Littletown Primary Academy

Read Write Inc

At Littletown Primary Academy we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children in Reception and Key Stage One off to a flying start with their reading. We also use it in KS2 for those children who need a more targeted approach.

We strongly believe that reading is one of the most important skills that children can master at primary school. We want our children to read early and quickly so that they can not only enjoy reading, but use reading to learn.

Using RWI, the children learn to read effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into comprehending what they read. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write.

When using RWI to read the children will:

learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
learn to read words using Fred Talk (blending sounds together)
read stories competently featuring words they have learned to sound out
show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions.

When using RWI to write the children will:

learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent 44 sounds, using a helpful handwriting phrase.
learn to write words by saying the sounds using 'Fred Fingers'

What can you do at home?
We believe that teaching your child to read relies on a good partnership between home and school. When you are teaching your child to read at home, it is important that the sounds you say are the 'pure sounds. Please see the pronunciation video guide below.

We also have Virtual Classroom videos to watch with your child at home. These are different depending on your child's level. Please watch these videos often.

Letter Sounds
The children are taught 3 sets of letter sounds. We begin using letter names once the children are in Year 1 and are confidently reading.

Set 1 Sounds are taught in the following order together with rhymes to help children form the letters correctly and instantly recognise sounds ready for blending.

Set 1
Sound	Handwriting Rhyme
m	Down Maisie then over the two mountains. Maisie, mountain, mountain.
a	Round the apple, down the leaf.
s	Slither down the snake
d	Round the dinosaur's back, up his neck and down to his feet.
t	Down the tower, across the tower,
i	Down the insects body, dot for the head.
n	Down Nobby and over the net.
p	Down the plait, up and over the pirates face.
g	Round the girls face, down her hair and give her a curl
o	All around the orange
c	Curl around the caterpillar
k	Down the kangaroos body, tail and leg
u	Down and under the umbrella, up to the top and draw a puddle
b	Down the laces, to hell, round the toe
f	Down the stem and draw the leaves
e	Lift off the top and scoop out the egg
l	Down the long leg
h	Down the horse's head to the hooves and over his back
r	Down the robot's back, then curl over his arm
j	Down his body, curl and dot
v	Down a wing, up a wing
y	Down a horn, up a horn and under the yak's head.
w	Down, up, down, up the worm.
z	Zig-zag-zig, down the zip.
x	Down the arm and leg, repeat the other side
sh	Slither down the snake, then down the horse's head to the hooves and over his back
th	Down the tower, across the tower, then down the horse’s head to the hooves and over his back
ch	Curl around the caterpillar, , then down the horse's head to the hooves and over his back
qu	Round the queen’s head, up past her earrings and down her hair
ng	Sound Rhyme: A thing on a string
nk	Sound Rhyme: I think I stink

The children are then taught Set 2 Sounds - the long vowels. When they are very confident with all of set 1 and 2 they are taught Set 3 Sounds.

Long vowel sound	Set 2 Speed Sound & Rhyme	Set 3 Speed Sound & Rhyme
ay	ay: may I play	a-e: make a cake	ai: snail in the rain
ee	ee: what can you see	ea: cup of tea	e: he me we she be
igh	igh: fly high	i-e: nice smile
ow	ow: blow the snow	o-e: phone home	oa: goat in a boat
oo	oo: poo at the zoo	u-e: huge brute	ew: chew the stew
oo	oo: look at a book
ar	ar: start the car
or	or: shut the door	aw: yawn at dawn
air	air: that’s not fair	are: share and care
ir	ir: whirl and twirl	ur: nurse for a purse	er: a better letter
ou	ou: shout it out	ow: brown cow
oy	oy: toy for a boy	oi: spoil the boy
ire		ire: fire fire!
ear		ear: hear with your ear
ure		ure: sure it’s pure?

Nonsense words (Alien words)
As well as learning to read and blend real words children will have plenty of opportunities to apply their sound recognition skills on reading ‘Nonsense words’. These words will also feature heavily in the Year One Phonics Screening check in the summer term.

Books
When children are confidently blending they will be introduced to Sound Blending Books to share at home. We will then move the children onto Ditty Sheets to practise reading simple short sentences. Once the children know all Set 1 sounds, including special friends 'sh' 'ch' 'th' 'ng' 'nk' and 'qu', they will be introduced to ‘Red Ditty books’. Children will then be assessed regularly by the Reading Leader and/or the Assessment Team and moved on to further books as and when appropriate.

Within all the books children will have red and green words to learn to help them to become speedy readers. Red words are words that are not easily decodable and challenge words to extend children’s vocabulary. Green words are linked to the sounds they have been learning and are easily decodable.

If you would like any further information, the Ruth Miskin Website and Oxford Owl has a plethora of useful videos and information.

http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/parents/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/

RWI Presentation to Parents

Useful Resources

What is Read Write Inc Phonics?