How many at Phase 4?

[Nugget]

Hi

At which stage are the majority of your children in letters and sounds? We are sending some up to year 1 working in phase 4 but a lot are still consolidating phase 3.

In letters and sounds are children expected to make a phase progress per term?

[Guest]

Hi Louise

Phase 4 is generally repeated in Year 1 at the start of the year, to consolidate and review Phase 3. In letters and Sounds it says it can be taught in Reception or year 1. Most Year 1 teachers I have spoken to will get all children to do Phase 4 regardless of it having been covered in Reception.

I have about half the class working on Phase 4 and the other half reviewing Phase 3, approx. groups of 14. I do have one child that I am cheating and teaching phase 5... but that is to support their decoding as they are a high ability reader.

[jocrow]

Hi

Ours are on Phase 5a (about 14 children), Phase 4 (about 18), Phase 3 consolidating (about 16) and Phase 2 consolidating and just starting vowel digraphs (about 8). When they go into Y1 they tend to do a very quick recap of Phase 3 and 4 for higher (particularly the trigraphs seem to be forgotten during Summer) and others start on Phase 3. This seems to work well, which is reflected in the Y1 phonic test at the end of year.

[catma]

Hi,

The letters and sounds programme gives clear guidance on the length of each phase:

Phase 1 is typically nursery, but the skills are continued in phases 2-6

Phase 2 is a 6 week block so if all on track would be by around Autumn half term

Phase 3 is from memory 15 weeks but essentially covers at least Spring/Summer so children are secure phase 3 as the expectation.

As phase 4 has no new teach in respect of PGCs then you are extending their skills from CVC to cvcc etc and it can be taught alongside phase 3 to extend skills.

Phase 4 is then the bridge from EYFS into Primary NC expectations of Yr 1 in time for the Phonics screening!!

Cx

[Wildflowers]

I know this is a whole other discussion, but how can it be that these are expectations for a child to achieve at the end of reception, for many children long before their statutory school age?

[catma]

I think If based on good phase 1 experiences and high quality teaching many children achieve secure phase 3 at the end of reception. I've seen reception children blending and segmenting confidently all over my LA at the moment and we are one of the areas of highest deprivation going...including those children who are turning 5 now.

Cx

[Wildflowers]

My question / comment wasn't in relation to children's ability or against teaching phonics to a child of any age how is interested and able to retain what they are taught. It was about children being taught and expected to learn to read and right before starting school. Why not then change statutory school age to 4? I don't see the logic, if there is any...