From Nursery, children at Stepgates are immersed daily in the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised’ Phonics programme with systematic teaching of Graphemes and Phonemes in both whole class and small group sessions. We ensure the curriculum is accessible to all by using the rapid catch-up scheme for those unable to access whole class teaching with security, and implement the SEND strand of Little Wandle for children identified by assessment for a slower paced, more explicit teaching route.

Children in Key Stage 1 are assessed for fluency and comprehension on a consistently rolling basis, and books that align with this assessment are sent home to read for enjoyment and to inspire conversation with those at home. These are assessed 6 weekly, and we commit to reading with each child 3 times a week in a personalised and individualised setting. Through practise at school and at home, children make tremendous progress.

The video below shows the correct 'pure' pronunciation of each of the phonemes.

Clear pronunciation of each phoneme assists in blending them together to make the word.