Phonics & Reading
Key Stage 1 Phonics and Reading Scheme Details.
We use the Read Write Inc. programme in school as a whole school approach for Key Stage 1.
Read Write Inc. programmes provide a systematic approach to literacy, covering the teaching of reading, writing, spelling and comprehension.
Read Write Inc. Phonics is underpinned by the ‘Simple View of Reading.’ It teaches children how to understand written language and how to decode it.
A key element of the Read Write Inc. approach is that practice across the school is completely consistent. This is achieved because the headteacher, all the teachers and teaching assistants, from the Foundation Stage to Year 6, are trained to teach reading. This means that everyone has a shared understanding of the ‘Simple View of Reading’, how letters and sounds in English are related (the alphabetic code), and how to teach all children to read and write.
All the children are grouped, across the school, in terms of their reading ability. This means that they are reading at their own level, every day. The more homogeneous the group, the more focused the teaching can be in terms of children’s progress. Children who are progressing faster or more slowly than their peers move quickly to another group. Children who continue to struggle have one-to-one tutoring (starting from the Foundation Stage 2 year), so that they catch up again as soon as possible. Children who have special educational needs are supported, for however long it takes, until they can read.
Reading
The alphabetic code is taught first and firmly embedded. The children rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent those sounds. Simple and enjoyable mnemonics help all children to grasp this quickly, especially those who are at risk of making slower progress or those who are new to learning English. This learning is taught and consolidated every day. High-frequency words that are not phonically regular are taught as ‘tricky’ words and practised frequently. Well-written, lively phonic books are closely matched to children’s increasing knowledge of phonics and ‘tricky’ words, so that, early on, they experience plenty of success. Repeated readings of the texts support their increasingly fluent decoding. Discussion of each story helps children both to understand what they are reading and to build up their knowledge of how texts work.
Why it works…
Read Write Inc. combines 5 clear steps to ensure real success in literacy:
- A systematic and dynamic whole-school approach
- High quality literacy teaching
- Inspiring whole-school literacy training
- Effective assessment and grouping
- Keeps parents fully supportive
For more information please click on the following link:
http://www.oup.com/oxed/primary/rwi/forparents/
The parent support Website, Oxford Owl, can be accessed by clicking on the next link:
Phonics Screening
Please see below the information shared in the phonics meetings plus any helpful links to support your child for the statutory Phonics Screening.
Helpful Websites
Phonics - KS1 English - BBC Bitesize
If your child has a Lexia account with school - please set your device up on Lexia Core5 Reading - Login and Student Program
using my email address lauren.redfearn@st-albans.doncaster.sch.uk then your child can log in with their first name and password 'read'