Phonics

When using RWI to read the children will:

• Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple prompts.
• Learn to read words using sound blending (Fred talk).
• Read lively stories featuring words they have learnt to sound out.
• Show that they comprehend the stories by answering ‘Find It’ and ‘Prove It’.

When using RWI to write the children will:

• Learn to write the letter/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds.
• Learn to write words by saying the sounds and graphemes (Fred fingers).

When using RWI the children will also work in pairs:

• To answer questions.
• To take turns talking and listening to each other.
• To give positive praise to each other.

Children follow the same format as Early Years but will work on complex sounds and read books appropriate to their reading level. Daily sessions of RWI phonics last 30 minutes? Once children become fluent speedy readers they will move on to the RWI Spelling programme.

Five key principles underpin the teaching in all Read Write Inc. sessions:

1. Purpose know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they know the one thing they should be thinking about
2. Participation ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work is fundamental to learning.
3. Praise ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability
4. Pace teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning
5. Passion be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally.

Help your child learn to read words by sounding-blending (Fred talk) eg. c-a-t = cat, sh-o-p = shop. Children learn to read words by blending the letter-sounds that are in the Speed Sounds set (shown further down the page).

Help your child to say the pure sounds (‘m’ not ‘muh’, ‘s’ not ‘suh’ etc.) as quickly as they can, and then blend the sounds together to say the whole word.

Children in Reception who are learning the first 44 letter sounds and are not blending fluently will bring home sound sheets, picture books and a library book for you to read with them.

Once children can blend fluently and know the first 44 sounds they will bring home Ditty sheets or a red Ditty book.

Please encourage your child to read though the speed sounds page first, then the green and red words page and then check your child understands the meaning of words on the vocabulary check page, before they start reading the book. Your child will have read this book at least three times before they bring it home. They should be able to read this book with fluency and expression by the time they bring it home and they should have a good comprehension of what the book is about. At the back of the book are find it/prove it questions for you to do with your child.

Finally, don’t worry if your child is struggling at first with their sounds and words, they will get there in their own time. If you have time (we know it is very precious!), we would urge you to try and read stories to your child before they go to bed. This will help develop a wider vocabulary which makes a vast difference to their quality of writing but it will also encourage them to enjoy a good story.