English

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At Greentrees, we follow a systematic synthetic phonics approach in EYFS and Key Stage 1.  We use Phonics Shed, a validated, narrrative-driven and multi-sensory phonics programme. Daily phonics lessons make use of the scheme’s teaching books, e-books, reading books, songs, letter formation animations and interactive games to engage children and support their learning.

The Phonics Shed programme also provides consolidation and intervention materials for pupils in EYFS, KS1 and KS2 who require additional support, helping to ensure that all children keep up with their phonics development.

We use the assessment tools within Phonics Shed to regularly assess attainment and progress in phonics. Children in KS1, alongside any KS2 pupils who have not yet met the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check, are assessed during the fifth week of each term. Assessment outcomes enable teachers to identify gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge, evaluate the effectiveness of teaching, and plan targeted interventions to ensure that all children make strong progress.

Reading at Home 

Children take home books from the Phonics Shed decodable reading scheme. These are carefully matched to the grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) they have been taught in school, enabling them to practise and apply their developing phonics knowledge with confidence.

Some books also contain Common Exception Words (CEWs).  These are frequently used words that cannot always be fully decoded using the phonics knowledge children have learnt so far, such as the, to, of and so. Children are taught to use their phonics knowledge for the parts of the word they can decode and to recognise the parts that are not yet decodable. This approach enables them to access and enjoy a wider range of texts more quickly.

In addition to their decodable reading book, children also take home a Share with Me book, identified by a star sticker on the front cover. These books are intended to be enjoyed together with an adult and may not be fully decodable for the child. They help to develop a love of reading, build vocabulary and support comprehension skills such as retrieving information, predicting and discussing what has been read.

Each year group has access to a set of 50 Recommended Reads, complied by the Books for Topics website. Each collection contains 50 carefully selected books chosen to promote reading for pleasure. The books are age-appropriate and accessible, representing a wide range of genres and styles, including fiction, picture books, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels.

The collections cater for different interests and reading preferences, featuring both timeless classics and contemporary favourites. They also reflect a diverse range of characters, experiences and settings, ensuring that all children are able to see themselves in books while also learning about the lives and experiences of others.

These are the books we get to know really well during our time at Greentrees: