Essential Letters and Sounds Phonics

At Avondale Primary School, we use Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS) to teach phonics. ELS is a systematic, synthetic phonics programme designed to help children learn to read well, quickly and confidently.

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Phonics is taught every day, with children learning how letters and groups of letters represent sounds. They learn to:

• Decode – read words by saying the sounds and blending them together, for example m-a-t → mat.

• Encode – hear the sounds in a word and use them to spell it.

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Children begin by learning single letter sounds before moving on to digraphs (two letters making one sound, such as sh), trigraphs (three letters making one sound, such as igh) and more complex letter patterns.

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Supporting every child

ELS follows a clear sequence, allowing children to build their phonics knowledge step by step. Lessons are structured and consistent, helping children to understand what they are learning and apply it when reading and writing.

We aim for children to keep up rather than catch up. Teachers provide additional support during phonics lessons, with short, focused interventions available for children who need extra help.

Children also have many opportunities to practise their reading throughout the school day, including reading independently, with a partner, as a class and with members of staff.

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Although phonics is particularly important in the early years, children continue to receive phonics teaching and support throughout school to help them become confident, fluent and independent readers and writers.

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Phonics Screening Check

In Year 1, children take part in the statutory Phonics Screening Check during the summer term. Parents are informed of their child's result at the end of the school year.