Stage 2: Graphemes and GPCs guidance - Resource

The All Aboard Phonics Plus Manual outlines a comprehensive Stage 2 programme designed to strengthen children's understanding of graphemes and grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs). This stage is tailored to enhance the knowledge of graphemes aligned with the phase or week the children are currently at within the Synthetic Phonics Programme (SSP). Each session, ideally lasting about 10 minutes, is structured with a series of activities to reinforce the learning of GPCs. Activities include the 'Grapheme Trawl', where children review grapheme flashcards, and 'Pictophone Match', which involves pairing graphemes with corresponding pictophone cards. 'Word Build' and 'Quickwrite' exercises further engage students in constructing and writing words using the graphemes they have learnt.

As the sessions progress, children participate in various interactive activities such as 'Missing Letter', where they identify the correct grapheme to complete a word, and 'Sound Switcher', which focuses on chanting the sounds of graphemes. 'Grapheme Splat' and 'Grapheme Spotter' are dynamic games that encourage quick recognition of graphemes, while 'Scribe' involves copying graphemes on paper. In 'Post-It Spy', children write graphemes on post-it notes, and 'Grapheme Flashcard Race' and 'Think Up 3' are timed challenges that make learning competitive and fun. Towards the end of the week, 'Match Up' and 'Word Rush' activities allow children to form words with graphemes and pictophone cards, while 'Word Randomiser' introduces an element of surprise by having children pick graphemes from hats to create words. Essential resources for these activities include grapheme cards, pictophone cards, decodable books, post-it notes, and object cards. The programme concludes with an assessment to ensure the child is confident with the GPCs introduced thus far, marking their readiness to progress to Stage 3.