Reading is a valuable, lifelong skill that intersects all areas of the curriculum. In order to read, pupils first need to learn how to decode and word read. The main strategy for this is phonics.
The chosen SSP (Systematic synthetic phonics) programme for Bridgeview is Pearson Bug Club. Bug Club is an online resource, making it much more accessible and adaptable for Bridgeview children.
Phonics is a way of teaching pupils to read quickly and skilfully. It is essential that our approach to teaching phonics and reading is accessible to all pupils, regardless of background. They are taught how to:
Recognise the sounds that each individual letter represents.
Identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make – such as ‘sh’ or ‘oo’.
Blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.
Pupils can then use this knowledge to ‘de-code’ new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.
It is expected that by the end of Year 1 pupils have acquired the phonic knowledge to read unknown words and begin to apply these into spellings. At Bridgeview, we understand that pupils may need additional support to acquire these skills and become fluent readers.
Pupils who still need additional support with reading receive a bespoke approach delivered by highly trained staff, which is adapted to their individual needs, to follow the phonic progression effectively. Pupils receive a daily 1:1 phonics lesson, either 1:1 or as part of a class. Additional to this, they may receive extra interventions for over-learning, gap filling and blending.
Pupils read phonetically matched books each day as part of their personalised learning. They read Bug Club books containing the sounds that they have already learned. In the front of all Bug Club books are the sounds and words that children may need to practice to allow them to read fluently. In Bridgeview, we encourage children to read their book more than once to practice fluency and automaticity.
If you want further information about the Bug Club scheme, watch a short video about the scheme.
Click Here to access your child’s Bug Club. Please ask your child’s teacher for their login information.
