Phonics
At Eastburn Primary School we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their reading and writing.
RWI is a method of learning based on letter sounds, and we use it to aid children in their early reading and writing.
We believe that Reading is a life skill that every child should be entitled to have. Without the ability to read and decode text, so much is closed off to a child and later as an adult. We want not only to inspire children through books but also to promote a love of reading to empower our children to become life long readers. Books should not be seen as a chore but as a gateway to other worlds, the opening of our imaginations.
In EYFS and KS1 we use the Read, Write Inc (RWI) programme to teach children how to read and embed phonics. It is a tried and tested programme and takes a systematic and structured approach to teaching phonics. This system has been shown to be a quicker and more efficient way for children to learn to read words on a page fluently and accurately. It also helps them greatly with their spelling. This phonics approach involves children working in small groups to learn new sounds in an organised way. Pupils are assessed every half term and regrouped to make sure their learning is at an appropriate level. Children in early years and KS1 also take part in guided reading sessions where they have the opportunity to enjoy and discuss a range of books.
Using the RWI phonics program we teach children to:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- write clearly, accurately and coherently.
In practice, children learn the 44 common sounds in the English language and are taught how to blend these sounds to decode (read) words. We start by teaching children to read and blend the first thirty Set 1 sounds. Once they have conquered this skill, they start reading stories and texts that have words made up of the sounds they know. This means that they can embed and apply their phonic knowledge and start to build their reading fluency. Once secure, children learn Set 2 and Set 3 sounds and then read texts with increasingly more complex sounds and graphemes. Throughout this process there is a focus on comprehension, reading with expression and reading for enjoyment. Pupils are also taught to work effectively with a partner to explain and consolidate what they are learning.
Children at Eastburn Primary are taught in small groups which reflect their phonic knowledge and reading fluency. We regularly assess children so that they are taught in a group which matches their phonic knowledge. We group pupils according to their progress in reading rather than their writing. We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words as well as 'tricky words'. This is so that, early on, they experience success and gain confidence that they are readers.
Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher during guided reading sessions, which supports their increasingly fluent decoding skills. We encourage parents to read with their children at home and to embed reading for pleasure as well as for information retrieval.
We want to make sure that all children have access to books at home that they are confident in reading and that are at their level. Read, Write Inc's book bag books help to provide additional reading outside of the classroom. These books are sent home every Monday and perfectly match the books the children have read at school throughout the week.
The RWI approach is taught considering the 5 Ps:
- Praise – Children learn quickly in a positive climate.
- Pace – A good pace is the key to each session to ensure all children are engaged and on task.
- Purpose – Every part of the lesson has a specific purpose.
- Passion – It is the energy, enthusiasm and passion that teachers put into the lesson that bring the teaching and learning to life!
- Participation – A strong feature of RWI lessons is partner work and the partners ‘teaching’ each other.
In our daily phonics lessons, we aim to ensure that all pupils:
- Decode letter-sound correspondences quickly and effortlessly, using their phonic knowledge and skills
- Read common exception words on sight
- Understand what they read
- Read aloud with fluency and expression
- Write confidently, with a strong focus on vocabulary and grammar
- Spell quickly and easily by segmenting the sounds in words
- Learn letter formation and handwriting skills.
The links below offer a range of resources that may also be useful to families.
Support for Parents and Carers
