Phonics
Phonics scheme:
We use Read, Write, Inc, this scheme was validated by the DfE in 2021.
We begin teaching phonics in the first few weeks of term 1 in Reception and children make rapid progress in their reading journey. Children begin to learn the main sounds heard in the English Language and how they can be represented, these are known as set 1 sounds. They also learn to ‘red words' (high frequency words) by sight to support the fluency of their reading. They use these sounds to read and write simple words, captions and sentences. Children leave Reception being able to apply the phonemes taught in set 1 securely, and are exposed to set 2 sounds (vowel sounds) to support their ability to read and write an increasing variety of words with accuracy.
In Year 1 children secure their application of set 2 sounds and move onto learning set 3 sounds, learning about alternative ways of making a range of sounds, and how to opt for the correct sound when reading and writing. They use these and their 'red word' recognition to read with increasing fluency and accuracy. By the end of Year 1 children will have mastered using phonics to decode and blend when reading and segment when spelling. In Year 1 all children are screened using the national Phonics Screening Check.
In Year 2, phonics continues to be revisited to ensure mastery of the phonetic code and any child who does not meet age related expectations will continue to receive support to close identified gaps. They move onto a comprehension based scheme that allows them to practice their phonics skills, fluency and accuracy, whilst learning to answer a range of questions by retrieving information from texts.
To ensure no child is left behind at any point in the progression, children are regularly assessed and supported to keep up through bespoke 1-1 interventions. These include GPC recognition and blending and segmenting interventions. The lowest attaining 20% of pupils are closely monitored to ensure these interventions have an impact.
How we teach phonics:
Children are assessed and then put into groups based on their ability.
This means that activities are targeted to the needs of pupils, regardless of their age or starting point. Groups are ‘fluid’ meaning that when the adult leading the group identifies a child who is exceeding in their group they will be able to move to the next group after being re-assessed. All children are assessed at least termly by a set group of RWI teachers across the year groups, this is to ensure consistency and accuracy for the assessments. Regular assessment helps us to identify the children who may need additional support are identified quickly so teachers can put interventions in place if necessary.
RWI teaches children to not only read accurately and fluently but also teaches comprehension skills and embeds a love for reading. Children will learn to form letters, spell correctly and compose their ideas step-by-step. Read Write Inc (RWI) is closely matched to the Year 1 National Curriculum.
The average child will aim to finish the RWI programme by the end of Year 1, or by the end of the first term in Year 2 if he/she started their RWI journey in Year R. Interventions are used, where necessary, to accelerate progress of children not working at age expectation and to fill gaps in their learning.
Throughout the RWI programme children also focus on and develop: Spoken language, Reading comprehension and Writing – transcription; handwriting; composition; vocabulary, punctuation, grammar and spelling (SPAG). This means that RWI is not just a phonics programme, it teaches children to become proficient in all of the National Curriculum areas of being a good reader / writer. Additional whole class writing lessons and discrete spelling and grammar sessions are also timetabled accordingly. For those children who have completed the RWI programme, their Reading Lesson will form the main part of their provision.
Dependent on the needs of the classes, towards the end of the academic year, some classes will continue with a ‘phonics top up’ during the school week. Extra support is provided to those in Year 2 who have not passed phonics screening in Year 1 and interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels. Staff follow the structure of the RWI lessons and teach small groups on a 3 or 5-day cycle, depending on their book colour. Children are then assessed at the end of each half term (6-week cycle). The movement for children through groups is based on the results of the assessment. The use of phonics is then embedded through different aspects the curriculum and again through homework and pupil’s home reading books.
Reading scheme:
The children bring home a read write inc bookbag book each week suited to the level of phonics they are accessing. They also take home the book they've focused on in their phonics sessions at the end of the week. Children are expected to read books at least three times to develop their fluency and comprehension of the text. Children receive Read Write Inc books that are suited to their phonics ability, and allows them to read with fluency and expression.
We supplement our Read Write Inc books with other core texts, these texts are used as 'read with me' texts. These books give opportunities to develop vocabulary, understanding of story structure and should allow children to have exposure to a wider range of texts.