Teaching your child to read is one of our top priorities at Park Community Academy. The ability to read underpins learning in all other areas of the curriculum. We want our pupils to be able to read for pleasure and also to be able to participate fully in their lessons and acquire greater independence in later life. However, learning to read is hard work! At PCA, we believe it is necessary that we give the children time to acquire this vital new skill along with lots of praise and patience.
PCA follows the systematic synthetic phonics scheme Read Write Inc. Phonics. It is designed for children from nursery to KS3 and to support children with SEN to learn on build on their phonetical knowledge and understanding. It teaches children sounds in English, the letters that represent them, and how to form letters when writing. Read Write Inc. Phonics includes reading books written using only the letters they have learnt at each level to ensure the children feel confident and successful when learning to read.
KS4 and KS5 follow Read Write Inc. Fresh Start scheme. Fresh Start is a systematic synthetic phonics programme for older readers who are struggling. It teaches them to read unfamiliar words accurately and therefore read texts fluently and with understanding.
At PCA there are a wide range of reading books to support the teaching of phonics including decodable Read Write Inc. books that can also be accessed electronically. We also have a variety of books within the library and classrooms to promote reading for pleasure.
Phonics and Reading