Phonics
At Hawkesley, the systematic, synthetic phonics programme we use is Read Write Inc Phonics (RWI). We are fully committed to this programme as we feel it gives your child the best possible start. On this page you will find some more information, useful links and of course our school policy.
If you have questions about RWI, please contact school and you will be referred to a member of staff who can help you. Please take the time to read the information as it will provide invaluable information as to how you can help and support your child in reading.
What is Phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read quickly and skilfully. Children are taught how to:
- Recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes;
- Identify the sounds that different combinations of letters (Special friends) make – such as ‘sh’ or ‘oo’; and
- Blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word.
Children can then use this knowledge to ‘decode’ (Fred Talk) new words that they hear or see. This is the first important step in learning to read.
Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way – starting with the simplest sounds (set 1) and progressing through to the most complex – it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read. It is particularly helpful for children aged five to seven.
Almost all children who receive good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They can then go on to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment. Children will also become confident phonetic spellers. This will then lead into teaching the children different spelling rules to help develop more accurate spelling.
What is Read Write Inc?
Read Write Inc (RWI) is an inclusive phonics programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. The programme is designed for children aged 4-7. However, at Hawkesley, we begin the programme in the summer term of Nursery and will continue teaching RWI to children beyond the age of 7 if they still require support in their reading.
We use a rigorous approach to assessment where children’s progress is assessed half-termly to ensure that children are keeping pace with the programme. If there any gaps in the children’s learning in Key Stage Two who have gaps with their letter-sound correspondence or need additional support with early reading, will receive interventions to address these gaps.
Please see our video our staff made about some key Read Write Inc terminology:
Phonics Screening Test –
At the end of Year 1 children are assessed using the National Phonics Screening Test and this is repeated for those who did not achieve the appropriate level at the end of Year 2. This assessment gathers information on the children’s ability to blend and segment decodable words to read.
The children will sit on a one to one basis in a relaxed environment and read 40 decodable words. If a child reads a word incorrectly, the teacher will just move onto the next word. Some words are real words and some are ‘alien’ words. The test is very child friendly and is a great assessment tool for teachers. Here are some examples of ‘alien’ words!
Useful websites for Parents
Please find a list of websites that you may find useful in helping you and your child learn about phonics. Games and fun activity websites are also included.
http://jollylearning.co.uk/ – games and information for parents
http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ – fun games for the children to play
http://www.ictgames.com/literacy.html – fun games for the children to play
http://www.starfall.com/ – fun games for the children to play
http://www.firstschoolyears.com/ – fun games for the children to play