Intent
At Mapplewell Primary School, we follow the Read Write Inc phoneme-led programme that enables all children to make connections between the sounds they hear and the letters that represent these sounds.
We have developed a consistent approach throughout school based on the Read Write Inc. system but is adapted to meet the needs of all our pupils.
Ensuring Every Child is a Reader
At Mapplewell Primary School we believe that once a child can read it opens many pathways to achieve in other areas. Reading develops children’s imagination, extends their vocabulary and is skill which is important in all walks of life. That is why at Mapplewell Primary School we prioritise Early Reading, teaching a carefully planned sequence of lessons on a daily basis and providing appropriate intervention to ensure all of our pupils keep up. In addition to identifying children who need additional intervention we can also target children who are exceeding age related expectations and challenge appropriately.
Throughout school we strive to encourage a rounded approach to developing early reading proficiency and at Mapplewell Primary School we believe that fidelity to the Read Write Inc. programme is the best way to introduce children to the joy of reading.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a method of teaching people to read by correlating sounds with symbols in an alphabetic writing system.
Synthetic phonics has been proven to be the most effective approach to developing early Reading proficiency and at Mapplewell Primary School we believe this is the best way to introduce children to the joy of reading.
Implementation
Learn to read in order to read to learn.
Our whole school approach begins in Foundation Stage 1 where we concentrate on developing children’s speaking and listening skills.
The emphasis in Foundation Stage 1 is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills.
We understand that these skills are vital and should continue to be developed throughout KS1 and KS2.
In foundation stage 1 phonics is divided into seven aspects:
- Environmental sounds
- instrumental sounds
- body percussion
- rhythm and rhyme
- alliteration
- voice sounds
- oral blending and segmenting
Foundation Stage 2 and KS1
Phonics continues into Foundation Stage 2 and Key Stage 1. Pupils are grouped according to individual needs and ability.
Daily Phonics Lessons
Children have a daily phonics lesson which lasts between 10 - 40 minutes depending on the stage they are at.
At Mapplewell Primary School we follow the Read Write Inc programme using the accelerated learning cycle.
In Read Write Inc Phonics lessons, children learn to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension. They learn to form each letter, spell correctly, build sentences based on ideas from the story book and apply grammar concepts linked to the story.
As children build up their knowledge of phonemes, they are able to apply their decoding skills to any unfamiliar word may it be real or nonsense. During lessons children also practice their skills by sounding out the letters in alien/nonsense words. Children are unable to rely on existing knowledge of real words, and instead have to use their grapheme-phoneme knowledge.
We believe an understanding of technical language is important and should be modelled by those teaching phonics sessions. Children are introduced and encourage to use the correct terminology when discussing phonics.
Phoneme
The smallest unit of sound
Grapheme
What we write to represent a sound/phoneme
Digraph
Two letters which make one sound e.g. ch, sh, ll and th.
Trigraph
Three letters which make one sound e.g. air, igh and ear
Split digraph
A digraph that is split by a consonant e.g. a-e as in cake.
RWI rhymes and phrases
Children rapidly learn the phonemes and graphemes that represent them. Simple and enjoyable mnemonics (memory phrases) help children to grasp the phoneme and grapheme correspondence quickly.
Impact
As children build up their knowledge of sounds, they are able to apply their decoding skills to any unfamiliar word may it be real or nonsense.
Once a child is secure in their phonic knowledge tans can fluently read ‘blue RWI books’, they will transition to LIRA.
LIRA
LIRA is a daily approach to teaching essential reading skills. The LIRA approach helps pupils develop comprehension skills based on literal, inference, readers response and author’s intent questions.
Reading at home
We promote reading at home and provide RWI books and library books that are carefully matched to a pupil’s phonic or reading level.
Reading books are levelled to match the progression in phonics in order to offer children a range of fiction and non-fiction texts to challenge them at an appropriate level and to ensure accelerated learning.
Foundation Stage 2 Expected Child
Year 1 Expected Child
Common Exception Words
Assessment
Children are assessed half termly and are grouped according to ability. In addition to identifying children who need additional intervention we can also target children who are exceeding age-related expectations and challenge appropriately.
Correct pronunciation
Your child is taught to say the sound for the letter and not the name, so ‘m’ as in ‘mat’, not ‘em’ and ‘s’ as in ‘sun’ not ‘es’.
Please visit - https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading-owl/find-a-book/read-write-inc-phonics-1/phonics-pure-sounds-video to practice saying the sounds clearly. The more clearly you say the sounds, the more quickly your child will learn.
We say ‘mmm’ not ‘muh’ and ‘lll’ not ‘luh’ when teaching the sounds. This really helps children when they learn to blend.
At Mapplewell Primary School we believe parents/carers are partners in their child’s educational journey and play a crucial role in developing a love for reading. To support our parents/carers to gain knowledge and understanding of phonics is taught we provide workshop sessions in Foundation Stage 1 & 2 and Year 1.
Our aims are that children should use phonics as their primary strategy for decoding words in order to read and subsequently use this strong foundation and other strategies in order to develop a life-long love for reading.