At Maryport Church of England Primary School we prioritise reading from the moment the children step foot through the door in our Little Acorns class. We want all of our pupils to instil a love of reading, to encourage this we provide a wide range of opportunities. Please see the image below which outlines some of the ways in how we encourage reading for pleasure. 

 

Reading for pleasure

 

Early Reading and Phonics

 

At Maryport Church of England Primary School we start our reading journey using Read Write Inc. as our inclusive synthetic phonic programme to teach our children to read, to write and to spell. We have adopted this as our whole school approach as the programme facilitates a graduated and tailored approach to learning basic sounds and letter formation before advancing to more complex sounds and reading for comprehension.  The programme moves with integrity from learning to read to reading to learn.

R.W.I sessions occur each day from Reception as the continuity and pace of the programme is key to accelerating the progress of childrens reading development. This method of phonics teaching is both systematic and repetitive in order to embed learning; the programme also offers plenty of opportunities for fun based, interactive learning using drama, role play and props to engage with and to enjoy texts and stories. The children work in small groups according to their confidence and competence. These groups are reconfigured on a regular basis in order to match the pace and the progress of each child; this reconfiguration also allows Class Teachers to identify where 1:1 interventions may be required in order to meet the expectations of both the Phonics Check and the end of Key Stage 1.

Once children are fluent and confident in their reading they will 'graduate' from RWI and our focus will be to ensure comprehension skills are developed.

Meet Our Reading Leaders

Reading Leaders

Miss Mein

Miss Mein

RWI Leader

Miss Dover

Miss Dover

English Coordinator

 

Aims and Objectives

 

The overarching objectives of the RWI programme are to teach pupils to:

  • apply the skill of blending phonemes in order to read words.
  • segment words into their constituent phonemes in order to spell words.
  • learn that blending and segmenting words are reversible processes.
  • read high frequency words that do not conform to regular phonic patterns.
  • read texts and words that are within their phonic capabilities as early as possible.
  • decode texts effortlessly so that their focus can be used on reading to learn (comprehension)
  • spell effortlessly so that their focus can be directed towards the composition of their writing

 

Teaching and Learning Style

 

The core principles of the programme are;

  • Praise  Pupils learn quickly in a positive climate.
  • Pace  Good pace is essential to the lesson.
  • Purpose  Every part of the lesson has a specific purpose.
  • Passion It is the energy, enthusiasm and passion that teachers invest into lessons that bring the teaching and learning to life!
  • Participation - A strong feature of R.W.I. lessons is partner work; partners teachingeach other (based on research which states that we learn 70% of what we talk about with our partner and 90% of what we teach).

 

Nonsense words (Alien words) 

 

As well as learning to read and to blend real words, the children meet Nonsense words.” These words present an opportunity to assess a childs ability to decode using phonics. Children who can read non-words should have the skills to decode almost any unfamiliar word. Nonsense words will also feature in the Year One Phonics Screening check in the summer term.

 

What is the Phonics Screening Check?

 

The national Phonics Screening Check was introduced in 2012 to all Year 1 pupils. It is a short, statutory assessment to ensure that children are making sufficient progress in the phonics skills to read words and are on track to become fluent readers who can enjoy reading for pleasure and for learning.

 

Parent Information

 

Why are the children in different groups for phonics?

All of the children participating in RWI are regularly assessed and their progress carefully monitored. After each assessment period we will reorganise the groups as necessary to ensure each child is in the correct grouping to learn the next set of sounds they need to become a fluent reader. All children will pick up phonics at slightly different rates, the important thing is that they are constantly making progress. If we feel a child is not making the progress we would expect, then we will give them extra 1:1 support in order that they keep up with their peers.

What is Fred Talk?  

Fred the Frog puppet plays an important role in our Read Write Inc lessons. Fred is only able to speak in sounds, not whole words. We call this Fred Talk.

