Virtual Library - Phonics: Read Write Inc

What is Read Write Inc?

Meet Fred

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Handwriting

Phonics Screening Check

Downloadable Resources

Parents Videos

At Jupiter, all children develop a love of reading and learn to read accurately and fluently.
Children develop the skills needed to read in their early months at the school through a systematic approach to learning to read.

We want your child to love reading – and to want to read for themselves. This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books and literacy as well as simply learning to read.

What is Read Write Inc?

Read Write Inc. Phonics is a comprehensive literacy programme that aims to get children reading and writing quickly. The programme enables our teachers here at Jupiter, to develop the children's skills in reading, writing, spoken language, vocabulary, grammar and spelling.

Meet Fred

Let us introduce you to Fred.

We practise blending orally so children will find word-reading easier and Fred helps our children learn to blend sounds into a word.

Fred can only speak in sounds, which we call 'Fred Talk'.

Fred helps all of our children to blend orally quickly and with confidence.

Set 1

We start by teaching just one way of reading and writing every sound.
Here they are on the Simple Speed Sounds chart.

We teach the children simple ways of remembering these sounds and letters.

The children also practise reading what we call ‘red words’, such as ‘once,’ ‘have,’ ‘said’ and ‘where’.

The children practise their reading with books that match the phonics and the ‘tricky words’ they know. They start thinking that they can read and this does wonders for their confidence.

Children need to know sounds – not letter names – to read words.

We say the sounds in a way to make them easy to blend into a word.

We aim to eliminate the ‘uh’ at the end of the sound.

Set 2

Once the children are secure with the initial sounds, we then teach the Set 2 sounds which are shaded below.

They are long vowel sounds with 2 or more letters.
We call these ‘Special Friends’ – two letters together that make one sound.

We use a rhyme and picture card to help children to remember both Set 2 and Set 3 sounds.

For example, ay, may I play? aw, yawn at dawn.

Set 3

Once children know how to read Set 2 sounds, they start to learn Set 3 sounds.

You will notice that they are actually are the same sounds as in Set 2 but with a different spelling. We say "same sound, different spelling".

Handwriting

We follow the Read Write Inc. way of letter formation, using rhymes to help the children remember the correct way to form each letter.

Once the basics are there, children then develop their confidence and as they move through the school, working towards gaining their pen licenses.

You can download a copy of the handwriting phrases below.

Phonics Screening Check

By the end of Year 1, we want all of our children to be able to read accurately – to read both familiar and unfamiliar words - so that they can go on to become a fluent, enthusiastic reader.

The Phonics Screening Check in year 1 is a word reading test to check children can read sounds in words accurately. Children read 40 words. It takes between two and five minutes.

If they do not manage to read 32 of the words successfully, they are given extra support, and repeat the check at the end of Year 2. This means that all children will be kept on track and able to read accurately before they move up the school.

Half of the words in the check are real words. Half are nonsense words.
For example, ‘sheb’, ‘glight’, ‘ched’, ‘teb’.

There is a picture of an alien next to each word to remind the children that it isn’t a real word.

These nonsense words check that children will be able to read the sounds they know in unfamiliar words. Children who can read nonsense words will, very soon, be able to read any new word – for example – gargantuan, flailing, raucous, anticipation; Reading new words increases children’s vocabulary rapidly.