Early Reading at Booker Hill
Phonics and Decoding
We follow the ‘Read Write Inc’ programme (RWI). This is a systematic and rigorous method of learning letter sounds and blending them together to read, write and spell words. Children have daily phonics sessions in small groups, where they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their starting points and developing needs. The children have decodable reading books which they are encouraged to read regularly at home which match their current phonics level. Children are also taught sight vocabulary words set out in the 2014 Primary National Curriculum in England, Key Stages 1 & 2 Framework.
Phonics is taught daily to all children in Foundation Stage, and KS1. Teachers draw upon their observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged as children work through the different Read Write Inc. Sets 1-3, learning and developing their phonics sounds and knowledge.
Read, Write, Inc Progression
Below is the systematic teaching sequence of phonics sessions and expectations for each year group, across the academic year. Using this sequence to plan and teach phonics ensures that mastery and depth of phonics learning takes place across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage One.
Each daily discrete phonics lesson follows the ‘RWI’ structure as follows:
- Show the sound on the card with the grapheme
- Say the sound (bouncy, stretchy etc.)
- Show the picture and say the rhyme
- Show the picture and say the rhyme and then the grapheme without the rhyme. Repeat.
- Teacher to write the sound saying the rhyme
- Put the new sound in known pack and find
- Children to write the letter saying the rhyme
- Speed write – write three sounds the children have learned so far
- Fred talk – read words with sound from today (real and nonsense)
- Write the words learned today
- Apply in sentence, when appropriate
Each discrete phonics lesson is 30 minutes in length and uses quality resources to make them engaging, fun and interactive. A mixture of real and nonsense words are used in practice every day.
Overview of Learning for Read, Write, Inc.
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Nursery |
Phase 1 (environmental, instrumental, body percussion)
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Phase 1 (rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, oral blending and segmenting)
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Set 1 m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k |
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Reception |
Set 1 m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, sh, r, j, v, |
Set 1 y, w, th, z, ch, qu, x, ng, nk |
Set 2 ay, ee, igh, ow, oo, oo, ar, or, air, ir, ou, oy
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Year 1 |
Revisit Set 2
Set 3 ea, oi, a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e, aw, are, ur |
Set 3 er, ow, ai, oa, ew, ire, ear, ure |
Recap all sounds and apply sounds and key words |
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Year 2 |
Unlocking the skills and English sessions. Children who didn’t pass the phonics test to attend Year 1 phonics sessions and intervention.
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Unlocking the skills and English sessions. Children who didn’t pass the phonics test to attend Year 1 phonics sessions and intervention.
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Unlocking the skills and English sessions. Children who didn’t pass the phonics test to attend Year 1 phonics sessions and intervention.
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Phonics is delivered in streamed groups within Reception class, and across Key Stage 1 within a rich literacy environment for early readers. Teachers identify children who may need additional support. For example, extra support is provided to children in Year 2 who have not passed phonics screening in Year 1 and interventions are planned for those children who are working below expected levels. Similarly, in lower Key Stage 2, pupils are taught in stage appropriate groups and then phonics is delivered as an intervention for pupils within the lowest 20% of readers in upper Key Stage 2 who have been assessed as having gaps in their phonological awareness.
Staff systematically teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them. Ongoing formative assessment takes place within each phonics lesson. This includes teacher observations, questioning and discussions. These outcomes are fed forward into timely teacher intervention and subsequent planning to ensure gaps in phonological knowledge are closed and progress is not limited. Teachers regularly assess the pupil’s phonics knowledge using the Read, Write, Inc scheme’s phonics assessment and Reading Early Learning Goal (in EYFS). These regular assessments inform planning and allow teachers to identify any gaps in learning.
Pupils also have regular reading sessions with an adult we ensure that they are regularly practising and applying their phonics knowledge. In the EYFS, the continuous provision matches the pupil’s current knowledge and understanding whilst ensuring the children are suitable challenged.
Grouping Informed by Assessment
Children in Reception, KS1 and KS2 have been assessed by the Phonics Lead using RWI Baseline Assessment.
- Children in Reception are streamed into 4 phonics groups. These groups have been informed by assessment. The focus groups are based on recognising sounds as well as orally blending
- KS1 is also streamed into 4 phonics groups. The groups range from blending CVC words to digraph, trigraphs as well as split digraphs
- Year 3 and 4 have been streamed into 4 phonics groups.
- Year 5 and 6 children who require additional support in phonics have started the Fresh Start RWI Program. This is a rapid catch up program for Year 5 and 6 pupils who are below the national standards.
- Children are assessed after each session. Teachers can assess at any point in the program to ensure that children are in the correct phonics group; check point assessments are carried out half termly for all children.