EYFS - RWI

At Churchfield we teach children to read and write using a phonics programme called Read, Write, Inc (RWI). RWI is a method of teaching reading and writing which supports children to learn the sounds of the letters and then blend them together to read words. The children also learn to break down words into individual sounds in order to write them.

When using RWI to read, the children:

Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts.
Learn to read words using 'Fred Talk' and then by blending these sounds together (e.g. d-o-g, dog)
Read lively stories featuring words they have learnt to sound out.
Learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into understanding what they read.
Show that they understand the stories by answering 'Find It' and 'Prove it' discussion questions.

When using RWI to write, the children:

Spell effortlessly so that they can put their energy into working out what they want to write.
Learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds (graphemes).
Learn to write words by saying the sounds in 'Fred Talk'.
Learn to write simple and then increasingly complex sentences.

Blending

Children learn to read words by blending the letter sounds that are in the Speed Sound sets. Help your child learn to read words by sound-blending e.g. c-a-t = cat. Help children to say the pure sounds, as quickly as they can and then to blend the sounds together to say the whole word. Please only use letter sounds at home, not letter names. You can find helpful videos on the left which give guidance on how to pronounce each letter sound and how to support your child in their blending at home.

Click here to view the RWI parent website

Sets of Sounds

Set 1 Sounds

Children learn these sounds in Reception.

Set 2 Sounds

Children learn these sounds at the end of Reception.

Set 3 Sounds

Children learn these sounds in Year 1.

Speed sound lesson with adult

Children are taught in streamed groups according to their phonics ability. We continuously monitor the children's progress and adapt the groupings as necessary.

The children apply the skills that they have learnt in their RWI sessions in the independent writing.

The children read a RWI book with an adult each week which is matched to the sounds that they have been learning and their reading level. They then bring this book home to practise with parents and carers.

How do the children remember how to write each letter?

To help the children with their writing, we use the following mnemonics (sayings) to help them remember the correct letter formation. When you support your child at home with their writing, it would be helpful if you also referred to these mnemonics.

Home Reading

Each week, children bring home a new RWI book to read to their parents/carers. They will have already read this book with one of the teachers in their class. This book will only contain sounds that the children have already learnt and so they will be able to attempt reading it independently.

It is important that your child practises reading this book daily (if possible). It can be quite repetitive but this is an important part of the process of learning to read. Please ensure you sign your child's 'Reading Record Book' weekly. You will also see comments from your child's teacher in this book with tips and advise on how to support your child's reading at home.