Welcome to our virtual guide to phonics (the sounds that letters make) and early reading! 

We hope your child has had a great start to reading at Abbey, both enjoying books, being read to and the excitement of reading independently using their early reading skills. We really want to work together and reading at home can make such a difference!  We ask you to spend ten minutes, each evening to help them build their speed, fluency and love of reading.

We've drawn together some resources to help you get to grips with our approach to the teaching of reading. Here's a guide to what it's all about! 

• Phonics and early reading workshop
  Watch this 10 minute presentation from our Assistant Head Teacher, Miss Harwood on the teaching of reading at Abbey

What is phonics? | Oxford Owl

Get a definition of phonics and understand the key aspects of learning to read using phonics. Learn more about key terms such as 'phonemes', 'blending' and 'segmenting'

Phonics: How to pronounce pure sounds | Oxford Owl

Learn how to pronounce all 44 phonics sounds, or phonemes, used in the English language with these helpful examples from Suzy Ditchburn and her daughter.Find...

Free eBook library
Our free eBook library has been created to help children aged 3–11 to develop their reading skills at home. All our eBooks are free to use, but you will need to register or sign in at the link below to read your book. Please note, our eBooks are not optimised for mobile phones and are best viewed on a computer, laptop, or tablet.

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode S

Abbey starts with S A T P I N - here's the first six sounds your children learn at school.

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode A

Watch UK school teacher Mr Thorne and Youtube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling ...

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode T

Watch UK school teacher Mr Thorne and Youtube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling ...

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode P

Watch UK school teacher Mr Thorne and Youtube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling ...

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode I

Watch UK school teacher Mr Thorne and Youtube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling ...

Mr Thorne Does Phonics - Episode N

Watch UK school teacher Mr Thorne and Youtube sensation Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, grammar, spelling ...

Lesson 1 - Reception

This video shows the style of lesson that children at Abbey experience to learn sounds and read. This is an example lesson and Abbey uses this approach and builds up to this style of lesson through the year.

Phonics help: top 10 tips | Oxford Owl

Get top tips for developing phonics skills at home, advice on decoding and blending words, and how to make the phonics sounds correctly from phonics expert
Ruth Miskin. Abbey doesn't use Ruth Miskin's books but the approch to teaching is very similar.

Additional phonics teaching materials (clickable link)