Phonics
"Reading is the gateway for children that makes all other learning possible." (Barack Obama)
Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for all children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage 1 to support their transition into Key Stage 2. The children read books in line with their phonics knowledge. Children can then focus on developing fluency and comprehension throughout the school. Implementing and securing the alphabetic code as early as Nursery, means that children quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. This is helped by using the Read, Write, Inc strategies that are embedded in the children's learning daily when engaging in reading and writing activities. Attainment in phonics is measured through ongoing assessments, as well as the annual phonics screening check.
Read Write Inc. Phonics is a method of teaching reading which is centered around the learning of sounds of the letters (phonics), and then blending them together to read words. The children also learn to break down words into individual sounds in order to write them.The children are assessed and grouped according to their ability. At the end of each half term the children will be assessed again to check they have made progress and will be streamed accordingly.
Reading
Using Read Write Inc, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into understanding what they read. When using 'Read Write Inc,’ the children will: learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts; learn to read words by blending the sounds together; read lively stories featuring words they have learnt to sound out; show that they understand the stories by answering 'find it' and 'prove it' discussion questions.
Writing
Read Write Inc. allows the children to spell effortlessly so that they can put their energy into working out what they want to write. When using 'Read Write Inc' to write the children will: learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds; learn to write words by sounding them out and then writing the corresponding graphemes; learn to write simple and then increasingly complex sentences; compose a range of texts using discussion prompts; compose stories based on picture strips.
Blending
Children learn to read words by blending the letter-sounds that are in the speed sound sets. Help your child learn to read words by sound-blending e.g. c-a-t = cat. Help children to say the pure sounds, as quickly as they can, and then to blend the sounds together to say the whole word.
Pronouncing sounds You can practise saying the sounds by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q
Read Write Inc, Glossary
Digraph - (special friend) – two letters make one sound (e.g. sh, ch, ai, ea, ou, ow).
Trigraph - (special friend) – three letters make one sound (e.g. igh, ear, air, ure).
Split digraph - (special friend) – two letters make one sound but the letters have been split apart by another letter. (e.g. the a - e sound in cape)
Phoneme - a single unit of sound
Grapheme - a written letter, or group of letters that represent a sound.
Blend/Fred Talk - to put or merge the sounds together to make a word (e.g. the sounds d-o-g are blended to the word ‘dog’.)
Green words - words which are decodable or follow the rules we teach children about which letters make sounds
Red words - exceptions which don’t follow the rules we have taught children about letters making particular sounds (If it’s red you can’t Fred).
Segment - to break down the word into its individual sounds to spell (e.g cat can be split into the sounds c-a-t.).
Dots and dashes - ways of visually isolating different sounds in a word. We use a dot under letters where one letter makes one sound and a line under digraphs or trigraphs.
Fred fingers for spelling - when we press the sounds in a word onto our fingers to help us spell words
Sound mats from Sets 1, 2 and 3
Click here to view Sound Mat Set 1
Click here to view Sound Mat Set 2
Click here to view Sound Mat Set 3
Helpful websites to help your child at home
Understanding phonics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXOJUPNVnLc&t=4s
The importance of reading to your child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjHqJQ8sxs4
Sound blending https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNyFikwNQTg
Reading the digraphs (special friends) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pGuwcr08LE
Reading stretchy sounds with your child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsrMZZ6lbCI
Reading bouncy sounds with your child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui5UXEFD6UQ&t=1s
Pupil Voice:
I like phonics because I love to write ‘Curl around the caterpillar’. Kian, Reception
I like phonics because you get to learn new sounds.
Rae, Year 1
I like phonics because I get to do a lot of reading and learn new sounds which help me to read independently.
Larna, Year 2
