All Aboard Phonics weekly focus overview - Phonics Phase 3 - Resource

The All Aboard Phonics program provides a structured approach to teaching phonics, spanning from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Reception class through to Year 1. In Phase 3 of the program, which is designed to last 12 weeks, children in Reception focus on expanding their phonemic awareness and decoding skills. Each week introduces new sounds and 'tricky words'—words that do not follow standard decoding rules. For example, the first week of Phase 3 introduces the sounds 'j', 'v', 'w', and 'x', and progresses through various consonant blends, digraphs, and vowel sounds. The phase includes regular revision weeks and assessments to consolidate learning and ensure children are keeping pace with the curriculum.

As the children progress into Year 1, they continue with Phase 5 of the All Aboard Phonics program, which delves deeper into alternative phonemes and graphemes for familiar sounds, high-frequency words, and more complex spelling patterns. This phase is crucial for developing fluent reading and accurate spelling. For children in Year 2 who have passed the Phonics Screening Check and have a solid understanding of the grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) covered in Phases 2-5, the National Curriculum for spelling is introduced. However, if a child in Year 2 has not passed the Phonics Screening Check or shows reading weaknesses, the All Aboard Phonics Plus intervention is recommended to provide additional support and help identify and address specific learning needs.