St. Leonard's School, Lancashire
St. Leonard’s School is a
Why Every Child Deserves the Right to Read: Rethinking Phonics for Non‑ and Pre‑Verbal Learners
Samantha Hill, Assistant Headteacher, Orchard Manor School
In our school, many of our children communicate in ways that don’t rely on spoken language. They may be non‑verbal, pre‑verbal, or developing speech at their own pace. Yet every single one of them has the right to learn to read. And reading, crucially, is not dependent on speech.
To make phonics meaningful and accessible for our learners, we’ve adapted our teaching, supported by Read Write Inc. so that it remains purposeful, relevant, and successful for children who communicate differently. Instead of relying on oral responses, we use approaches such as “show me the sound/word”, offering three options and asking the child to select the correct one. We continue to model the oracy element by saying the sound or word aloud, ensuring they hear it even if they cannot yet say it.
We also integrate AAC devices so students can tell us what they are reading using their own communication systems. As they progress into storybook reading, we model fluent reading and provide scaffolds such as widget-supported sentences and word cards. This allows students to build sentences, demonstrate comprehension, and show that they can read and order words accurately, without needing to speak.
When it comes to the Phonics Screening Check, we apply the same principles. For every word, including alien words, we create three options. We say the word twice, and the student selects the correct match. It is a valid, reliable demonstration of reading. Yet when we attempted to submit these results, we were told the students must be disapplied because the assessment requires spoken responses.
This assumes that reading and speaking are synonymous. They are not. They are two entirely different skill sets.
Too often, when visiting prospective students for our SEND school, I hear that a child is,
“not yet accessing phonics because they are non‑verbal.”
By disapplying these children from the Phonics Screening Check, the government unintentionally, reinforces this misconception. It sends the message that if a child cannot speak, they do not need to learn to read.
