When several pupils show weaker phonological and decoding skills, a phonics catch-up group may help. Confirm their individual starting points before forming a group. Pupils should share the sound-letter knowledge and decoding features that need teaching, not merely a low overall score.

Identify the starting point

Use brief assessment tasks covering:

• phoneme awareness;

• sound-letter knowledge;

• blending and segmenting;

• unfamiliar-word reading;

• spelling of corresponding patterns;

• application in connected text.

Analyse errors to find the earliest insecure point. Check whether speech, language, hearing or attention may also affect performance.

Plan a coherent sequence

Record the group's entry criteria, target sequence, baseline, frequency, trained adult, review date and exit criteria. Phonics catch-up suits short daily sessions: for example, 15 to 20 minutes for two to four pupils, or one-to-one for the pupils furthest behind. How long it runs depends on how far pupils have to catch up. Decide where it fits in the day and when you'll review progress; many schools review after six to eight weeks. Use one systematic approach rather than mixing routines and terminology from several programmes. Usually that means the catch-up materials of the school's own phonics programme, so pupils meet the same sounds, mnemonics and routines in class.

A suitable session includes:

1. review of previously taught correspondences;

2. explicit teaching of a small new step;

3. blending and segmenting practice;

4. reading and spelling related words;

5. closely matched connected-text reading;

6. a brief record of response and errors.

Increase modelling and supported practice for pupils with greater need, but reconsider group fit if their starting point or rate of progress differs substantially.

Link intervention with the classroom

Class teachers should know which patterns have been taught and reinforce them during reading and writing. Books used for practice should be closely matched to the pupil's taught knowledge. Do not ask pupils to guess words from pictures or context instead of decoding them.

Monitor progress

Review taught and untaught examples, spelling and connected-text application. Use a defined review point. If progress is limited, check the assessment, training, delivery fidelity, attendance and intensity before changing programmes.

Programme and resource options

• Read Write Inc. Phonics (paid) provides systematic phonics teaching with matched reading practice, and has a one-to-one tutoring strand for pupils who need to catch up. An EEF trial with pupils aged 4 to 9, reported in 2022, found about one month's extra reading progress, rated low to moderate security. It fits best where the school already teaches Read Write Inc. in class. Check training and resource costs before adopting it only for intervention.

• Sounds-Write (paid) is a DfE-validated linguistic-phonics programme. Staff training, lesson scripts and resources come with an annual membership, from £400 a year in October 2026. It fits schools that teach Sounds-Write in class. If it's used only for intervention, pupils will meet different terminology in lessons.

• DfE validated systematic synthetic phonics programmes provides an official list for schools to investigate. Validation does not guarantee that one programme suits every intervention group.

Choose one coherent programme that matches the assessed starting point.

Talamo has no commercial relationship with any of the organisations named here. We suggest them only because we think they could be useful to schools.