At Gawthorpe, we teach phonics using the Read.Write.Inc phonics programme. Read. Write. Inc. is a rigorous, research-informed approach to phonics that gives children the best chance of learning the essential knowledge and skills that form the foundation of reading. Read. Write.Inc is carefully sequenced, ensuring that children are clearly taught all of the most important aspects of the code required for fluent reading. Where required, systematic interventions based on the Read.Write.Inc approach are used to ensure that all children have the best chance of success in learning to read.
Using Read, Write, Inc. 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 focus on composing what they write. The children are assessed and grouped according to their ability and they work with a teacher or teaching assistant in a small group. The Reading Leader ensures that children move through the programme at a good pace and continuously assesses the children. At the end of each half term all children are assessed and then put into new groups according to their phonic knowledge and fluency when reading.
Phonically controlled books (sometimes called decodables) that are precisely matched to the Read.Write.Inc phonics programme are employed throughout Reception and Year 1 as part of children’s daily reading diet. Children take home phonically controlled books each week to practise their decoding alongside a book of their choice from the reading corner of their classroom to be shared with their parents/carers.
Reading
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Writing
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Talking
The children
Five key principles underpin the teaching in all Read Write Inc. sessions:
Purpose – know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they know the one thing they should be thinking about
Participation – ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work is fundamental to learning
Praise – ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability
Pace – teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning
Passion – be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally.
In Read Write Inc phonics the individual sounds are called ‘speed sounds’ – because we want your child to read them effortlessly. Set 1 sounds are the single letter sounds and set 1 special friend sounds. They are taught in the following order;
m, a, s, d, t, i, n, p, g, o, c, k, u, b, f, e, l, h, sh, r, j, v, y, w, th, z, ch, qu, x, ng, nk.
There are 12 Set 2 ‘speed sounds’ that are made up of two or three letters which represent just one sound, e.g. ay as in play, ee as in tree and igh as in high. These are ‘special friend’ sounds.
When children are taught Set 2 sounds they will learn:
Each sound has a list of green words linked to it, so that the children have the opportunity to sound out and blend words containing the new sound they have been taught, for example, s-p-r-ay = spray.
When learning Set 3 speed sounds the children will be taught alternative sounds/graphemes, e.g. ee as in tree and ea as in tea.
The tables below show each sound, the associated phrase and example green words for set 1 special friend sounds, set 2 and 3 sounds and additional sounds that are taught.
| Sound | Phrase | Green Words |
|---|---|---|
| sh | ship, shop | |
| th | thing, thin | |
| ch | chip, chop, champ | |
| qu | queen, quack, quest | |
| ng | Thing on a string | thing, string, ring, king |
| nk | I think I stink | stink, think, link, sink |
| Sound | Phrase | Green Words |
|---|---|---|
| ay | May I play? | day, say, play, tray, today, |
| ee | What can you see? | see, feel, need, sleep, three |
| igh | Fly high | night, fight, flight, high |
| ow | Blow the snow | show, blow, flow, snow |
| oo | Poo at the zoo | zoom, moon, food, cool |
| oo | Look at a book | look, book, good, hood |
| ar | Start the car | star, bar, car, start, cart |
| or | Shut the door | sort, short, worn, horse |
| air | That’s not fair | fair, hair, chair, stair |
| ir | Whirl and twirl | whirl, twirl, shirt, skirt |
| ou | Shout it out | mouth, found, shout, loud |
| oy | Toy for a boy | toy, boy, employ, joy |
| Sound | Phrase | Green Words |
|---|---|---|
| a-e | Make a cake | make, cake, flake, bake |
| ea | Cup of tea | neat, real, clean, please |
| i-e | Nice smile | hide, shine, white, nice |
| o-e | Phone home | phone, bone, home, spoke |
| u-e | Huge brute | tune, rude, June, perfume |
| aw | Yawn at dawn | saw, law, raw, straw |
| are | Share and care | bare, spare, scare, flare |
| ur | Nurse with a purse | burn, turn, hurl, burp, lurk |
| ow | Brown cow | howl, down, brown, frown |
| oi | Spoil the boy | join, coin, voice, choice |
| ai | Snail in the rain | paint, train, rain, pain |
| e | He, she, me, be, we | he, she, we, be, me |
| oa | Goat in a boat | foat, throat, boat, float |
| ew | Chew the stew | Flew, blew, crew, new |
| er | A better letter | over, weather, never |
| ire | Fire, fire | spire, conspire, hire, fire |
| ear | Hear with your ear | fear, dear, gear, spear |
| ure | Sure it’s pure | picture, mixture, adventure |
| Sound | Phrase | Green Words |
|---|---|---|
| ue | Come to the rescue | rescue, blue, glue, clue |
| ie | Terrible tie | ties, tried, pie, lie |
| au | Paul the astronaut | Paul, August, author, pause |
| e-e | Go Steve and Pete | even, Steve, Pete, theme |
| kn | Knock knock, who’s there? | knight, knee, knock, knit, knot |
| ck | Tick tock clock | clock, pick, black, snack |
