The introduction of new government guidance on the teaching of early reading has led to some changes in the way we are teaching early reading and phonics. The children were assessed in these areas at the end of the autumn term and they are now being taught in smaller groups (to enable more focused teaching), using the government approved Read, Write Inc Phonics programme.

The children take part in daily sessions covering appropriate aspects of phonics, reading, spelling and grammar, which have been planned to meet their particular needs. All staff leading the groups have received extensive training in the delivery of the programme.

How will my child be taught to read?

Read Write Inc. is a complete systematic synthetic phonics programme that starts in Reception. This means that the children learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down. This is essential for reading, but it also helps children learn to spell well. We teach the children simple ways of remembering these sounds and letters.

The children also practise reading (and spelling) what we call ‘tricky words’, such as ‘once,’ ‘have,’ ‘said’ and ‘where’.

The children practise their reading with books that match the phonics and the ‘tricky words’ they know. They start thinking that they can read and this does wonders for their confidence. 

Any child who has not reached the required level in reading by the end of Year 2 will continue their phonics learning in KS2 through one-to-one teaching or small group intervention by a dedicated member of staff. Children in Years 5 and 6 who require additional support will work through the Read Write Inc. Fresh Start programme.

The teachers read to the children, too, so the children get to know all sorts of stories, poetry and information books. They learn many more words this way and it also helps their writing.

There are a number of really useful video tutorials and documents available on the RWI website. These have been created specifically for parents and carers, to help you understand more about Read Write Inc. Phonics and how to help your child at home.