Phonics
Read Write Inc. (Synthetic Phonics)
Read Write Inc. is taught daily to children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in addition to a small group of children in Key Stage 2 who are still mastering their phonic skills. It is taught for 45 minutes every morning and then Reception, Year 1 and 2 have an afternoon ‘Speed Sound’ lesson.
Read Write Inc. groups children by the stage at which they are working instead of their actual age.
This ensures that sessions are pitched correctly to the stage of the pupils and their understanding of phonics.
Half term assessments take place and children are re-grouped to ensure they are always taught the sounds that they need to learn. Between assessments children’s knowledge and skills are checked and they are re-grouped before a formal assessment, if they are ready to move to the next stage of phonics.
In Year 1 all children take part in the Government Phonic Screening Check, to see if they have reached the expected standard in phonics. The children are confident to take part in this check as it is what they practise in daily phonic sessions and it is just like the assessments they complete throughout the year.
If children do not reach the expected standard in the Year 1 check, they will take it again in Year 2. The results of these checks are sent home to parents.
More information can be found:
During the afternoon, support staff are assigned to the children who are making the slowest progress in phonics to accelerate their learning by delivering a 1:1 session bespoke to each child’s next steps.
Pupils are issued with two Read Write Inc. reading books. One that they have read in phonic sessions at school and a corresponding ‘book bag book’. Children also choose a book of their choice from the book corner, to take home each week.
The Read Write Inc. books are matched carefully to the sounds the children are learning and are familiar with so they can read them independently. Children and families are encouraged to read the books that come home from school each evening, having lots of practice reading the texts with fluency and expression. Alongside, enjoying the stories that they bring home.
When learning phonics through Read Write Inc. Fred the frog helps the children and encourages them to look for their ‘special friends’, then to use ‘Fred talk’ before ‘reading the word’. On the Read Write Inc. portal, you’ll see lots of example lessons so you can see what phonics is like at school.
All staff who teach children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are experts in phonics so feel free to ask questions to your child’s teachers or our Phonics Lead, Mrs Cooper. All staff who teach phonics take part in regular CPD to ensure their knowledge remains up to date.
More information and resources about Read Write Inc. can be found online at:
