Phonics and Early Reading
"Phonics is the combining of sounds and symbols. It opens the door to reading."
In the English National Curriculum, phonics instruction aims to help young learners connect spoken sounds (phonemes) with written symbols (graphemes), ultimately enabling them to read fluently and improve their spelling.
Intent
We aim for all of our children to learn the 75 sounds, in line with Read Write Inc., to recognise and read them in words, to blend the sounds in words and to move from decoding words to reading words with fluency and prosody.
Implementation
Our teaching begins with listening to and making different sounds and rhymes. We orally segment and blend words, and begin the teaching of Read Write Inc. in our nursery. Read Write Inc is taught daily to all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (until they have completed the programme). Children in KS2 continue to learn phonics using RWI until they have completed the programme and are fluent and confident readers.
In each RWI session, children are taught a 'speed sound lesson', where they are taught a sound and read words with the sound in them. Children are challenged with reading words with previously learnt sounds, and longer words. The second half of the phonics session focuses on reading an appropriately pitched and decodable book. The children will, in general, read this book three times before bringing it home to read.
Impact
From following RWI with fidelity, the children at Heartwood have exceeded the national average in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check for the past 3 years. The impact is that children are able to decode unfamiliar words, read with fluency and also with prosody.
The Year One Phonics Screening Check will take place during the week commencing Monday 9th June 2025. Year 1 children will take part in a National Phonic Screening Check where they are asked to sound out and blend 40 words. Some of these words are real words and some are alien words.
The Government sets a pass mark each year after the children have all completed the tests. If your child doesn't read the recommended number of words in the check in Year 1 they will resit a new check the following year in Year 2. You will receive information on how many words your child read in their end of year report in July.
Read Write Inc. Information
Videos on how to support with reading at home below:
