Read Write Inc.
What is phonics?
Phonics is the method of teaching reading through the identification of sounds and graphemes.
All words are made up of individual sounds. These sounds are merged together to form words.
e.g. in ‘mat’ we have the sounds ‘m’, ‘a’, ‘t’, ship – ‘sh’, ‘i’, ‘p’.
A grapheme is another name for the letters we use to write the sound. The spelling of that sound on the page.
The new National Curriculum ensures that all children are taught Phonics systematically.
This gives your children the tools to read any word.
What is Read Write Inc.?
RWI is taught through daily phonic lessons where we teach sounds, children practise reading and spelling words containing these sounds, then we give children decodable books containing sounds and words they can read.
They read each Storybook three times at school and again with you at home.
On each reading, children’s fluency increases and the more they can focus on what the story is about.
Children also learn to spell the words they have been reading and develop their ideas into sentences so that they can write about the Storybooks they read.
Alongside this we read stories to children: stories they cannot yet read for themselves
Our aim is for children to finish the RWI Phonics programme quickly so they can start reading these books for themselves.
Speed sounds
Using RWI, we make learning to read easy for children because we start by teaching them just one way of reading and writing every sound. Here they are on the Simple Speed Sounds chart we use in class.
We teach Set 1 sounds first - (sounds as far as a e i o u).
Children need to know sounds – not letter names – to read words.
Fred talk
Alongside teaching children sounds, we teach them to blend sounds to read words e.g. s-a-t, sat.
We use Fred Talk to help children read.
Fred can only speak in sounds. He says d-o-g, h-a-t etc.
Speaking like Fred helps children to understand that words are made up of sounds.
Fred helps children practise blending sounds together because he needs the children to say the words for him. Fred says d-o-g, children tell him the word is dog.
This is how we quickly teach all of our children to blend.
Spelling
We use Fred Fingers to help children sound out words to spell easily.
It means they do not have to memorise lists of spelling words.
It is a tool so they will be able to spell any word.
'Three with me, four at home'
In our school, children read each Read Write Inc. Storybook three times in class with their partner.
Re-reading the same book helps children to become confident readers. Each time they re-read, they build their fluency/speed and comprehension. They love reading and want to read because they can read all of the words in the Storybook.
We set a focus for each re-read in school.
The first read focuses on reading every word accurately.
The second on reading the story more quickly.
The third read on comprehension - understanding what they read.
Then your child brings the same book home to read and enjoy with you again and again at home. It’s ‘three with me, four at home.’
We do not send stories home the children cannot read because we always want them to be set up to succeed in their reading. We want to make sure they enjoy reading so that they want to read. The more they read, the faster progress they will make.
What can you do to help?
1.Use pure sounds, not letter names
We teach using pure sounds. We pronounce the sounds clearly, using pure sounds (‘m’ not’ muh’, ’s’ not ‘suh’, etc.) so that your child will be able to blend the sounds together to make words more easily.
2.Use Fred Talk to read and spell words (see above)
3.Listen to your child read their Storybook every day
4.Read stories to your child every day
You can access online resources (see below) where there are tips and videos to give you more information to help you to understand more about Phonics, Read Write Inc. and how to practise reading and writing with your child at home.
Class book
(Black and white paper copy)
This is the storybook they have read in class. They take it home to practise what they can already read and build confidence.
Your child can read this to you.
Book bag book
They have guidance inside just for you as parents. They are matched to the books children read in school so provide practice of the same sounds – extra practice at the right level for your child. They include many of the same reading activities that we use in class.
Your child might need a bit of help with this book.
Picture/ story book
A picture book to share with your child. You can read the story to them or they can retell the story by looking at the pictures. They are not expected to read the story themselves.
Virtual Classroom
Virtual Classroom - Set 1 (ver 2).pdfVirtual Classroom - Set 2 (ver 2).pdfVirtual Classroom - Set 3 (Ver 2).pdfVirtual Classroom - red words.pdf