Stage 1: Initial Reading/Decoding (ages 6-7)

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Children learn the letters of the alphabet and the correspondences between the letters and the sounds that they represent. By the end of this stage, they have acquired a general understanding of the spelling-sound system. Direct teaching of decoding accelerates development in Stage 1, particularly for those with limited readiness.

Strategies
How do we teach reading in Stage 1? 
Image result for pictures of children reading

Structured Systematic Approach

  • Use a structured systematic approach to teaching phonics. Children begin by learning sets of lower case letters by ‘sound’ and build on this until they are confident to use all representations of sounds. Children participate in daily phonics session daily. This can be as part of a whole class or a small group. 
Tricky Words
  • Provide direct instruction and practice in letter-sound relationships or phonics. Teach the ‘Tricky Words’ identified in the ‘Letters and Sounds Scheme’ and High Frequency Words, that are not decodable using phonics, alongside reading books and separately on flashcards and in lists.

Read with Teacher
  • Children read simple stories with their teachers in a group (according to ability) at least once a week. There is a specific focus for the group reading in this session which is appropriate to the level at which the children are reading. This is followed up with an activity based upon the book that they read with their group.
  • Read to children at a higher level to foster their development of advanced language patterns and new vocabulary ideas.

      Other strategies
  • Match words by sounds
  • Isolate a sound in a word
  • Blend individual sounds to form a word
  • Substitute sounds in a word

Memorable Quotes for Exams
  • Griffith and Olson (as cited in Tompkins, 2002) asserted that "Children develop phonemic awareness in two ways. They learn playfully as they sing songs, chant rhymes, and listen to parents and teachers read word-play books to them." 
  • Tompkins (2002) said that "Students learn phonics as a natural part of reading and writing activities, and teachers also teach phonics directly and systematically."

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