ABSTRACT
We’re in a Reception class in a south coast town. It’s not a wealthy area – the school scores high on the index of social deprivation. And between them, the children have 33 home languages in addition to English. It’s just after the summer half-term and the children are well practiced in their phonics. They were taught three letters a week in the autumn term, and since the New Year, have been consolidating these and working with blends and digraphs. Winston Wolf (the puppet) who has been helping them throughout the year, is now sitting on a shelf, under the alphabet frieze, which is augmented with blends and digraphs.
