The final part of Kat2’s journey into the Phonics International programme outlines the links that it has with Jolly Phonics and how this scheme has many excellent factors that can be brought into the Phonics International Scheme, for example the actions and songs. Read on to see how Kat2 introduced the scheme to her staff at school and how it was integrated into the school plan.
I appreciate that using the programme doesn’t preclude the use of many of my valuable existing Jolly Phonic resources or the sets of Jelly and Bean and Read Write Inc decodable readers which were all recent investments for our school.
I have used, and continue to use these resources successfully.
I continue to teach the JP actions, use the finger phonic books, wall frieze and word ‘flowers’ ( displayed in appropriate groupings) and the children absolutely love the JP action songs.
The Phonics International resources and systematic schedule for GPC introduction right through from simple to complex code provided, as Debbie promised, an answer to my dreams.
The material allows for one group of children to be meaningfully involved in related tasks, consolidating code knowledge and blending, segmenting and handwriting skills -independently or in pairs or groups,-while I work with the other class as a group or with individual children.
The resource bank, systematic schedule and format also facilitates continuity within the classroom should circumstances require a substitute teacher be appointed.
This continuity and commonality of approach also facilitates a variety of support staff (special needs assistants/learning support teacher) working with older pupils who need a boost in their phonic knowledge and skills.
In my own school, the learning support teacher is currently using Phonics International with various children up throughout the school and is as amazed, delighted and grateful at how much easier it has made his job to have all these resources at his fingertips.
Having witnessed the improvement in standards, competence and confidence of the current 1st class pupils as a result of one year of SP teaching, my principal has now decided to implement a whole school approach to spelling using the Phonics International resources.
We recently had a whole school planning day during which I presented the Phonics International resources to all staff members.
We subsequently drew up a draft plan to use the programme right up throughout the school, to fill in gaps in code knowledge of older pupils, to explicitly teach the skills of blending and segmenting and also as a spelling programme and vocabulary development and enrichment programme.
The materials can be used in many ways and for many purposes with the various age groups as they are not presented in a ‘babyish’ format.
As the programme filters up through the school progressively year by year we expect the focus to change and the effects to be exponential.
Again, as each individual teacher becomes more familiar with the SP principles and the content and structure of the programme, they will become more confident and adept at adapting the materials for their specific purposes.
It is an exciting project for all involved.
To end, I highly recommend Phonics International as an extremely comprehensive practical and adaptable programme designed to be used solely, or to complement an existing programme, ensuring commonality between school and home and which provides invaluable direction, information and resources for use with learners of differing ages and abilities and for various purposes depending on the individual situation.
I truly believe it is a case of ‘one size fits all’ and that (apart of course from large pupil/teacher ratios, lack of support staff and an already overloaded curriculum!) the experience, initiative and foresight of the practitioner using the programme is the only limit to its potential.
