Phonics
Our pupils learn to read and write effectively and quickly using the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme.
The programme is for pupils in EYFS, Year 1 and Year 2 who are learning to read and write and any pupils in Years 3 or 4 who need to catch up rapidly. Children take part in the Phonics programme until they are fluent in word reading (decoding) and transcription (spelling & handwriting).
In Read Write Inc. Phonics pupils:
There are daily opportunities for children to apply their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondence (GPC) by reading ‘decodable’ books that support their fluency in word reading. Teachers focus on the early identification of children who are not able to decode accurately (or are otherwise at risk of not learning to read) and prioritise teaching them to read. The programme of reading develops pupils’ accuracy and speed. Children practise composition through oral activities before their transcription becomes fluent. Children practise what they need in order to acquire fluent transcription skills (spelling and handwriting); this is the foundation for their progress in writing. Carefully chosen dictation activities enable pupils to practise and apply their spelling knowledge and segmenting skills, to use the content they have been taught and to do so without having their working memories overloaded by composing sentences.
In addition, we teach pupils to work effectively with a partner to explain and consolidate what they are learning. This provides the teacher with opportunities to assess learning and to pick up on difficulties, such as pupils’ poor articulation, or problems with blending or alphabetic code knowledge.
We group pupils homogeneously, according to their progress in reading rather than their writing. This is because it is known that pupils’ progress in writing will lag behind progress in reading, especially for those whose motor skills are less well developed.
In EYFS, we emphasise the alphabetic code. The pupils rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them. Simple mnemonics help them to grasp this quickly. This is especially useful for pupils at risk of making slower progress. This learning is consolidated daily. Pupils have frequent practice in reading high frequency words with irregular spellings – common exception words.
We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words. This is so that, early on, they experience success and gain confidence that they are readers. Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher supports their increasingly fluent decoding.
Alongside this, the teachers read a wide range of stories, poetry and non-fiction to pupils; they are soon able to read these texts for themselves.
Embedding the alphabetic code early on means that pupils quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. We encourage them to compose each sentence aloud until they are confident to write independently. We make sure they write every day.
Pupils write at the level of their spelling knowledge. The quality of the vocabulary they use in their writing reflects the language they have heard in the books the teacher has read to them; they have also discussed what the words mean.
Our aim is for pupils to complete the phonics programme as quickly as possible. The sooner they complete it, the sooner they will be able to choose books to read at their own interest and comprehension level.
For more information about Read Write Inc. please see the website:
http://www.ruthmiskintraining.com/home/index.htmlkinliteracy
To find out how to pronounce the sounds your children learn in school watch this clip:
http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/resources/sound-pronunciation-guide/