Approach to Teaching Early Reading
At Ings Primary School we acknowledge that reading is key to effective learning and, as such, it has a very high priority and profile in our school. Reading, Language and Vocabulary development is at the heart of our curriculum.
Children who read regularly or are read to regularly, have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds! Reading will give your child the tools to become independent life-long learners. ​
We use Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI) to give your child the best possible start with their literacy.
What is Read Write Inc?
Read Write Inc (RWI) is a phonics programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write. The children are assessed by the RWI lead teacher and grouped according to their ability. Small group phonics lessons are taught daily by trained staff and there are consistent expectations across the range of abilities. At the end of each half term the children are assessed to check on their progress and regrouped.
Children learn sounds in school which help them to read and write. They then practise these skills through reading 'Book Bag Books' at home which are specifically pitched to both consolidate learning and provide challenge in an engaging and fun way! This is what they look like:
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What does a RWInc lesson look like?
Children are placed into ability groups and then learn various phonemes (segments of sound) and the corresponding grapheme i.e. how that sound is written.
Sounds are divided into 3 sets. All lessons begin with children learning a new speed sound. In Reception children will learn Set 1 sounds and some Set 2 sounds; in Years 1 and 2 (Key Stage 1), children will secure Set 2 sounds and learn new Set 3 sounds. Children are introduced to storybooks and non-fiction texts that are closely matched to their phonic knowledge.
Five key principles underpin the teaching in all Read Write Inc. sessions
Purpose – know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they
know the one thing they should be thinking about
Participation – ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work
is fundamental to learning
Praise – ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability
Pace – teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning
Passion – be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally
Reception
In Reception all children will learn how to ‘read’ set 1 sounds and the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down. Those who are ready, will begin to read simple words within books and write some of these.
We use pure sounds (‘m’ not’ muh’,’s’ not ‘suh’, etc.) so that your child will be able to blend the sounds into words more easily. Fred is our Read, Write Inc. friend.
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Sound Blending
Fred can only speak in sounds, so we help him learn to say words instead of sounds. We help children learn to read words by sound-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 (included below). We say the pure sounds as quickly as we can, and then blend the sounds together to say the whole word.
Some examples of ‘Fred Talk’ games
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Spelling with your ‘Fred’ Fingers
Children are taught to use their fingers to help them write words. The children say the word out loud and break it down into its individual sounds. If a word has 3 sounds children hold up 3 fingers, 4 sounds 4 fingers etc. Children pinch each finger as they say the sounds needed in the word then they write the letters that represent each sound.
When using Fred Fingers each finger represents one sound. When children reach yellow Read Write Inc. storybooks, they will learn to trace the letters onto each finger and say the letter names.
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Letter formation
In Reception children focus on the set 1 sounds  and they are taught, together with rhymes, to help children form the letters correctly and instantly recognise sounds ready for blending.
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Year 1 and above
Children follow the same format as Reception but will work on complex sounds and read books appropriate to their reading level. Daily sessions of RWI phonics last for 45 minutes.
The children are then taught  Set 2 Sounds – the long vowels.
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Phonics Screen Check (PSC)
In Year 1 the children have to complete the statutory Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. The phonics screening check is a short, light-touch assessment to confirm whether individual children have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard and is making progress expected in the National Curriculum. With some exceptions, all pupils who have reached the age of 6 by the end of the school year must take the check during that academic year.
The phonics screening check contains 40 words divided into two sections of 20 words. Both sections contain a mixture of real words and pseudo-words. Pseudo-words are words that are phonically decodable but are not actual words with an associated meaning. They are included in the check specifically to assess whether your child can decode a word using their phonics skills. All pseudo-words in the check are accompanied by a picture of an imaginary creature. Children are taught that when a word has a creature next to it, it is a pseudo-word. This ensures that they are not trying to match the pseudo-word to a word in their vocabulary. The check is designed to give teachers information on how your child is progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether your child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.
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Fast Track Tutoring
Phonics is a comprehensive programme that aims to get children reading quickly. It is a whole school approach to raise standards in children’s literacy. Fast Track Tutoring is one part of the full programme and is designed to accelerate children’s reading progress through the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme.
There are two core strategies to accelerate children’s progress in reading: 1. Ensure the teaching of phonics is the best it can be. This is the most efficient way to speed up progress for the majority of children. 2. Provide targeted support. Even with the best teaching, a few children can sometimes need a little more time and help.
Tutoring at Ings is for children who are in the lowest progress group who need extra daily practice in reading sounds and words. It breaks down the phonics and reading strands of RWInc. into smaller steps to accelerate children’s reading progress. It provides intensive, targeted support to address specific gaps in a child’s reading.
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Ings Primary School - Read, Write Inc Long Term Plan
Expectations Of Progress
Our goal is for children to:
1. Work out unfamiliar words quickly - including new vocabulary and names.
2. Read familiar words speedily - that is, words they have been taught.
3. Read texts - including the words they have been taught - fluently.
Please note: these are the expectations for the lowest 20% of children. Other children should be well in advance of this. All children should achieve these expectations. If they have followed the programme from Reception/KS1.
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