Phonics and Early Reading at St Mary's
At St Mary's C E Primary School, we believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop. Reading opens the door to learning, builds confidence and allows children to explore the world around them.
The Department for Education recommends systematic synthetic phonics as an effective approach to teaching children to read.
Synthetic phonics teaches children to recognise the sounds (phonemes) represented by letters or groups of letters (graphemes). Children learn to blend these sounds together to read words and to identify sounds in spoken words to help them spell.
Read Write Inc. Phonics
At St Mary's, we use the Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics programme to give children a strong foundation in reading and writing.
Through daily, structured phonics lessons, children learn to:
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Recognise letters and the sounds they represent.
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Blend sounds together to read words accurately.
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Segment words into sounds to support spelling.
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Read with increasing fluency, accuracy and confidence.
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Develop their understanding and enjoyment of reading.
Our aim is for every child to become a confident, fluent reader who develops a lifelong love of books.
We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to become a successful reader, because reading is the key to learning across the curriculum.
How We Teach Read Write Inc. at St Mary's
Through Read Write Inc., children develop the skills to read accurately and fluently, allowing them to focus on understanding and enjoying what they read. As their spelling becomes more secure, they can concentrate on developing their ideas and expressing themselves through writing.
Children are assessed regularly and taught in groups matched to their current reading ability. This ensures that teaching is closely matched to their needs and that they receive the appropriate support and challenge to make progress.
Phonics lessons are delivered by trained Read Write Inc. teachers and teaching assistants. Alongside these lessons, children develop their writing skills through classroom teaching, where they learn to compose sentences, develop vocabulary and write for different purposes.
Who Can I Speak To?
Our Read Write Inc. Lead at St Mary's is Miss Tanya Phillips.
If you have any questions about the programme or would like advice on supporting your child's reading at home, please contact the school office. Our staff will be happy to arrange an appointment for you.
What Will My Child Learn Through Read Write Inc.?
Reading
Through Read Write Inc., children learn to:
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Recognise the 44 sounds in English and the letters or groups of letters that represent them.
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Blend sounds together to read words using Fred Talk.
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Read engaging stories containing sounds and words they have been taught.
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Develop their understanding of what they read by answering Find It and Prove It questions.
Writing
Through Read Write Inc., children learn to:
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Form letters correctly and write the letters or groups of letters that represent the 44 sounds.
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Spell words by identifying the sounds they can hear and using Fred Fingers to help them.
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Write simple sentences before progressing to more complex sentences.
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Develop their ideas and compose stories using story strips.
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Write a range of texts using discussion prompts and structured activities.
Speaking and Listening
Speaking and listening are an important part of every Read Write Inc. lesson. Children regularly work with a partner to:
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Answer questions and share ideas.
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Practise new skills and activities.
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Take turns speaking and listening.
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Encourage and praise one another.
These activities help children develop their confidence, communication skills and understanding.
How Can I Support My Child at Home?
Helping Your Child to Blend Sounds
Blending is an essential skill that helps children learn to read words independently.
In Read Write Inc., children use Fred Talk to say the individual sounds in a word before blending them together.
For example:
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c-a-t becomes cat
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sh-o-p becomes shop
When practising at home, encourage your child to say each sound clearly and then blend the sounds together to read the whole word.
It is important to use pure sounds. For example, say 'mmm' rather than 'muh' and 'sss' rather than 'suh'. Adding an extra 'uh' sound can make blending more difficult.
As your child becomes more confident, encourage them to blend sounds more quickly until they can read familiar words without sounding them out.
Supporting Your Child with Spelling
Once children reach the Green level of Read Write Inc., they begin to receive spellings linked to the sounds and words they are learning in their phonics lessons.
These spellings help children practise and reinforce their learning. Their progress is recorded in their books.
Please encourage your child to practise their spellings regularly at home. As children progress through the Read Write Inc. levels, the number of spellings they receive will gradually increase.
Reading Books Sent Home
Children bring home reading materials matched to their current phonics knowledge and reading ability. This allows them to practise the sounds and words they have already learnt and build confidence and fluency.
Reception – Learning the First Sounds
Children who are learning the first 44 sounds and are not yet blending fluently will bring home sound sheets to practise.
Once children can blend sounds fluently and have learnt the first 44 sounds, they will begin bringing home Red Ditty books.
Green to Orange Levels
Children working at Green to Orange levels will bring home a Read Write Inc. reading book. These books are usually changed every three to four days.
Yellow to Grey Levels
Children working at Yellow to Grey levels will also bring home a Read Write Inc. reading book. As these books contain longer stories, they are usually changed once a week.
How to Read a Read Write Inc. Book with Your Child
Before your child begins reading their book, we recommend following these steps:
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Speed Sounds: Encourage your child to read the sounds on the Speed Sounds page.
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Green and Red Words: Practise reading the Green Words (words children can sound out) and Red Words (words containing spellings they have not yet been taught or that are less straightforward to sound out).
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Vocabulary Check: Talk about the words on the vocabulary page to make sure your child understands their meanings.
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Read the Story: Encourage your child to read the book aloud, using expression and a natural reading pace.
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Find It and Prove It: Use the questions at the back of the book to discuss the story and check your child's understanding.
Why has my child already read this book at school?
Your child will usually have read their Read Write Inc. storybook at least three times during their phonics lessons before bringing it home.
This repetition is intentional. It helps children move from sounding out words to reading accurately, fluently and with expression.
By the time your child brings the book home, they should be familiar with the story and able to read it with increasing confidence.
Please encourage your child to read their book more than once and celebrate their progress. Reading together, talking about stories and praising their efforts can make a real difference to their confidence and enjoyment of reading.
