Phonics

At Radstock we have adopted the Read Write Inc programme to support our phonics teaching.  Read Write Inc is a phonics based programme which helps children to learn to read accurately and fluently in a systematic manner.  Throughout Read Write Inc, children are taught to understand the English alphabetic code, learning to read the 40+ sounds, blend them into words and understand their meaning.  

For example, the children are taught to hear and recognise the individual sounds within the word ‘cat’ - /c/a/t/ and to blend them to make the word cat.  Speed is built up to develop word recognition and fluent reading that leads to comprehension of texts. 

Phonics is taught systematically and at a fast pace to allow the children to progress rapidly and to develop the skills that that they need for reading and writing. Children start learning about sounds in Nursery and then progress to learning formal phonics in Foundation Stage Two (F2). Throughout the programme, we regularly assess each child on a 1:1 basis to ensure that they are accessing the learning at the correct level to make rapid progress.  This prepares them for reading and writing in the F2 and throughout Key Stages 1 and 2.

The Phonics Screening Check

The national phonics screening check was introduced in 2012 to all Year 1 pupils. It is a statutory assessment to ensure that children are making sufficient progress in their phonics skills to read words and be on track to become fluent readers who can enjoy reading for pleasure and for learning.

The check consists of a list of 40 words, half real words and half pseudo words, the nonsense words will be shown to your child with a picture of an alien. The phonics screening check provides a method of finding out if your child can sound out and blend graphemes in order to read simple words, read phonetically decodable one-syllable and two-syllable words, e.g. dog, band, windmill, as well as apply their phonic knowledge to read unknown words (the nonsense words). The pseudo words are included to find out if a child is able to decode words using their phonic skills and not their memory. 

More information and support can be accessed by clicking on the following link.

Please see the presentation below to find out more information on how Read Write Inc works.

 Reading Leader: Mrs Edwards