 

For example, Fred would say m-a –twe would say mat. Fred talk helps children read unfamiliar words by pronouncing each sound in the word one at a time. Children can start blending sounds into words as soon as they know a small group of letters well. During lessons children are taught to hear sounds and blend them together in sequence to make a word. We start with blending oral sounds, then progress to reading the letters and blending them together to read the word.

 

The following video is an example of blending sounds with Fred.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEzfpod5w_Q

 

 

 

What are speed sounds?

In Read Write inc phonics the individual sounds are called speed sounds – because we want your child to read them effortlessly. Set 1 sounds are the initial letter sounds. They are taught in the following order.

 

Set 1 speed sounds

m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, sh, r, j, v, y, w, th, z, ch, qu, x, ng, nk

 

When writing the letter sounds the children use a picture and a phrase to help form the letters correctly.

 

Image

e.g. M – maisie, mountain, mountain

 

(See letter formation chart for all the set 1 letter sound formation charactrs)

 

Set 2 speed sounds

ay, ee, igh, ow, oo, oo,ar, or, air, ir, ou, oy

There are 12 Set 2 speed sounds that are made up of two or three letters which represent just one sound, e.g. ay as in play, ee as in tree and igh as in high.

 

When children learn their Set 2 sounds they will learn:

  • the letters that represent a speed sound e.g. ay
  • a simple picture prompt linked to the speed soundand a short phrase to say e.g. may I play
  • We call these 2/3 letter sounds that go together special friends

 

Every speed sound has a list of green words linked to it, so your child can sound outand sound blendwords containing the new speed sound they have just learnt, for example (fred talk) s-p-r-ay = spray.

 

 

 

 

Vowel sound

Set 2 Speed Sound Rhyme

Green words (decodable)

ay

ay: may I play

day play say may way spray

ee

ee: what can you see?

See been seen sleep three green

igh

igh: fly high

high might light bright night fright

ow

ow: blow the snow

snow slow know show blow low

oo

oo: poo at the zoo

too zoo food pool moon spoon

oo

oo: look at a book

took shook cook foot look book

ar

ar: start the car

star part hard sharp car start

or

or: shut the door

sort short snort horse sport fork

air

air: that’s not fair

fair stair hair air lair chair

ir

ir: whirl and twirl

girl third whirl twirl dirt bird

ou

ou: shout it out

out mouth round found loud shout

oy

oy: toy for a boy

toy boy enjoy

 

 

Set 3 speed sounds

a-e, ea, i-e, o-e, u-e, aw, are, ur, ow, oi, ai, e, oa, ew, er, ire, ear, ure

 

When learning their Set 3 speed sounds they will be taught that there are more ways in which the same sounds are written, e.g. ee as in tree and ea as in tea.

 

Vowel sound

Set 3 Speed Sound Rhyme

Green words (decodable)

a-e

a-e: make a cake

shake make cake name same late date

ea

ea: cup of tea

real please dream seat cream

i-e

i-e: nice smile

hide shine white nice time like smile

o-e

o-e: phone home

hope home phone spoke note broke

u-e

u-e: huge brute

tune use June  huge brute

aw

aw: yawn at dawn

saw paw yawn law dawn crawl

are

are: care and share

share dare scare square bare

ur

ur: nurse with a purse

burn turn spurt nurse purse hurt

ow

ow: brown cow

how now down brown town cow

oi

oi: spoil the boy

join coin voice

ai

ai: snail in the rain

snail paid tail paint train rain

e

e: he me she we

he me she we be

oa

oa: goat in a boat

goat boat road throat toast coat

ew

ew: chew the stew

chew new flew blew drew grew

er

er: better letter

never better weather proper corner after

ire

ire: fire fire

fire hire wire bonfire inspire conspire

ear

oar: hear with your ear

hear fear dear near ear

ure

ure: sure it’s pure

Pure sure cure picture mixture creature future

 

 

Click the link below to hear how to pronounce the sounds correctly.

 

https://youtu.be/UCI2mu7URBc?si=UDVbtQDeqboNIQB6 

 

What is word time?

