Early Reading at Springwell Park 

At Springwell Park, we are dedicated to creating fluent, confident and passionate readers. Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that distinguish one word from another in the English language. Written language can be compared to a code, so knowing the sounds of individual letters and how those letters sound when they’re combined will help children decode words as they read. Understanding phonics will also help children know which letters to use when they are writing words. In order to help produce fluent readers, we use a synthetic phonics programme when teaching early literacy skills to our children (synthetic phonics is simply the ability to convert a letter or letter group into sounds that are then blended together into a word). 

In order to achieve very high standards in reading, each child in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1  participate in a daily discrete phonic session following the Read Write Inc Phonics scheme. This is a structured programme, designed to ensure all children learn to read accurately and fluently. 

Fidelity to the scheme

We pride ourselves on our commitment to fidelity to our phonics scheme. All teachers at our school, irrespective of whether they teach early reading, have received RWI training. Not only do we work closely with our RWI consultant (enjoying Development Days and regular virtual sessions with the Reading Leads), but we also have regular staff meetings and INSETs using the official RWI accredited training videos.  Our Reading Leaders also regularly 'coach', where they team teach and model good practice to Early Reading Leaders. 

Assessment 

Our children are regularly assessed to ensure they are in the appropriate group. It is very important to us that the children receive the correct level of challenge so that they make accelerated progress. 

The children who are not on track (assessed against our progression grid) receive additional phonics intervention in the afternoon, including Pinny Time and Fred Games. We pride ourselves on the fact that we never let a child fall behind.

How will RWI be Taught? 

In order to ensure full fidelity to the phonics programme, we follow the 'Making a Strong Start to Nursery/Reception' RWI handbook. 

Our Nursery children enjoy developing a language and storytelling rich environment. Our nursery children encounter the RWI non-verbal signals and enjoy becoming familiar with nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Once this is secure, the children enjoy set encountering set 1 sounds and rhymes. 

Our reception children start off with whole class set 1 sound sessions, with small group letter formation in the afternoon. In accordance with the RWI handbook, the children are then assessed and placed into progress groups and streamed across the year group. 

The children in years 1 and 2 are streamed across the key stage in progress groups. 

The children:

• learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts – see below.
• learn to read words using Fred talk and sound blending. 
• read from a range of storybooks and non-fiction books matched to their phonic knowledge
• work well with partners
• develop comprehension skills in stories by answering 'Find It' and 'Prove It' discussion questions

 Writing

The children:

• learn to write and form the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds with the help of fun phrases
• learn to write words by using Fred Talk

Talking

They work in pairs so that they:

• answer every question
• practise every activity with their partner
• take turns in talking and reading to each other
• develop ambitious vocabulary

Fred Talk 

At school we use a puppet called Fred who can only speak in sounds, not whole words. We call this Fred Talk. For example, Fred would say d-o-g, we would say dog. Your child is taught to hear sounds and blend them together in sequence to make a word.

Fred Fingers

Fred Fingers are used for spelling. Your child is taught to sound out the word they are spelling and put up the correct number of fingers for the sounds they can hear in that word. For example: m-ee-t = 3 sounds = 3 fingers. When your child starts to write words, they will be taught to use their 'Fred Fingers':

• Say the word.
• Hold up correct number of Fred Fingers.
• Palm facing you.
• Say the word again.
• Pinch the sounds. (Gently pinch each finger as you say the sound)
• Write the sounds.
• Add sound buttons/dashes.

Sound Buttons and Dashes 

Sound buttons are circles or spots that can be written underneath a sound to support reading.  Your child will be taught to say the sound aloud as they touch the sound button.   If reading a diagraph (two letters making one sound) or trigraph (three letters making one sound), your child will know that this sound is represented by a dash underneath the letters which make the sound. See above in the word play, 'ay' is a diagraph, so has the dash underneath

Fred in your Head 

Your child's teacher will hold up a green word (close to their chest), giving your child time to mime the sounds, and will then push the word forward as a signal  for your child to say the whole word (as opposed to blending individual sounds).  This will be repeated over a period of time, until your child can say the word straight away. Your child will start off initially mouthing the sounds silently and then saying the whole word to saying the whole word straight away.

The sounds the children will learn:

Set 1:

Set 2: 

Set 3:

Home Reading

Children who are still accessing phonics take home a phonetically decodable phonics book that is matched to their phonetic ability.  The children will read this storybook three times in their phonics group with their partner. Re-reading the same book helps children to become confident readers. Each time they re-read, they build their fluency and comprehension. The fact that they can phonetically decode the words makes the children develop a love of reading and enthusiasm. On the third day, your child will take home that same book and enjoy showcasing their skills and knowledge to you - they will be able to read it to you like a storyteller. On the third day, your child will take home that same book and enjoy showcasing their skills and knowledge to you - they will be able to read it to you like a storyteller. 

As well as the storybook, the children also take home the corresponding 'Book Bag Book' and also a RfP text that the child can read with their adult to develop communication and a reading for pleasure ethos.