At the start of Phase Six of Letters and Sounds, children will have already learnt the most frequently occuring
grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs) in the English language. They will be able to read many familiar words
automatically. When they come across unfamiliar words they will in many cases be able to decode them quickly and
quietly using their well-developed sounding and blending skills. With more complex unfamiliar words they will often
be able to decode them by sounding them out.
At this stage children should be able to spell words phonemically although not always correctly. In Phase Six
the main aim is for children to become more fluent readers and more accurate spellers.
For full details, visit the Standards site to download a guide on implementing Phase 6 of Letters and sounds in the classroom.