As soon as children have learnt a few initial letter sounds they begin to learn to blend the sounds together to read real words in a Word Time session. Each word time session involves oral blending of known sounds before they are shown the words written down on green cards. Children practice Fred talking the words until they become able to read them on sight. Children who are becoming excellent at reading single words are introduced to reading whole sentences. Once children are confident reading the short sentences they are challenged to use their developing phonic knowledge to write a sentence.

 

Reading books

Children will first be introduced to Ditty bookswhen they successfully begin to read single words. The short vowels should be kept short and sharp:

Children use sound-blending (Fred Talk) to read short ditties. They will bring these home once they have read and discussed the book in class. The purpose of bringing home a book they can already read is to celebrate this achievement with you. Praise them for this success!

Within all the books children will have Red and Green words to learn to help them to become speedy readers. Red words are words that are not easily decodable and challenge words to extend childrens vocabulary. Green words are linked to the sounds they have been learning and are easily decodable.

 

Dots and dashes represent the sound each letter makes.

Once your child has been introduced and taught these words in school we will send them home for you to continue practising with your child.

 

Once children can read the first set of Speed Sounds and can read the Ditties, they will start to bring home the Storybooks. These books have a text with a strong phonic structure which is perfectly matched to the sounds your child is currently practising. The language is natural and fluent and each story has a clear shape. Humour is a strong feature - children want to read the books again and again. The Storybooks will be brought home once children have completed all the work associated with this book. There are instructions in every book for you to follow.

 

It is important that you continue to read stories, non-fiction and poems to your child as this will help them hear the structure of texts and build up their vocabulary bank.

Read, Write Inc Reading at home

 

Ruth Miskin, the founder of Read Write Inc, had complied a selection of short videos that give lots more information and examples. They are really worth watching - Click the link below to find out more about

 

  • Saying sounds correctly
  • Linking sounds to letters
  • Two letters, one sound
  • Practise, practise, practise
  • Putting sounds together to read simple words
  • Tricky words
  • Reading books
  • Using pictures
  • Writing letters
  • Read to your child as much as you can

 

 

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

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/read-write-inc-phonics-guide-for-parents/

 

Further links to support reading at home - 

 

Parents and Carers - Ruth Miskin Literacy

Phonics - Oxford Owl for Home

PhonicsPlay - Resources

Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

 

 

Reading Assessment

 

Each half term, school conducts a phonics assessment. This identifies known graphemes and the fluency of your child’s reading. The expectations of this are mapped out in the table below.

 

 

Reception children can:

Year 1 children can:

Year 2 children can: 

End of Autumn 1

Read single letter set 1 sounds

Read purple storybooks; read some set 2 sounds

Read blue storybooks with increasing fluency and comprehension

End of Autumn Term

Read all set 1 sounds; blend orally into words.

Read Pink storybooks; read all set  2 sounds

Read Grey storybooks

End of Spring 1

Blend sounds to read words; read short Ditty stories

Read Orange storybooks; read some set 3 sounds

Access Comprehension Group

End of Spring Term

Read Red Storybooks

Read Yellow Storybooks

Access Comprehension Group

End of Summer 1

Read Green storybooks; read some set 2 sounds

Read Yellow Storybooks; read all of set 3 sounds

Access Comprehension Group

End of Summer Term

Read Green or Purple Storybooks

Read Blue Storybooks

Access Comprehension Group

 

 

Daily RWI Timetable

 

8:35-9:00am

9-10:15am

10:30am

12:55pm

1:00-1:10pm

1:00-3:00pm

Virtual Classroom Access

- QR codes on IPADs

RWI Phonics Groups

  • Speed Sound Lesson
  • Story Book Activities

Pinny Time

- Break time line up

Pinny Time

- Dinner time line up

Virtual Classroom

- Extra Speed Sound Lesson

RWI 1:1

- RWI Intervention

  • Virtual Classroom
  • Lowest 20% Readers

 

 

Moving on in reading after RWI

 

 

Reading

Reading Progression

Reading

 

 

 

Please see your child’s teacher for any further information you may need with regards to reading.

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