Vocabulary, Phonics & Early Reading
Our research has found that Monster Phonics is the most effective synthetic phonics programme for our learners – the programme is multisensory and engaging and is designed to support learners from early pre-reading skills, through to fluent readers : DfE Validated Scheme And Ofsted-Ready (monsterphonics.com)
The curriculum provides a range of rich, broad and balanced experiences that engage, motivate and maximise opportunities for learning. At its core, Monster Phonics has a focus on early awareness, reading and communication that opens the world to our young people, facilitating greater understanding, interaction and independence. As such, daily Monster Phonics experiences are on offer to all of our learners on each of the pathways. Monster Phonics is an experience and a vehicle to support learning across the curriculum and the development of individual knowledge and skills.
Communication, Language and Literacy supports the development of individuals who can self-advocate, be independent and are socially and emotionally resilient with functional skills that enable them to lead as full a life as possible, both now and in preparation for adulthood. As a key element of this, Monster Phonics supports the development of engagement, shared attention, and a range of thinking skills such as listening, responding, and remembering.
All learners have access and exposure to a range of developmentally appropriate texts both at home and school. This reinforces a love of reading, and the growth of early reading skills to support our learners to access to the wider world, both now and into the future.
To support the most effective language acquisition for our learners, the school has worked with Monster Phonics and Speech and Language Therapy to develop clearly sequenced guidance that supports the development of functional language as this language is immersed across the curriculum and around our environments.
This is developed with a focus on core, functional language that enables interaction and influence on the world around our young people and, like our experience mapping, is cyclical to ensure that language is revisited regularly in a range of contexts for the most effective rehearsal and acquisition.