At Creech St Michael Primary School we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to teach phonics and early reading.

RWI is a synthetic phonics programme which ensures that phonics is taught systematically from EYFS to Key Stage One. Children have 5 x 40-minute phonics sessions a week taught in small groups and their progress is regularly monitored through regular assessments.

Children are introduced to Fred Frog who likes to talk in sounds. Sessions include a speed sound session which means that children read letters and groups of letters effortlessly. They also learn to read and write words by using their ‘Fred Fingers’ to sound out words (sound blending).

The sessions also involve reading books to practise the sounds that they are learning. From Reception, children learn to write the letters following the RWI handwriting rhymes. Children are introduced to ‘red words’ which are the words that we cannot sound out so that they can learn to recognise these quickly. Children are given phonetically decodable books to take home to read and reread to practise skills and develop fluency. They are also given a book bag book which reinforces sounds that they have been taught. They may have a weekly homework task linked to their phonics.

Support for Parents:

https://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out-more/parents/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q  this link shows you how to say the sounds.

Home reading tips

- Listen to your child read their school reading book regularly at home (ideally daily, or at least 4-5 times per week). Keep it positive and give lots of praise.

- Encourage children to read texts more than once. Ideally children should read ‘Read, Write, Inc.’ books three times to support their comprehension and fluency.

- Try to read to your child regularly at home (even when they have learnt the skills of being able to read for themselves). This could be the book your child has selected for themselves from school, or other texts that you already have at home or from the library.

- Talk to your child about the books that you share together. Point out new vocabulary and discuss the meaning of unfamiliar words. Discuss the stories that you share to help aid understanding of the text.

- Create a calm and positive environment for reading – snuggle up together and enjoy! This will help children to view reading positively.

Reading in KS2

In KS2 we build on the foundations and building blocks of our strong phonics teacher through delivering Boost Comprehension. This focuses on increasing pupils’ reading fluency and improving their ability to comprehend texts. The scheme is built on the key recommendations of the Education Endowment Foundation’s Guidance Report for Improving Literacy in Key Stage Two.

Additional information can be found below.