Phonics
Phonics Statement:
At Robert Kett Primary School we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their literacy.
Read Write Inc Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing, which is centred on learning the sounds of the letters and then blending them together to read words. The children also learn to break down words into individual sounds in order to begin their writing journey.
How does RWI work at Robert Kett?
The children in Reception will initially learn the single letter sounds and begin to blend these together. Once the children have been taught all of the single letter sounds they will be assessed by their class teacher or the RWI leader and grouped according to their ability.
After their initial assessment, the children work in small groups with teachers and teaching assistants every day in Reception. The children continue their RWI learning as they enter Year 1 and will have four sessions per week.
At the end of each half term the children in Reception and Year 1 will be assessed to track their progress and to ensure they are working within the appropriate group. In addition to the Read Write Inc programme the children will also be working on writing skills and storytelling in their classes with their own class teacher.
When using RWI to read the children will:
Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups (special friends) using simple picture prompts.
The children will learn to say the sounds purely, which will support their blending.
Initially the children will learn to read words using Fred Talk (c-a-t, m-a-t, s-a-t).
They will develop their ability to read words by blending the sounds together (c-a-t ... cat).
During their phonic sessions the children will read engaging stories that feature words they have learnt to sound out.
The children will develop their ability to read fluently and effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into understanding and comprehension.
Their comprehension will be supported through ‘find it’ and ‘prove it’ discussion questions which are linked to the stories they have been reading in their phonic sessions.
The children also bring home a copy of their current RWinc storybook, to read and share with you at home.
When using RWI to write the children will:
Learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds (graphemes).
The children will be encouraged to write and spell words by saying the sounds in Fred Talk (c-a-t, m-a-t, s-a-t).
Once able to write single words, the children will learn to write simple and then increasingly complex sentences.
During their phonic sessions, they will compose a range of texts using discussion prompts.
As the children’s understanding of the graphemes develops, they will increasingly be able to spell effortlessly so that they can put their energy into working out what they want to write.
Talking is also an important part of the RWI sessions:
The children will be encouraged to work with a partner, to orally build sentences and when writing their ideas.
They will work together to answer questions based the stories.
We also like to give each other lots of positive praise:
1, 2, 3 well done me!
Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Yee-Haw!
Set 1,2,3
The phonic sounds are broken into three sets, the children only move onto the next set when they are confident blending and recognising the previous set.
Set 1:
Set 2:
Set 3:
How will I know how to pronounce the phonic sounds?
Have a look at the Ruth Miskin website for a model of how to pronounce the sound:
What else can I do to help my child with their reading?
Enjoy talking with your child and encourage them to tell you ‘stories’.
Show your child your love of reading and enjoy sharing a range of books together (fiction, non-fiction and poetry).
Listen to your child read regularly.
Discuss the different features of various books.
Talk about the books and other reading materials that you have shared.
Explain the meaning of new words.
Reading practise can happen everywhere, cereal packets, shopping lists, road signs, web pages, magazines, newspapers etc!