Phonics at Croyland is taught through the Read Write Inc scheme. This is a method of learning letter sounds and blending them together to read and write words. As part of this, children have daily phonics sessions in small groups where they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their developing needs. These sessions match each child’s ability with the intent that ALL children learn to read.

 

Teach a child to read and keep that child reading and we will change everything.

And I mean everything.

Jeanette Winterson

At Croyland Primary School reading and enabling your child to become an independent reader as soon as possible is our priority.  To do this we have an extensive and robust reading system in place, at the core of which is a highly effective phonics programme taught on a daily basis.

Word-reading is one of the essential dimensions of reading; the other is comprehension.  Skilled word-reading involves working out the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and recognising familiar printed words. Underpinning both of these is the understanding that letters represent the sounds in spoken words. Fluent decoding supports pupils’ comprehension, because they don’t have to devote mental energy to individual words.  A good grasp of phonics is also important for spelling, contributing to fluency and confidence in writing. (DfE 2012)  

 

Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing by correlating sounds with letters or groups of letters.  There are 44 sounds in the English language which we put together to form words.  Some sounds are represented by one letter like the 't' in tin, whilst other sounds are represented by two or more letters like 'ck' in duck. 

Children are taught the sounds, how to match them to letters and finally how to use the letter sounds for reading and spelling.

 

The scheme used at Croyland Primary School to teach phonics is called Read, Write, Inc'.  This scheme was developed by the Ruth Miskin in 2006.  Read Write Inc. Phonics is a structured programme – designed to ensure all children learn to read accurately and fluently.

How does the school teach phonics?

In Read Write Inc. Phonics lessons, children lead to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension. They learn to form each letter, spell correctly and compose their ideas step-by-step.

Within the programme, children learn the English alphabetic code. They rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them in the three sets of Speed Sound Lessons. Books are closely matched to children’s knowledge of phonics. Repeated readings of the text support their increasing fluency.

Reading: Children read the story three times. On the first read, children focus on accurate word reading. The second read develops fluency and the third will focus on comprehension.

Writing: As with reading, the alphabetic code is embedded first, so that children can write simple words early on and build on their success. The children write every day, rehearsing out loud what they want to write, until they are confident enough to write independently. They write at the level of their spelling knowledge.

Grouping: Children are assessed and grouped according to their phonic knowledge. Each child reads books that match their phonic knowledge. On going assessment means that groups are constantly adjusted to ensure best progress for each child.

Want to help at home?

Parents will be notified as to the colour that their child is working on so that they can help their child at home. Please find below some recommended online resources. It is important that parents use the same pure pronunciation of sounds to those used in school, please watch the video and practise with your child at home.

 

Ruth Miskin Parents’ Page:

http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/parents/

Ruth Miskin Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/miskin.education

Free e-books for home reading:

http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Reading/