Welcome to Phonics at Green Lane Primary Academy

“Learning to read is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese Proverb

The teaching of early reading starts with our youngest children in Butterflies and Nursery. We ensure our Nursery children are well prepared and ready to begin learning grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) and blending. From week one in Reception we:

• Prioritise high-quality adult-child interactions, including frequent back and forth conversations
• Provide activities that develop listening and attention, including oral blending
• Teach through a balance of child-led and adult-led experiences
• Deliver our curriculum using carefully selected stories, songs and rhymes
• Share high-quality stories every day

Why We Love Phonics

At our school, we love phonics because it opens the door to confident reading and writing. We use the Sounds-Write programme, a highly effective, evidence-based approach that helps children master the building blocks of language. It’s systematic, engaging, and gives every child the tools they need to succeed.

What Learning Looks Like

Phonics learning is active and focused. Children practise reading and spelling through well-structured lessons. With Sounds-Write, they learn to segment, blend, and manipulate sounds in words, building fluency and independence. You’ll see children using magnetic letters, whiteboards, and engaging in lively discussions about sounds and spellings.

Talking, Exploring and Doing

Phonics is about understanding how language works. Children explore words, talk about patterns, and apply their learning in real reading and writing tasks. Sounds-Write encourages children to be curious and confident, making phonics a hands-on, minds-on experience.

What Makes Us Special

We are proud to be a Sounds-Write school, with trained staff who deliver high-quality phonics teaching every day. Our commitment to early literacy means children get the best possible start. We tailor support to individual needs, ensuring every child feels successful and supported.

How We Know Children Are Succeeding

We track progress carefully using individual Sounds-Write assessment tools and regular observations. Children show growing confidence in reading unfamiliar words, spelling accurately, and applying phonics knowledge across the curriculum. We celebrate every step forward, knowing that strong phonics foundations lead to lifelong literacy.

Ideas For Phonics At Home

Activity / Website	Description
Play Games	Play sound games such as ‘I Spy’ with initial words. Write shopping lists, labels or notes using phonics.
Read Together	Read together daily, pointing out sounds and blending words.
Sounds-Write Website	Visit the parents section of the website for free resources and extra support.
Sounds-Write App	Download the Sounds-Write app for fun, interactive practise.