Curriculum » Curriculum (All subjects) » Read Write Inc. Phonics
Read Write Inc. at Ireland Wood
Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.
In Reception and Key Stage 1 we teach daily phonics lessons to ensure every child is a successful reader. We follow the Read, Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme; grouping children according to their reading ability and reading level. Children who still need to access phonics in KS2 also have RWI lessons to ensure they catch up. Every half term once the children have been assessed and regrouped we will inform you of what group your child is in so that you know what sounds they are working on.
Read, Write Inc is a systematic and dynamic literacy programme rooted in phonics. We teach children how to break down and decode words into their separate sounds components, known as phonemes. There are 44 phonemes taught throughout the programme, all of which are embedded in a range of fiction and non-fiction books. The words are taught prior to reading a book to ensure children are equipped at decoding them; we call this 'Fred Talk'.
Fred (the frog) is a RWI character that only speaks in pure sounds (sounds in a words before they are blended e.g. d-i-g).
Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.
When is RWI Phonics taught?
RWI Phonics is taught daily from 12.30-1.05pm. The children are grouped by their phonics ability in Reception and KS1.
When using RWI to read the children will:
- learn that sounds are represented by written letters
- learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
- learn how to blend sounds e.g. c-a-t = cat
- learn to read words using ‘Fred Talk’
- read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out
- read from a range of storybooks and non-fiction books matched to their phoncs knowldge
- work well with partners
- show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions
When using RWI to write the children will:
- learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent 44 sounds.
- learn to write words by saying the sounds they need in ‘Fred Talk’
- write simple sentences
When using RWI to talk the children will:
- work in pairs so that they answer every question
- practise every activity with their partner
- take turns in talking and reading to each other
- develop ambitious vocabulary
Sounds that the children learn:
Set 1 - m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, r, j, v, y, w, z, x, sh, th, ch, qu, ng, nk, ck, ll, ss, zz, ff
Set 2 – ay, ee, igh, ow, oo, oo, ar, or, air, ir, ou, oy
Set 3 – ea, oi, a-e, i-e, o-e, u-e, aw, are, er, ow, ai, oa, ew, ire, ear, ure, tion, tious, cious, ue, ph, wh, kn, e-e, au, ie
What does a Read Write Inc Lesson look like?
Each lesson has the same structure so children focus on the new learning rather than worrying about what is going to happen next. Children are grouped according to their ability so they only tackle work that is achievable. This makes learning to read more enjoyable and allows the children’s learning and confidence to flourish side by side.
Five key principles underpin the teaching in all Read Write Inc. sessions:
Purpose – know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they know the one thing they should be thinking about
Participation – ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work is fundamental to learning
Praise – ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability
Pace – teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning
Passion – be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally
Intervention
Through careful monitoring and tracking of daily phonics, teachers are able to identify children who are not making the expected progress and therefore need intervention to stay on track. These children will receive 1-2-1 support in the classroom daily.
Please have a look through this powerpoint to gain a better understanding of RWI phonics programme.
What is the Year 1 phonics screening check? The Year 1 phonics screening check is a short, light-touch assessment to confirm whether individual pupils have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify the children who need extra help so they are given support by school to improve their reading skills. They will then be able to retake the check to ensure pupils are able to: read phonically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, sound out and blend sounds in order to read simple words, read a selection of nonsense words. The phonics screening check is used by teachers to assess children’s phonics skills learned through Reception and Year 1. It takes place in the summer term of Year 1. This year the Phonics Check will take place in the week beginning 12th June 2023. Please find some additional resources below.