Reading and Phonics

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

At lakeside, we are determined that every child will learn to read, regardless of background or ability. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum as it is an essential skill. It lays the foundation for our pupils’ academic success and overall development. Reading enhances literacy skills, allowing our children to comprehend and communicate effectively, which is vital for success in all subjects. Additionally, reading fosters imagination and creativity, expanding the children's horizons beyond their immediate surroundings. Through quality texts, systematic teaching of phonics and developing a love of reading across our curriculum, we adhere to equip our pupils with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern world and empower them to fulfil their potential.

Here at Lakeside, reading is taught in a consistent approach across KS1 and KS2 following The Harmony Model Curriculum. Children learn the necessary background knowledge and vocabulary to access texts. They then explore them through a range of means, including high-quality discussions and analysis. This enables children to the respond to texts orally and in writing, giving opinions and justifying responses using the text.

Phonics instruction at Lakeside plays a crucial role in helping children learn to read by teaching them the relationship between sounds and letters. By breaking down words into individual phonemes and teaching the corresponding letter(s) or letter combinations, phonics enables our children to decode words more effectively. This systematic approach provides a solid foundation for reading comprehension and fluency. Moreover, phonics instruction enhances the children's spelling abilities, as they learn to apply phonetic principles to spell words accurately. By mastering phonics, children gain confidence in their reading skills, which is essential for their overall academic success and lifelong learning journey.

We follow The Harmony Trust Framework "Phonics: A Systematic and Synthetic Approach" to phonics.  You can read more in the document at the bottom of the page or by browsing the parent guide.

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