Reading is the key! Phonics is how your child learns to read. Once they become a fluent reader, the world is their oyster.

Here at The Oaks, we follow the Read Write Inc phonics programme. Our teachers and teaching assistants have completed RWI training and we also carry out weekly training updates to make sure your child receives the highest quality phonics teaching. The most important thing you can do at home to ensure your child achieves their full potential is to read with them every day. This is homework set across all year groups and all children are expected to completed this. Our year one children, will take the screening test in Summer term, as is the norm in all schools in England. Any children in year two who did not achieve a pass mark last year will retake the screening at the same time.

If you have any questions about this please feel free to speak me, Miss McIntosh, either by phone call to the main office or by catching me at the reception classroom door. Alternatively, parents can follow the links below to answer questions regarding phonics.

What is Read Write Inc Phonics?

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/Jigg8SeU/lv6dMIIq

How should I say the sounds?

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/0Fd0td34/7BIfwY0E

 

What is the Y1 Phonics Screening Check?

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/nSM7pkaN/S0dpuGFC

What is important when I read to my child?

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/H4CDRT16/KQEQ8cbb

 

Phonics curriculum statement

“…children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment.”  

DfE Learning To Read Through Phonics 

At The Oaks Community Primary School, we believe that reading is the key. The key to unlocking the world of learning. In order to possess that key children are taught early reading through phonics. We follow the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to deliver and assess phonics.  

Following the RWI programme our phonics teaching adheres to a rigorous, progressive curriculum running from reception to year 2, and beyond for any individuals who need additional support. We teach every child the sounds they require to read in a clear and consistent sequence. Children are taught effective and efficient methods for blending and reading unfamiliar words which will form the foundation of their reading skills. Skills they can fall back on throughout their education as they encounter a rich and varied vocabulary across all subject areas. 

If you would like to watch a lesson recording to see what this looks like, please visit the ‘Phonics Videos’ page of our website. 

Intent

At The Oaks our aims explicitly include all children; including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged learners. Our Phonics intent is for all children to learn to read the sounds that make up words, to blend sounds together to read words and to derive meaning and understanding from the words they read. 

 

Intent for reading graphemes:

  • All children will be able to read graphemes and respond with the corresponding phoneme 
  • All children will recognise sets of sounds at speed 

 

Intent for blending sounds together:

  • All children will learn to orally blend sounds together beginning with ‘Fred Talk’ games which will then progress to include modelled blending of sound cards. 
  • All children will learn to read sounds in sequence at the correct speed to say words, beginning with VC and CVC words initially and progressing to more complex words containing multiple sounds.

 

Intent for deriving meaning and understanding;

  • All children will learn to read at sentence level, followed by text level through access to the sequence of RWI lessons beginning with ‘Ditty’. 
  • All children will read sentences from ditty level onwards and be able to take meaning from text, showing their understanding by answering questions and engaging in discussion surrounding the text that they have read.

 

Implementation 

 

In order for all children to read the sounds that make up words we deliver high quality phonics lessons daily by RWI trained teaching staff. The lesson structure shows fidelity to the RWI programme, remains consistent throughout learning stages, year groups and teaching staff. The speed sound element of the lesson aims to teach children to hear the difference between phonemes, recognise graphemes and to spell those graphemes correctly when written independently and then as part of a word. 

 

At The Oaks we believe that in order to consolidate learning and build strong foundations for reading, reviewing sounds previously taught is integral to retaining the learning. Children review a carefully considered selection of sounds and words each day in order to cement their understanding and build fluency of skills. Reviewing occurs in each lesson and is also addressed throughout the school day during ‘pinny time’ aimed at securing specific knowledge on an individual basis. 

 

New learning is introduced through a systematic and consistent approach by linking visual representations of sounds with an image and a tagline. This method is used to eliminate inconsistency and misconceptions; it ensures that pure sounds are being taught by all staff and encourages a strong support network where parents and families can also promote learning at home too.

 

The mantra ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word’ is at the heart of reading at The Oaks. This is an effective strategy which enables children to decode successfully and then blend with accuracy, applying the skills they have been taught. This arms our children with a superior method for decoding and reading words with independence across the breadth of the curriculum in all Key Stages. Once a word has been decoded we can then begin to address drawing meaning and understanding.  

 

Our RWI lessons progress from sound recognition to word reading, ‘ditty’ and then sentence level reading. Underpinning these lessons is our shared view that an extensive vocabulary and understanding of what is read is the key to success in all areas. Partner talk, discussion with adults and peers, questioning and making links to prior experience all play a part in supporting each child to understand and embrace what they are reading.    

Please click the links below and browse the overviews of our curriculum for phonics at The Oaks following the RWI program.

RWI Overview for YR

RWI Overview for Y1

RWI What To Teach When