Rocket Phonics brochure 2025 - Flipbook - Page 32
FAQs
Is Rocket Phonics a complete
Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP)
teaching programme?
Yes. Rocket Phonics provides all the planning
and resources needed to deliver a complete
SSP programme that will equip children for
success in the Phonics Screening Check,
as well as meet or exceed age-related
expectations.
Yes, it does. In the Rocket Phonics SSP
programme for ages 4–6, letter formation
is included in the twice-weekly segmenting
lessons as each grapheme is introduced.
Capital letters are introduced in conjunction
with lower-case letters so that these don’t
have to be taught as an after-thought
later on.
Does Rocket Phonics align with Letters
and Sounds?
How often do we do reading in class?
Rocket Phonics is aligned with the
progression of the original Letters and
Sounds (2007). First Steps (ages 3–4), covers
Phases 1–2. The SSP programme for ages
4–6 covers Phases 2–6 following the same
teaching order of grapheme-phoneme
correspondences (GPCs) but with a steadier
pace of two GPCs per week rather than the
usual four. Learners age 4–5, will learn some
Phase 5 GPCs at the end of the school year.
Next Steps (ages 6–7) covers Phase 6.
In First Steps (ages 3–4), guided group
reading takes place on Day 5 alongside
activities from the Activity Bank. For ages 4–6,
shared, guided and/or independent reading
will take place on the blending days (Day
1 and Day 3). Reading could also happen
on Day 5 as this is a more flexible day for
enrichment. For ages 6–7, reading is a little
more flexible and could take place daily
or weekly via independent, paired, group
guided, or whole-class reading.
In the SSP programme for ages 4–6,
how are Common Exception Words (i.e.
tricky words) introduced?
Does Rocket Phonics include
assessments?
Rocket Phonics introduces these words
gradually throughout the programme and
they are focused on in the Friday lessons.
They are drawn from the tricky words
suggested in Letters and Sounds (2007)
and build up into a bank of words that are
vital for children to know in order to meet
or exceed expectations for reading. These
words are regularly consolidated throughout
the programme and are featured in the
Flashcards and Friezes.
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Does Rocket Phonics teach letter
formation?
Yes, it does. A complete set of half-termly
assessments are provided for ages 3–7, as
well as mini-assessments at the back of
the Activity and Pupil Booklets. A Baseline
assessment is also included for use at the
start of each academic year or for new
starters. Full instructions and tracking sheets
are provided in the Teacher’s Guides.
hachettelearning.com/reading-planet/rocket-phonics
