At Christ Church we are a Read Write Inc School.
We use the Read Write Inc Phonics programme as soon as the children start in Reception and continue through year 1 and into year 2. When the children graduate from the phonics programme we move them onto the Spelling Shed programme for the rest of their time at Christ Church.
Read Write Inc phonics
The teaching of this programme is a method of learning centred around letter sounds and phonics, blending them together to read and write words and using these learnt sounds in their reading and writing.
Using Read Write Inc phonics the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read.
It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put their energy into composing what they write.
The children are assessed and grouped according to their ability. They will work with a teacher or teaching assistant on the Read Write Inc phonics programme. At the end of each term the children will be assessed again by the Read Write Inc manager Mrs Carter and will then be put into new groups. In addition to the Read Write Inc programme the children will also be working on writing skills in their classes with their own class teacher to continue to develop their skills further.
Reading
When using Read Write Inc to READ the children will:
*learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
*learn to read words using sound blending (Fred talk)
*read lively stories featuring words they have learnt to sound out
*show that they comprehend the stories by answering ‘Find It’ and ‘Prove It’ discussion questions
Writing
When using Read Write Inc to WRITE the children will:
*learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds
*learn to write words by saying the sounds and graphemes (Fred fingers)
*learn to write simple then more complex sentences
*compose stories based on picture strips
*compose a range of texts using discussion prompts
Talking
When using Read Write Inc the children will also work in PAIRS:
*to answer questions
*to practise every activity
*to take turns talking to each other
*to give positive praise to each other
Blending
Help your child learn to read words by sound-blending (Fred talk) e.g. c-a-t = cat
Children learn to read words by blending the letter-sounds that are in the Speed Sound sets (shown further down the page).
Help children to say the pure sounds, as quickly as they can, and then to blend the sounds together to say the whole word.
What else can I do to help my child read in the early stages
To help your child develop a wide range of vocabulary, read a variety of books (fiction, non-fiction, rhymes…). Discuss the different features of different books. Talk about the books and other reading materials that you have shared.
Explain the meaning of new words. Most importantly though, show the fun that can be gained by listening to stories and reading a range of texts.e.g. cereal packets, shopping lists, road signs, web pages, magazines, newspapers etc
To help your child develop understanding, read a familiar book with them. After you have read it, can they remember what happened? Discuss together what happened at the beginning of the story? In the middle? At the end?
Could you change a part of the story to make a new version?
The story could be retold by using
puppets or soft toys.
My mum went to market
Invite your child to play the game with you. ‘My mother went to market and she bought …’ She has to buy things beginning with the same sound and the list of things she buys grows and grows. e.g - a sandwich, a sock, a sausage.
Write some of the words your child is covering at school onto a piece of paper.
Ask your child to read each word in Fred Talk and then read the whole word.
Don’t worry if they are struggling at first with their sounds and words, they will get there in their own time.
If you have the time ( I know it is very precious!) I would urge you to try and read stories to your child before they go to bed to increase their vocabulary knowledge and encourage them to enjoy the pleasure of a good story.
Books don’t have to be expensive “The Book People” online have some fantastic cheap books to buy. The local library is also a wonderful place to get lots of different books and is a wonderful experience for your child to choose their own stories.
Spelling Shed
When your child has completed the Read Write Inc phonics programme usually during key stage 1, they will move onto the spelling programme in Year 2.
The children work in differentiated spelling groups across Year groups from Year 2 until year 6. Spelling lessons are for a minimum of 30 minutes twice a week in a fun, engaging and creative way. Learning spelling is interactive and the children work together to learn new sets of words which they are then expected to use across the school day and at home in their written work.
Pupils are able to access Spelling Shed at home through the Spelling Shed website, where pupils can play games and complete assignments (linked to the spelling rule they have been learning that week in lessons).
Please encourage your child to learn and use their spellings.
