Phonics
Overview
At Steep, we teach phonics through the ‘Essential Letters and Sounds’ programme. Designed by one of the Department for Education’s English Hubs, the knowledge Schools Trust, it aims for all children learn to read well and make speedy progress. ELS provides a simple consistent approach to phonics. The programme keeps routines simple to maximise the chances of success.
Progression
Essential Letters and Sounds follows the original Letters and Sounds teaching order. The programme includes “tricky words” from the original Letters and Sounds document with some additional words from the National Curriculum. The teaching is fully aligned with matched decodable books, meaning we can closely match children’s phonics practice to their secure phonics knowledge.
Decodable Books for Home
At home, children have access to online decodable books and a real book. These books are linked to the phonics taught in school providing children with the opportunity to practise their decoding skills for the phonics they have been taught.
Assessment
Assessment of the children’s sound, grapheme knowledge and word reading is key to ensuring that all children make rapid progress though the programme and that children keep up rather than ‘catch up’. Using the assessment cycle alongside daily in-class assessments will ensure that we know where every child is within their early reading journey.
The key assessment points within ELS are as follows:
- Reception baseline assessment
- Half-termly assessments (in week five of each half term)
- Diagnostic assessment
- Year 1 Phonics Screening Check practice (half-termly from Year 1 Autumn 1)
Phase 2 pronunciation
Phase 3 pronunciation
phase 5 pronunciation
How to blend sounds to read words