Phonics - Read Write Inc
Read Write Inc is a systematic approach to teaching and developing early reading . Our children are immersed in an environment which is rich in sounds and vocabulary right from the first day in Reception, which ensures that they are prepared with the necessary resources and strategies for reading from the very start of their learning journey.
Throughout the Read Write Inc programme, children learn the English alphabetic code: the 150+ graphemes that represent 44 speech sounds. They rapidly learn sounds and the letter, or groups of letters, they need to represent them in three sets of Speed Sounds Lessons. Simple and enjoyable mnemonics help all children to grasp the letter-sound correspondences quickly, especially those who are at risk of making slower progress or those who are new to learning English. This learning is taught and consolidated every day. High frequency words that are not phonically regular are taught as 'tricky' words (we call these Red Words) and are practised frequently.
Click here to see the Read Write Inc sounds and the order in which they are taught in.
Click here to see the Read Write Inc letter formation mnemonics, used in Reception.
Click here to see the Read Write Inc Red Words.
Once children in Reception class have learnt the Set 1 Speed Sounds and can blend words made up of these sounds, they can then start to read Red Ditty Books and then Storybooks. These lively phonic books are closely matched to the children's increasing knowledge of phonics and 'tricky' words so that, early on, they experience plenty of success. Repeated readings of the texts support their increasing fluent decoding.
A thought-provoking introduction, prompts for thinking out loud and discussion help children comprehend what they are reading.
Children read each story three times. On the first read, children focus on accurate word reading; the second, on developing fluency; and the third, on comprehension. Fluency and comprehension increase with each repeated reading.
Our children love the consistent and systematic approach to teaching and learning and look forward to their daily lesson of Read, Write, Inc with Fred the Frog!
All pupils in Reception and Key Stage 1 are assessed each half term. The children are then put into groups based on their reading ability and phonic knowledge. Ongoing assessment means that groups are constantly adjusted to ensure the best progress for each child. If we find that a child is in need of additional support, timely intervention is put in place to ensure that they 'keep up and not catch up'.
Once children have completed the Grey Storybooks they then access the RWI Comprehension programme.
For further information about the teaching of Read Write Inc and for advice on how you can support your child at home, you can watch these parent tutorials by following this link:
Read, Write, Inc Information for parents/carers
Click on the following links for more parents/carers information on how to help your child with phonics at home.
Read Write Inc Parent Booklet 1
Read Write Inc Parent Booklet 2
PHONICS SCREEN CHECK
In the Summer term of Year 1 all pupils complete the Phonics Screening Check. The screening check comprises a list of 40 words, some of which are real and some which are nonsense-words (pseudo words). Your child will read each word on a one-to-one basis with a teacher who they know. Pseudo words allow the assessment to focus purely on decoding phonic knowledge.
The words in the screening incorporate phonics skills acquired by the children in both Year 1 and Reception. It is conducted in a quiet room without distractions. The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) release a new check each academic year.
To view a Phonic Screening Check assessment paper from a previous year please click here.
Those children in Year 1 who do not meet the assessment threshold will receive additional support and then complete the screening again during the Summer term of Year 2.