Literacy and Special Needs co-ordinators, specialists and advisors
School governors, parent volunteers
Inspectors
Anyone in Key Stage 2 with an interest in feeder-school practice
Summary of training
Overarching:
Discussion of the questions and issues arising for phonics and literacy/language basic skills provision (including handwriting) for three to seven year olds: –
findings in the bigger national picture
addressing varied training needs of staff members at your school
addressing the needs you have identified of your individual school and context
ways to enhance the effectiveness of teaching and learning (based on Debbie’s approach to phonics exemplified in the Oxford Reading Tree Floppy’s Phonics Sounds and Letters programme and the Phonics International programme)
Year One Phonics Screening Check – results/questions/issues arising
Practical methods to manage:
phonemic awareness, introducing lower case and capital letters and phonics for three to five year olds – when to start a systematic phonics programme and suggestions for practice prior to the planned programme
differentiation (addressing: groups or whole class organisation; the widening divide; special needs; time scales and ‘little and often’ provision; children for whom English is a new or additional language; ‘two-pronged systematic and incidental phonics provision’; supporting and extending children as required based on different speeds of working and learning)
simple resource preparation and use to ensure a balance of teaching the letter/s-sound correspondences of the alphabetic code and of children practising (as individuals) the three core skills (reading, spelling, handwriting) and their sub-skills
inclusion of vocabulary enrichment, language comprehension, grammar as required, and building up knowledge of spelling word banks
seating arrangements and grouping within whole class provision
simple incidental phonics teaching methods to support reading and writing across the wider curriculum
appropriate visual display
informing parents via parents information events and as a continuum through children’s personal phonics folders in the school’s book-bag routine - working in partnership where possible
teachers, teaching assistants, support teachers and volunteers working in partnership with a common understanding and the same practices
consistency and continuity from teacher to teacher and year to year
Professional Knowledge:
A fearless and high-expectations ethos for approaching the teaching of reading, handwriting and spelling, and for marking spelling, based on a shared appreciation with the children of ‘the history of the English language’ and of the subsequent complex nature of the ‘English alphabetic code’
The Systematic Synthetic Phonics Teaching Principles – what they are and what they’re not
A change of perception of the role of phonics for long-term spelling and reading and awareness of the possible habits/dangers of silent reading
The Teaching and Learning Cycle for phonics and literacy basic skills provision
The Simple View of Reading diagram – its use to clarify the two main processes involved in reading acquisition (word recognition and language comprehension) and reflecting on pupils’ reading profiles (plus a look at a similar diagram for the Simple View of Writing)
A critical evaluation of ‘miscue analysis’ – the ‘running record’
Guided and group reading – varied approaches based on the Simple View of Reading to complement reading activities of the cumulative texts provided within the phonics programmes
A detailed analysis of the opaque English alphabetic code and its three complexities
Saying the vowel sounds and consonant sounds as close as possible to the sounds in natural speech – and knowing why we need to teach some units of sound as ‘combined sounds’ consisting of more than just a single phoneme (although the code is reversible, there are different aspects of teaching the code for reading and teaching the code for spelling to consider)
The advantages of the Alphabetic Code Chart as: an organisational aid; a training, teaching and learning resource; an informative accountability tool as part of the school’s literacy policy
Evaluating mnemonic systems (aids to memory) for teaching the sounds and spelling alternatives of the extended alphabetic code
The relationship between the alphabetic code and the alphabet – distinguishing their roles
The Phonics Routines – simple hand routines for reading, spelling and handwriting (currently the phonics hand routines used in many schools to support reading and spelling are often varied, muddled and misunderstood)
Multi-sensory teaching (VAK) and what this looks like for progressive phonics provision; understanding the difference between ‘core/focused’ activities and ‘extraneous’ activities taking age and stage of learning into account
The power of learner-engagement and the need for permanent visual resources for the learner (from code to word to text level and for letter formation) to maximise learning – use of the personal phonics folder and the phonics exercise book (and the dangers of mis-use or over-use of mini whiteboards and marker pens)
Effective and easy-to-manage assessment practices per child using the core resources (Say the Sounds Posters, Multi-skills Activity Sheets, Cumulative Texts): informal and detailed assessment as a continuum; periodic formal assessment for teachers’ records
Essential fit-for-purpose charts and posters for high-quality visual display – permanent, cumulative, ‘as required’ - for teaching and learning purposes
Support and expectations for learning common tricky words for reading and spelling
Building up awareness and knowledge of spelling alternatives and spelling word banks – effective practices including mnemonic illustrations, drawing and acting, and spelling story themes
Building capacity for teachers to assess for themselves the usefulness of various phonics resources, programmes and practices
Auditing and enhancing phonics, basic skills and continued spelling provision under the auspices of a phonics or literacy manager
Training costs (fully inclusive of materials and expenses*)
Whole-Day INSET (min 6 hrs training time required)
£1395* plus VAT
Two full days of lesson observations, lesson modelling with staff training at 'twilight sessions' following each of the two school days. (min 2.5 hrs training time required for each of the twilight sessions). Days must be consecutive.
£2300* plus VAT
*Note: Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and non-mainland UK will be subject to additional travelling costs.
Prices are based on maximum of 50 staff attending. For numbers over 50, a surcharge of £30 per person will apply.
To check availability and for all booking enquiries, contact us on 01635 8000 33 or fill out our online enquiry form.
