Reading and Early Phonics at Littleton

Every child at Littleton learns to read through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, a systematic, structured approach to phonics. Foundations begin in Nursery, where children build the listening, rhyme and language skills that phonics depends on, well before they meet their first letter sound. From Reception, children are taught daily phonics lessons, building quickly to full-length sessions, and this continues through Year 1 and into Year 2.

Three times a week, children take part in small-group reading practice sessions with a fully trained adult, using books that are closely matched to the sounds they already know. Each session has a clear focus: decoding the words, reading with expression, and understanding what has been read. Every child reads the same book three times, so that fluency, vocabulary and comprehension all develop together.

We know that some children need a little more time and practice to become confident readers. Daily Keep-up sessions give any child who needs it extra, immediate support, taught by a trained adult using the same resources and approach as the main lesson, so no child is left to fall behind before help arrives.

Reading for pleasure sits alongside phonics as an equal priority. Children visit the school library bus each week to choose a book to share at home, every classroom has an inviting book corner, and staff read aloud to children every day. We want every child at Littleton to see themselves as a reader, for pleasure as much as for learning.

Progress is checked regularly, so that support reaches children quickly when they need it. Children in Year 1 sit the national Phonics Screening Check, and any child who has not yet passed resits it in Year 2. Assessment is never just a test at the end: it shapes what is taught the very next day.

Click here to view our full Reading and Phonics Policy.