ELG - Literacy, Writing - Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds. They also write some irregular common words. They write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
ELG - Literacy, Reading - Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
Why teach blending and segmenting?
Teaching the skills of segmentation in isolation or in combination with blending instruction helps with successful reading development.
When beginning readers sound out words, they slowly say each sound in a word (c/a/t), and then say the sounds quickly together to "read" the word (cat). In reading, teachers call this blending because sounds are being blended together. Blending (combining sounds) and segmenting (separating sounds) are skills that are necessary for learning to read.
Developing a child's phonological awareness is an important part of developing a reader.
Useful websites
https://www.youtube.com/user/breakthruchris - The children LOVE Geraldine the Giraffe - it is an exciting, visual way to learn phonics. 