In Year 1, children learn to:
- respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes;
- read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words;
- read common exception words;
- read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words;
- develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:
1. listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently;
2. becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales.
- understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by:
1. checking that the text makes sense to them as they read;
2. as they read, correcting inaccurate reading;
3. discussing the significance of the title and events; and
4. predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far.