Introduction to Phonics at Bessemer

Learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will develop in their early years. At Bessemer we use a high-quality, structured phonics program to give children the tools they need to become confident, fluent readers.

What is Phonics?

Phonics teaches children to link the sounds (phonemes) in spoken language to the letters (graphemes) that represent them in written language. This helps children to decode (read) new words and develop early spelling skills.

For example, the word “cat” can be broken into three sounds: c – a – t. By learning to blend these sounds together, children can read unfamiliar words and begin to write independently.

Phonics Across the Year Groups

Nursery

In Nursery, children are introduced to the foundations of phonics through playful, language-rich activities. These focus on developing listening skills, sound awareness, rhythm, rhyme, and oral blending — all essential building blocks for early reading.

How You Can Help at Home

Supporting your child’s early reading development at home can make a big difference — and it can be fun too! Here are some simple ways to build your child’s listening and sound awareness skills through everyday activities:

• Sing nursery rhymes and action songs – This helps children hear and play with different sounds, rhythms, and patterns in language.
• Add sound effects to stories – Using voices, animal sounds, or environmental noises when reading together helps children learn to distinguish between different vocal and environmental sounds.
• Practise ‘sound talk’ during daily routines – This helps build your child’s phonological awareness (the ability to hear and break down sounds in words).
  Start by modelling ‘sound talk’ yourself. Your child can simply listen at first, and over time, they may begin to join in. For example:

“Shall we go to the sh-o-p — shop?”

“I spy a c-u-p — cup!”

“Where’s your other s-o-ck — sock?”

“It’s time to brush your t-ee-th — teeth!”

These small, playful interactions build the foundations for confident reading and writing later on.

Reception

Reception children begin Phase 2 and Phase 3 phonics, where they learn the first sets of letter-sound correspondences and begin blending these sounds to read simple words and sentences. Each sound is taught alongside an engaging action to help children remember it.

We also use fun strategies such as:

Eagle Eyes – encouraging children to spot tricky words or phonemes (sounds)
Duck Hands – to eat the sounds in words and to blend together 
Rocky Robot – helping children reread sentences for fluency and understanding

Year 1

In Year 1, children continue to build on their phonics knowledge through Phase 4 and Phase 5, where they learn more complex sounds and alternative spellings (e.g. ai, ay, a-e). They use these skills to read and write longer words and sentences with increased confidence.

This year also includes preparation for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, a national assessment designed to check each child’s ability to decode and blend words using phonics.

Year 2: Moving from Phonics to Spelling

In Year 2, children begin to transition from phonics into spelling through the Pathways to Spelling programme, which focuses on understanding spelling rules, patterns, and word structure.

• Children begin daily Pathways to Spelling lessons. This structured programme helps them extend their phonics knowledge into more sophisticated spelling.
• Children needing additional support follow Spelling Pathways, but alongside this, they receive a daily intervention focused on reading fluency and closing any gaps in their phonic knowledge.
• Children who still need more time with their phonics take part in small-group phonics interventions, tailored to the specific sounds and skills they need to secure.

This approach ensures that all children are supported appropriately—whether they're ready to advance with spelling or still strengthening their phonics foundation.  

Supporting Reading at Home

We believe that reading success is built on a strong partnership between school and home. You can support your child by:

• Practising letter sounds and Common Exception Words at the front of your child's phonically levelled book
• Listening to your child read aloud daily to help build confidence and fluency
• Sharing a range of stories and discussing them together, encouraging a love of reading and deeper understanding

To learn more about our phonics approach, explore these videos:

Reading strategies in action

Phase 2 sounds and actions

Phase 3 Sounds and Actions

 If you have any questions about phonics, spelling, or how to support your child’s reading at home, please speak to your child’s class teacher.