Rocket Phonics Next Steps continues the Rocket Phonics journey for ages 6-7.  Written by expert Abigail Steel, it consolidates phonics and develops key literacy skills. 

  • Build in National Curriculum requirements for Year 2 to ensure children meet and exceed age-related expectations

  • Use the established teaching and learning cycle (Review, Teach, Practise, Apply and Assess) to maintain consistency between year groups

  • Introduce and gradually develop cursive handwriting to support children in becoming confident writers

  • Equip children with essential literacy skills for the wider curriculum and the transition to Key Stage 2 with a focus on phonics for spelling and writing

  • Use exciting fiction and non-fiction reading books to widen vocabulary and nurture a  love of reading 

Want to talk to someone about switching to Rocket Phonics? Make an enquiry with your local consultant here ​​​

 

 

 

NEW! Rocket Phonics Online has now launched in the Boost interactive online learning platform! More on Boost here.

 

View sample resources

Have a quick look around Next Steps with a selection of free sample resources.

View sample resources

Subscribe to Rocket Phonics Online Next Steps

1-year access to all the interactive and PDF teaching and learning resources.

Subscribe
Impact Trial: Interim Evaluation Report

Impact Trial: Interim Evaluation Report

Rocket Phonics really works! Learn more in our independent outcome evaluation which analyses the findings of the first year of a two-year impact trial.

Read the findings
Introduction to Rocket Phonics Next Steps

View more videos here.

How to teach Rocket Phonics Next Steps

Rocket Phonics Next Steps Resources

A 1-year subscription to Rocket Phonics Online: Next Steps is £180+VAT for unlimited access to: 

  • 3 termly online Big Books with audio, click-to-play sounds and games to teach spelling alternatives and explore non-fiction elements

  • 111 flashcards (interactive and PDF format) to revisit and review letter-sounds 

  • Every Pupil Practice Booklet (6 Booklets) as a read-only PDF for display and modelling on the whiteboard 

  • 72 Reading Planet Comet Street Kids and Galaxy book as interactive eBooks with audio and self-marking quizzes 

  • Downloadable half termly sounds family posters and alphabetic code charts for classroom display 

  • Downloadable comprehensive Teacher’s Guide with daily and weekly plans, assessments, assessment tracker and SEND guidance 

  • Bitesize CPD videos featuring author Abigail Steel

  • Additional features: downloadable teaching notes and pupil worksheet for each eBook, eBook mark-up tools, eBook allocation for home reading, rewards and the Reporting Tool
Trial or subscribe to Rocket Phonics Next Steps Online
  • 6 half termly write-in Pupil Practice Booklets with 64 pages to support daily blending and segmenting practice and weekly focused cursive handwriting. Available in packs of 10 for £30 and packs of 30 for £80. 

  • Rocket Phonics Next Steps uses 72 reading books covering Turquoise to White bands from the Reading Planet Comet Street Kids and Galaxy strands. £220 per pack (1 copy of each book):

Buy now

Led by Abigail Steel Training, our CPD can be tailored to suit your school. Rocket Phonics author Abigail Steel and a team of nationwide phonics specialists are available online or in-person at a time that suits you.

Learn more
Rocket Phonics leaflet

Rocket Phonics leaflet

Everything you need to know about the programme.

View now

Frequently asked questions

 In Year 2, children do not learn any new letter-sounds. Instead, they consolidate their knowledge of sounds by revisiting all the alphabetic code from Reception and Year 1. The alphabetic code is revised by grouping it by individual phoneme and looking at the different ways of spelling that sound (an example would be the sound /ai/ which can be spelt in a variety of different ways). In Year 2, we introduce cursive handwriting and explicitly cover National Curriculum spelling requirements.  

Yes. Rocket Phonics Next Steps covers Letters and Sounds Phase 6.

Rocket Phonics Next Steps does not explicitly cover common exception words, but they will be woven in. In Year 2 there are no longer many common exception words that children will encounter from the National Curriculum list. At this stage, everything has been taught through phonics systematically, so any outliers are included in the content and planning as 'incidental' bits of teaching.

You will need a 1-year subscription to Rocket Phonics Online Next Steps (£180+VAT per year). This subscription gives you unlimited access to all the online resources: Big Books, flashcards, practice readers as eBooks, Teacher’s Guide and display materials. You will also need a Pupil Practice Booklet for each pupil (available in packs of 10 at £35 and packs of 30 at £99). Ideally, we recommend a school has 1 copy of each Practice Reader between 2 children (available in packs at £220). View the resources here 

Our ‘Taking the Next Steps with Rocket Phonics’ CPD course is available to schools that have already taken our ‘Getting Started with Rocket Phonics’ course. It’s available online and in-person and will be led by a Rocket Phonics trainer. Learn more about our CPD here 

Yes, you will need an additional subscription for the new Year 2 resources. Rocket Phonics Online Next Steps is £180+VAT per year and provides all the online resources for the Year 2 programme. This includes Big Books, Practice Readers as eBooks, flashcards, Teacher’s Guide and display materials.

Yes! Our team of local Sales Consultants are based across the country and are happy to help with information, advice and orders. They are available to discuss options for your school by phone, email and video call. Make an enquiry here 

Meet the Author

Meet the Author

Meet the Author Abigail Steel is an education consultant, trainer and author specialising in English language and literacy. After spending two decades working closely with hundreds of schools and teachers in the UK and across the globe, Abigail knows what truly drives positive outcomes for children. Often described as inspirational, her approaches to the pedagogies behind teaching and learning are both practical and insightful. Follow Abigail on Twitter @abigail_steel.

x
Added to your basket:
Checkout