Phonics

As a school we use the Read, Write inc. phonics programme to support our children with reading. 
 

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 ‘teaching’ each 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 child’s 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.

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.