Reading & Phonics
At Kells Lane, we believe that reading is the single most important gift we can give your child. When a child can read confidently and with pleasure, every door opens — in every subject, every lesson and every part of life beyond school. From the moment children join us in Nursery, we work hard to build a genuine love of stories, books and language, giving every child access to a carefully chosen collection of texts that spark curiosity, build empathy and broaden horizons. Reading sits at the heart of our Communication curriculum driver — helping children find their voice, understand the world around them and connect with people, places and ideas far beyond their own experience.
Our approach to reading is one we are proud of, and it shows in the growing number of our children reaching greater depth in reading each year. In the early years and Key Stage 1, children follow the Read Write Inc. phonics programme, giving them the structured, systematic foundations they need to decode words with confidence and begin their reading journey. As children move through school, daily story time, class readers, book recommendations and a rich diet of fiction, non-fiction and poetry ensure that reading remains a pleasure as well as a skill. We also know that reading at home makes a huge difference — which is why we work closely with families to share books, offer guidance and keep your child's love of reading alive well beyond the school day. Together, we are helping every child at Kells Lane to Find Their Remarkable — one book at a time.
We encourage parents to support reading at home by sharing stories, visiting libraries, and discussing books with their children. Together, we inspire our learners to become confident, curious, and compassionate readers ready to thrive both in school and beyond.
Early Reading and Phonics
Early reading development introduces young children to the fundamental skills of reading and writing, with phonics as a key approach. Phonics teaches children the relationship between letters and sounds (grapheme–phoneme correspondences), helping them decode words, recognise patterns, and develop spelling skills. By blending sounds to read words and segmenting words to spell, children gain confidence and independence in literacy. This structured, systematic approach supports the progression from early listening and speaking skills to fluent reading and accurate writing, laying the foundation for lifelong literacy.
EEF – 7 Top Tips to Support Reading at Home
Click here for:
Book Recommendations – Picture Books
Book Recommendations -Younger Fiction
Book Recommendations -Illustrated Favourites
Book Recommendations – Popular Authors
Book Recommendations – Popular Series
We teach phonics through the Read, Write Inc. (RWI) programme starting in Early Years through to the end of Key Stage 1. This scheme provides a clear, structured approach to teaching phonics, supporting children to decode words, build fluency, and develop confidence in reading. Children will be taught phonics daily in small groups. Children will then bring home a reading book which is matched to their RWI level of development.
Children in Year 1 throughout the country, take part in a phonics screening check in June. Children in Year 2 will also re-take the check if they did not achieve the required result when in Year 1, or they have not taken the test before.