Phonics and Reading
“Reading is the one ability, that once set in motion, has the ability to feed itself, grow exponentially and provide a basis from which possibilities are limitless.” Michael Morpurgo.
RWI at East Stanley School
At East Stanley School we aim for all our children to become fluent, confident readers who are passionate about reading.
Children who read regularly or are read to regularly have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds!
More importantly, reading will give your child the tools to become independent life-long learners.
We can achieve this together through:
· Read Write Inc, a program to help your child read at school
· Encouraging children to develop a love of books by reading to them daily, at home and at school
· Giving children access to a wide range of books at school and at home
At East Stanley School we use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give your child the best possible start with their Literacy development. Mrs. Storey is our Read Write Inc lead teacher, so if you have questions about RWI, contact school who can refer you to her.
What is Read Write Inc?
Read Write Inc (RWI) is a phonics complete literacy programme that helps all children learn to read fluently so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. However, at East Stanley we begin the programme in Reception class and will continue teaching RWI to children beyond the age of 7, as we use a stage, not age approach. RWI has been developed by Ruth Miskin and more information on this can be found at https://ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out-more/parents/.
How will RWI be taught?
All children are assessed regularly by our RWI lead teacher. From these assessments, children are organised into small groups, where they work with peers on the same stage across Key stage 1 and Keystage 2 where appropriate.
Reception
In Reception all children are taught in their own year group. They will learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down. They will also have books sent home to share with adults at home to encourage a love of reading.
Reading
The children:
· Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts – see below
· Learn to read words using Fred talk and sound blending
· Read from a range of storybooks matched to their phonic knowledge
· Work well with partners
· Develop comprehension skills in stories by answering 'Find It' and 'Prove It' discussion questions
Writing
The children:
· Learn to write and form the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds with the help of fun phrases
· Learn to write words by using Fred Talk
· Learn to build sentences by practising sentences out loud before they write
Talking
The children work in pairs so that they:
· Answer every question
· Practise every activity with their partner
· Take turns in talking and reading to each other
· Develop ambitious vocabulary · Where can I find out more about RWI? · Information for parents
·
Phonics Screening Test
In Year 1 the children will take the DFE phonic test in June.
This is a word reading test of 40 words made of real and nonsense words to see how well children can apply their decoding skills.
Any child who does not pass the test will be given additional support and retake the test in Year 2.
Please find a link below with more information. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/194057/phonics_check_leaflet_2013_.pdf
If you have any questions, then please call to make an appointment with your child’s teacher or Mrs Storey.
Reading at East Stanley School
At East Stanley School we are passionate about developing a love of reading and celebrate reading through special events, awards and storytelling sessions. Children also enjoy World Book Day where we dress up as characters, participate in extreme reading and have storytelling sessions. Pupils also enjoy receiving books as prizes.
We use a range of reading schemes to provide a breadth of different types of book. Books are banded according to the book band colours. Our main reading scheme is Collins Big Cat.
Children have daily reading sessions in school. In Key Stage 1 this is a daily RWI session. Children in Key Stage 2 have reading activities including guided reading with their class teacher.
Pupils are expected to read at least three times per week at home to an adult. While children are working on the Read, Write Inc programme, they take home reading books (Read, Write Inc book bags) that are closely matched to their phonics ability. Children should be able to read most words in these books confidently and with growing fluency. Following completion of the Read, Write Inc programme, pupils can select from a range of fiction and non-fiction, including cross-curricular books which are levelled using the book band system.
In addition to this, we are using ‘Reading Plus’ to promote reading fluency and to develop a deeper understanding of the text.
Once pupils are fluent, confident readers and no longer on the reading scheme, they independently choose books from our school library. This contains both new and classic fiction/non-fiction books from a wealth of popular authors.
We have introduced ‘Lexia’ in school to promote reading and spelling skills. This gives targeted children the opportunity for specific support with their reading skills.
Each year group have developed their own reading for pleasure book spine and every class has a dedicated daily story time.
