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    • Phonics

    Use the e book link below to access many more books from the Read, Write Inc. book scheme. Please only read the colour book which your child brings home as these will be at the correct level for their reading ability. We want our children to enjoy reading and read for pleasure and meaning, therefore these books are carefully matched to ensure that they are not a difficult read, but an enjoyable one.

    At St Mary and St Joseph's RC Primary School we use the Read, Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their English. 

    RWI is a method of learning based upon letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to support children in their reading and writing. Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who can read more challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.

    Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so they can put all their energy into composing what they write. The children are assessed regularly and grouped according to their ability. They will work with a RWI trained teacher or teaching assistant. In addition to the RWI, children will also be working on writing skills in their classes with their own teacher.

    For more information about Read, Write Inc click on the link below to access the full website. 

    Parents Guide to Phonics

    How Read, Write Inc Phonics works

    Reading

    When using RWI to read the children will:

    Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple prompts.
    Learn to read words using sound blending (Fred talk).
    Read lively stories featuring words they have learnt to sound out.
    Show that they comprehend the stories by answering 'Find It' and 'Prove It'.

    Writing

    When using RWI to write the children will:

    Learn to write the letter/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds.
    Learn to write words by saying the sounds and graphemes (Fred fingers).
    Learn to write simple then more complex sentences.
    Compose a range of texts using discussion prompts.

    Talking

    When using RWI the children will also work in pairs:

    To answer questions.
    To practise every activity.
    To take turns talking and listening to each other.
    To give positive praise to each other.

    Blending

    Help your child learn to read words by sounding-blending (Fred talk) eg. c-a-t = cat, sh-o-p = shop. Children learn to read words by blending the letter-sounds that are in the Speed Sounds set. Help your child to say the pure sounds ('m' not 'muh', 's' not 'suh' etc.) as quickly as they can, and then blend the sounds together to say the whole word. Each week your child will bring home a set of words which they will be able to blend using their speed set sounds. These words are called GREEN words. In class your child will use Fred the Frog to blend sounds. We call this 'Fred Talk' because Fred cannot say a whole word. In Read, Write Inc there are also RED words. These are the tricky words which cannot be read using sounds, words such as 'said', 'the' and 'be'. Your child will need to read these words by sight. The phrase to remember is 'You cannot Fred a Red'!

    This is a link to a video demonstrating how to teach blending  

     

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    Reading Books Sent Home

    Children in Reception who are learning the first 44 letter sounds and are not blending fluently will bring home sound sheets to practise. Once children can blend fluently and know the first sounds they will bring home books containing words with these sounds. This means that they will be able to say and blend the sounds together to read each word. To begin your child will also bring home picture books. These support your child in understanding story structure and support them in talking about key events and characters. These skills are vital to support comprehension. All first story books are fully decodable.

    How Read, Write Inc is taught

    Read, Write Inc sounds are taught in three sets. Click on the link below to download a chart with each set of speed sounds.

    Speed Sounds Chart

    When teaching phonics it is important to say the 'pure' sound. Click on the link below to listen to how each sound is pronounced correctly.

    When learning to write letters we use the Read, Write Inc. hand writing phrases to support our children. As we write the letter the phrase helps us to form the letter correctly, for example  a = round the apple, down the leaf.

    Use the link below to view the handwriting phrases for each of the letters. The power point presentation is also a great way to see how letters are formed correctly.

    Handwriting phrases chart

    Learn how to form letters correctly

    Book Marks

    To support every child in learning the tricky red words we have introduced book marks. This will have the red words which your child is currently learning to read and spell. If it is not same colour as the reading book please do not worry. Please try reading the words from the book mark at least three times a week alongside their reading books. Please do not try to spell these all at once. You can simply choose two or three a week to focus on as a little extra practise at home.

    November 2021

    Thank you to all of the parents who came and took part in our Phonics workshops. The feedback was really positive and the children had a wonderful time working with you. We hope that you now feel more confident to support your child with phonics at home and understand more about how we teach early reading and writing.

    If you were unable to attend, teachers will have sent out resources and the Phonics website page is full of supportive videos and materials.

    If you would like any support or a chat about phonics please contact me through the school office and I will be more than happy to help.

    Mrs Addy

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