WE LOVE READING
AT WILLOW PARK SCHOOL

We aim for our children to develop a life-long love of reading.

Adults at Willow Park talk extensively with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) we read with them. We also enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together.

Daily Phonics lessons for children take place to help them acquire the necessary phonological knowledge and awareness to enable them to read and write.

As the children develop their confidence, they begin to be able to decode words in books and gradually begin to read, to transcribe and compose in writing.

Skilled word reading will be taught later, involving both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Writing involves transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech, before writing).

Currently, the children at Willow Park School are working on Phase 1 phonics, with a small number working on the earliest stages of phase 2 phonics:

Phase 1: This is split into 7 aspects, which focus on hearing and talking about environmental sounds and letter sounds. Phase 1 phonics is embedded across all pathways, especially within the Curious (Pre-Formal) curriculum
Phase 2: Learning 19 letters of the alphabet, along with the first 5 ‘tricky' words and using them to read and spell simple words and captions. Children ready for the Engaged (Informal) curriculum consolidate Phase 1 and move on to Pre-Phase 2.

Phonics is taught through daily multisensory sessions, including:

Environmental sound exploration
Action songs and rhythm games
Sensory mark-making
Repetitive, predictable routines

Book Exploration is used to foster a love of reading through sensory-rich, adult-led interactions.

Many of our pupils remain at these very early stages of this learning but the aim is still high. This can appear to be a lofty and somewhat ambitious aim when pupils join us and for some pupils, they may not reach such heights. However, we believe strongly in their limitless potential to:

read well, fluently and with good understanding
enjoy reading for both pleasure and information
widen their vocabulary, and understanding of grammar
write clearly for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to explain clearly their understanding and ideas
be competent in the arts of speaking and listening