session on phonics and handwriting.

Spelling

At Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet Primary School, we teach spelling through a structured and progressive approach that supports children at every stage of their learning.

In Key Stage 1, spelling is closely linked to the teaching of phonics. Children learn to spell words that reflect the sounds they are exploring in their phonics lessons, alongside common exception words and high-frequency vocabulary. This ensures that early spelling builds directly on their developing understanding of letter–sound relationships.

In Key Stage 2, we follow the Spelling Shed programme, which provides a clear, sequenced and consistent approach to spelling. The programme is aligned with the National Curriculum and supports children in developing a deeper understanding of spelling rules and patterns.

Spelling Shed places a strong emphasis on morphology (the structure of words) and etymology (the origin of words), helping pupils to understand not just how words are spelled, but why. This deeper understanding supports children in applying their spelling knowledge across the wider curriculum.

Lessons include a range of interactive and engaging activities, allowing children to practise and embed their learning through familiar routines. In addition, the online Spelling Shed platform offers further opportunities for practice through games and challenges, both in school and at home.

Through our approach, we aim to develop confident, accurate spellers who can apply their knowledge independently in their writing.

We follow the National Curriculum for spelling from Year 2 onwards. Spelling is taught every day for 20 minutes in all classes and is taught as a standalone subject as well as being integrated into literacy lessons. Activities are varied – both oral and written and children have a set of spellings to practice and learn each week. We practice spellings in many different ways.

We know that many children perform well in spelling tests but then struggle to apply this knowledge when writing at length as they have lots of other things to consider in the writing process. Therefore, we always allocate editing time within a literacy lesson, allowing children to check and correct any spelling errors. We also encourage the children to use dictionaries and when working on the computers to look carefully at the options provided by the spelling check.

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