Phonics

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read and write. It helps children to hearing, understand and use the different sounds that distinguish one word from another.

Understanding phonics also helps writing, as children learn which letters to use, and is seen as important for developing early skills in reading and writing, and introducing a lifelong love of books.

At Portland Spencer, the children are taught the sounds of the letters through a revised version of the Letters and Sounds programme and whole class teaching. Sounds are placed in context, taught through story books written by some of our best-loved children’s authors. Each sound has an action to help children remember and relate the sound to the book.

Taking this approach allows us to engage the children, regardless of ability, on a journey where learning phonics has a real purpose. By using phonics we give children the skills and knowledge to develop their reading and writing over time.

For more about phonics at Portland, please click here.