I recently read a National Literacy Trust report looking into children and young people’s reading habits during the Covid-19 lockdown, which stated; “Reading is encouraging half of children (50.2%) to dream about the future”.
This sentence stuck out to me… it was not what I was expecting to find out in the report.
I anticipated reading a report about how the crisis looks set to further open up the attainment gap and the devastating impact of lockdown on literacy levels both in the short and long term. I am all too aware of these challenges, which is why Play Phonics with Sammy Sounds set up the Help a Child to Read scheme during lockdown.
However, at the same time the report was unsurprising. We at Play Phonics with Sammy Sounds use adventure, imagination and drama to bring literacy learning to life and I have personally seen the utter joy and escapism that reading provides children.
There is much work to do in order to close the attainment gap post lockdown, but there is hope. It’s easy to get bogged down in the pressure of it all, but by providing a joyful approach to literacy we will inspire children to fall in love with reading and it will be sure to provide them some much needed escapism.
I know from my conversations with teachers and parents that a fun, exciting and entertaining way of learning is more vital than ever.
We at Play Phonics are passionate about getting every child to read confidently and joyfully, which is why we put fun and adventure at the heart of everything we do.
This is why our on demand adventures to Phonics Land have proved popular with children, teachers as well as parents over the past few months, as highlighted by the Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman “My Daughter loves Sammy Sounds…it’s really great. I’m so impressed!”
Play Phonics with Sammy Sounds brings slapstick and adventure to your classroom through on-demand, interactive phonics drama videos. We nurture young imaginations and encourage a love of learning to read.
“Play Phonics has enriched the curriculum… we have more readers than ever before.”
Eleni Apostoli, Lea Valley Primary
Sammy Sounds is from Phonics Land and is friends with all of the sounds. The problem is she has lost all of her sound friends and needs the children’s help to find them…
Through unique kinesthetic, auditory and visual techniques, our on demand videos have been carefully designed to enrich your classroom teaching for Nursery, Reception or Year One pupils.
As pointed out by Patricia Asamoah at Turnham Primary we provide “A great link with (our) Letters and Sounds teaching”.
Our videos are in line with the curriculum and make a great supplementary resource, to compliment any other systematic synthetic phonics teaching resource, such as Letters and Sounds.
Through drama and interactive fun pupils will be given the tools to blend, segment and decode words.
Each video teaches a new phonic sound (designed to enrich your classroom teaching) and is jam-packed with stories, songs and drama games to ensure sounds are unforgettable.
We have various courses to cover phases 1-5. Each episode teaches a new phonics sound as well as letter formation, blending and segmenting.
The videos are designed to encourage a love of letters, words and stories, whilst also building confidence in all things phonics.
“If you are looking for an activity that is high octane, massive fun and has a measurable impact on your children, play phonics is it.”
Nursery Manager, Little Darling Childcare
“The feedback from parents has been amazing…the children go home talking about Sammy Sounds!”
Nursery Manager, Bright Horizons, Blackheath
We have a proven track record of using theatrical techniques to successfully close the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
Since 2013, Play Phonics with Sammy Sounds has helped over 10,000 children develop a love of reading through our weekly phonics drama adventures in London school and nursery settings.
As highlighted by Debi Wilkinson at Linton Mead Primary “Absolutely everything to do with their phonics has improved!” As well as Vivian Tuck at Carpenters Primary; “A valuable learning experience for any child.”
We are thrilled to be able to assist schools with the huge pressure of helping children to catch up after lockdown. Our videos can be watched on demand and on repeat, which means that you can vary the use depending on the needs of your class.
The videos can be used as a targeted intervention or as a whole class approach. For example, in one setting some Reception children watch Phase 2 phonics adventures as a catch up programme, whilst another group of Reception children watch split digraph videos as an extension to their learning.
It is a great way to be able to meet the varying needs of your cohort at this time.
To find out more please visit playphonics.net or drop us an email at info@playphonics.net.
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