Here are frequenty asked questions aswered about the brand new Alba Series:
Who is it for?
The Alba series is aimed at older catch-up pupils who have gaps in their phonic knowledge. It is suitable for pupils in KS2 and KS3. With a strong female protagonist, it will be suitable for both boys and girls. Girls will particularly love smart, capable Alba!
What phonic structure does it follow?
Alba series follows an identical phonic progression to our Totem Series. It is truly a ‘catch-up’ series that offers a recap of the simple part of the phonic code, starting at CVC/CVCC words, adjacent consonants, consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, ck, ng, qu, wh), -ed and ing suffixes, and then to alternative spellings of vowel sounds: ‘ae’, ‘ee’, ‘oe’, ‘er’, ‘ow’, ‘igh’ and ‘oo’. This series can be used alongside the Totem series for further reading practice.
Are there supporting resources for the series?
A comprehensive workbook is also now available. It includes a wealth of resources that develop word-building, reading, spelling, comprehension and writing activities. This is an ideal resource for a Senco or teaching assistant working with older catch-up pupils.
Is this a suitable resource for Pupil Premium funding?
This is an ideal resource for pupil premium funding as it will show that the school has addressed the needs of a specific group of struggling pupils who are eligible for free school meals.
Is it available in the match-funding phonics catalogue?
Sadly, this product is not available in the DfE Match-Funding phonics catalogue. The products in the catalogue are for KS1. Recently the DfE has announced that KS2 schools (Junior schools) can purchase them too through Match-Funding. The DfE has not approved resources that have been designed specifically for catch-up pupils in KS2.