Phonics and Early Reading
Introduction
Every child deserves success right from the start. We know that the earlier children learn to read, the greater their success throughout school. That is why reading is at the heart of everything we do at St. Ann’s RC Primary School.
We use Read Write Inc. Phonics to develop children’s early reading and writing skills. The systematic and structured nature of our phonics programme ensures that all learners build a secure foundation in literacy. From day one, children take part in daily phonics lessons delivered by our team of expert reading teachers. They progress confidently from learning sounds, to blending words, and ultimately to becoming fluent readers who read with understanding and expression.
In line with our strong commitment to inclusivity, we provide specialised phonics support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Where appropriate, one-to-one tutoring is offered to ensure that every child has the opportunity to catch up, keep up, and succeed alongside their peers.
Set 1 Sounds
Set 1 sounds are taught in the following order together with rhymes to help children form the letters correctly and instantly recognise sounds ready for blending. We do not use letter names at this stage.
Key Read Write Inc. Terminology
red talk: We use pure sounds (‘m’ not’ muh’,’s’ not ‘suh’, etc.) so that your child will be able to blend the sounds into words more easily.
At school we use a toy frog called Fred who is an expert on sounding out words! We call it, ‘Fred Talk’. E.g. m-o-p, c-a-t, m-a-n, sh-o-p, b-l-a-ck.
The following video is an example of how to pronounce the sounds correctly.
Green Words:
Green words are words that can be sounded out and then blended together, for example sh–o–p → shop. These words are fully decodable and children use Fred Talk to read them.
Red Words:
Red words are words that cannot be sounded out using phonics. These words are taught explicitly and children are encouraged to recognise them on sight, for example the. We remind children: “You can’t Fred a red!”
Fred Fingers:
Fred Fingers are used to support spelling. Children say the word aloud, identify the number of sounds, and hold up one finger for each sound. For example, p–l–ay has three sounds, so three fingers are held up. Children then pinch each sound on their fingers before writing the word.
Assessment
Children are assessed every half term, or sooner if needed. Children are then grouped according to their phonic knowledge and fluency. Children are well supported as they are taught in small groups by teachers and teaching assistants who have all been trained to deliver the Read Write Inc. programme.
Helpful websites
Ruth Miskin website for video tutorials: https://ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out more/parents/
ICT games for phonics activities: http://ictgames.com/literacy.html
Reading at home
Books are sent home each week for children to read at home. Where possible, we ask for books to be read two or three times at home, before being returned to school. The first time children read their book, they may find it quite tricky and need to sound some of the words out. With each read, it supports them in building reading fluency, which means they can read more easily, thus enabling them to spend more time focusing on understanding the text better.
Snuggle up Books
Your child will also bring home, 'Snuggle up' books. These books are sent home with the purpose of children being able to snuggle up with you and their favourite cuddly toy, to enjoy a story. These books are not matched to their reading ability, so the idea is that you read the book to them, or let them use the pictures to help tell the story. They may choose to use the book through the week to read to their siblings, or even their special cuddly toys. Don't worry if you hear them making up the words (you may find they are simply retelling the story from memory, or using the pictures as cues), this is all part of the process of learning to read.
