📖 Phonics at High Halden Primary School

At High Halden, we know that learning to read is one of the most important skills your child will develop. To support this, we use a proven, step-by-step programme called Floppy’s Phonics Sounds and Letters.

🔤 What is phonics?

Phonics is a way of teaching children to read and write by linking sounds (phonemes) to the letters (graphemes) that represent them. Children learn how to:

✨ Blend sounds to read words (e.g. c-a-t → cat)
📝 Segment words into sounds to help with spelling

🏫 How do we teach it?

• 📚 Children follow six progressive phases, starting with simple sounds and building up to more complex words.

• 👀 They also learn “helpful words” (like was, the, said) which can’t be sounded out.

• 🐶 The scheme uses familiar characters like Floppy the dog, Biff, Chip and Kipper, making learning fun.

• 🎲 Sessions are short, active, and practical, keeping children motivated and excited about reading.

🌟 Why do we use Floppy’s Phonics?

This programme gives children a clear and consistent approach to early reading. It helps to:

📖 Build strong foundations in literacy
💬 Develop vocabulary and story understanding
✍️ Support spelling and handwriting skills
🌈 Grow confident, enthusiastic readers

🏡 How you can help at home

• 📕 Listen to your child read every day if possible

• 👩‍👧 Practise tricky words together

• 🔊 Encourage your child to sound out words when stuck

• 🌙 Share bedtime stories and talk about the story together

✨ Together, we can give children the best possible start in reading and writing!