At Ashleigh we teach some of the curriculum objectives using published schemes. We aim to select schemes which are backed up by a strong evidence base so we know they will support us to deliver the curriculum in the best possible way for our children.
Phonics:
We follow the ‘Letters and Sounds’ structure and teach this using ‘Storytime Phonics.’ This approach uses engaging picture books to teach each sound alongside a ‘caption action’ which is a simple rhyme accompanied by an action.
Reading:
In Reception and Key Stage 1, children choose their own reading book from their book band. Class teachers assign book bands based on regular phonic assessments. Book bands are aligned with the phonic phases and all reading books in these book bands are phonetically decodeable to enable children to practise the skills they are learning in the classroom, when they go home. We have a range of reading scheme books available to the children, including: Songbirds, Project X Phonics, Floppy’s Phonics, Big Cat Phonics and Traditional Tales. Once children have moved beyond reliance on phonics and are able to read fluently by sight, they continue their reading journey using the ‘Collins Big Cat’ reading scheme until their teacher feels they are ready to select their own reading book from our school library.
Writing:
To support children with their writing, we use lots of elements of the ‘Talk for Writing’ approach. This includes children learning texts and reciting them aloud, and creating toolkits to improve their writing.
Handwriting:
We follow the ‘Nelson Handwriting’ scheme to ensure consistency in how handwriting is taught as children progress through the school.
