Literacy
To support the teaching of early reading, we follow the Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) phonics programme. Through daily phonics sessions, children develop the knowledge and skills needed to become confident and successful readers and writers.
Children are taught to recognise letter sounds, blend sounds together to read words and segment words for spelling and writing. As their confidence grows, they begin to read with increasing fluency while developing a secure understanding of the sounds and patterns within words.
Alongside daily teaching in school, we provide weekly sound packs to support learning at home. These are carefully matched to the sounds being taught and include opportunities to practise blending, letter formation and recognising key words, helping children to build confidence and consistency in their learning.
ELS Phonics Information Evening
For more information on how we teach Phonics, visit our Phonics page.
At Dorridge Primary School, we place a strong emphasis on developing confident, capable and enthusiastic writers from the very beginning of children’s learning journey. Our early writing curriculum begins with developing communication, language, fine motor skills and a love of storytelling, before building towards mark making, sentence writing and purposeful independent writing.
Children are immersed in high-quality texts, meaningful experiences and carefully planned opportunities to talk, rehearse and share ideas before writing. Through daily phonics, colour semantics, guided writing and purposeful continuous provision, children learn how sounds link to letters, how sentences are structured and how writing can communicate meaning.
We recognise that writing development is a journey and value every stage, from early mark making and drawing through to composing simple sentences independently. Adults carefully model language, vocabulary and sentence structure while supporting children to develop confidence, resilience and pride in their work.
Our environments are rich in opportunities for writing both indoors and outdoors, encouraging children to write for real purposes through play, exploration and creativity.
In reception, we develop confident and fluent writers through daily opportunities to strengthen fine motor skills, letter formation and pencil control. Children take part in carefully planned activities that build the physical foundations needed for successful writing.
We follow a consistent approach to handwriting, supporting children to form letters correctly and develop good writing habits from the very beginning. Through modelling, practice and purposeful activities, children gradually build confidence, control and pride in their presentation.
Opportunities for mark making and handwriting are woven throughout both the indoor and outdoor environment, encouraging children to apply their skills in meaningful and engaging ways.
Please click for more information on our handwriting scheme.
At Dorridge Primary School, we believe that reading is at the heart of all learning and is a key foundation for future success. In EYFS, reading development focuses on two important areas: word reading and comprehension (both listening and understanding).
Children develop early reading skills through daily phonics sessions, guided reading, storytelling and regular opportunities to explore and enjoy books independently and with others. Through our systematic phonics teaching, children learn to decode unfamiliar words, build fluency and recognise familiar words with increasing confidence and accuracy.
Alongside this, we place a strong emphasis on fostering a lifelong love of reading. High-quality stories, rhymes, poems and non-fiction texts are carefully woven throughout our curriculum to develop children’s vocabulary, imagination and understanding of the world around them. Through rich discussion, questioning and book talk, children develop the language, comprehension and communication skills that support both reading and writing as they grow.
For information on how we teach and deliver reading, please click HERE