First Ditty books - progression in phonics

Progression in phonics.

We would like to thank the children for their efforts in school so far this term. The class is working very hard, and we are very pleased with all the children.

General

 The children now all have a ditty book, and I would like to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunities in each ditty book to increase the children’s confidence and knowledge.

 The children will be working with partners and will only change their book when they are ready to do so. There will be times in the future when they change partners or groups as appropriate.

 The reading books (for later in the year) will build on the same basic structure as you have seen in the ditty books, so any time spent going over each activity is very worthwhile. Please ask parents with older siblings who have learned to read in this way.

 10 minutes at the start of the day

 The children have really moved forward in their start to the day, well done. Over the coming weeks we will be making changes in this session also, picking out either words, or writing sentences taken from the previous day’s phonics session (which can also be re-enforced at home). The sessions will hopefully further help you to assist your child’s learning to read and write.

 What should I be doing at home to help reading?

At present I would recommend practising sounding, using the strategy of Fred fingers and Fred spelling (blending letter sounds), based around ditty 1 on Monday, ditty 2 on Tuesday, ditty 3 on Wednesday, and ditty 4 on Thursday. If any or all of this is confusing, please ask the children, parents who have helped or have older children in years 1, 2,3,4,5, 6 or a member of KS1 staff, all of whom I believe will be more than happy to help! Please don’t feel everyone else’s children can do everything, or that you’ve been left behind. The children will be ready to read and write at different times, dependant on a number of factors

 Some of our aims to facilitate reading using the activities in the books.

 We would like the children to be able to read the speed sound chart forwards, backwards, in and out of order as soon as possible. In addition it is a good idea for you to spend time playing games with the ‘speed read’ words and chart at the back of the book, so the children recognise them in their reading. Recognising whole words on sight is a strategy that some children will find easier than the mechanics of phonics (memory game, recreate large words and place them on each step of the staircase on the way up to bed etc,etc.) You will find that these speed read words are added to each week, and regular practice means this task becomes easier and builds confidence. The work done in class ensures that the children have already visited all the activities during the day with some success and when ready, will be able to read the ditties using the strategies practiced. Please start up a dialogue with us if you have any concerns. We aim to give our children the capabilities and desire to experience a love of reading as and when appropriate.