reading and phonics at the meon valley federation
Phonics
At Meon Valley Federation, we follow the Read Write Inc. (RWI) systematic synthetic approach for teaching early reading. The programme gets all children reading and writing quickly. We aim for all children to become fluent and confident readers, who develop a love for reading.
How will RWI be taught?
Children are taught daily by reading teachers. All our reading teachers have completed the 2 day Read Write Inc training and are experts in teaching early reading. Children are allocated to a reading group every half term following rigorous assessment completed by Phonics Lead. This ensures that all children are reading books matched to the sounds they already know, which in turn develops their confidence in reading. In addition, any children who need further support can be identified quickly and a specific, targeted tutoring programme is put in place.
What are the 5 Principles that underpin the daily teaching?
Purpose – know the purpose of every activity and share it with the children, so they know the one thing they should be thinking about.
Participation – ensure every child participates throughout the lesson. Partnership work is fundamental to learning.
Praise – ensure children are praised for effort and learning, not ability.
Pace – teach at an effective pace and devote every moment to teaching and learning.
Passion – be passionate about teaching so children can be engaged emotionally.
What does phonics look like in Reception?
All children will learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down.
To find out more watch this short clip.
Autumn Term
Children will have a daily phonics lesson lasting 20 minutes. They will be taught letter sounds then in smaller groups they will learn letter formation, reading words (word time) and play Fred Talk games.
By the end of October, we would expect most children to know Set 1 (single letter sounds) and begin to blend. By the end of December, we would expect most children to know all Set 1 sounds and Set 1 Special Friends and be able to blend orally.
Spring Term
Children will have a daily phonics lesson lasting 30 minutes progress groups. They will be taught letter sounds then in smaller groups will begin to read Ditties and for some story books. Some children will be ready to join the groups across KS1.
By the end of February, we would expect most children to be reading Ditties.
Summer Term
Children will have a daily phonics lesson lasting 40 minutes alongside the KS1 children. They will continue to learn additional sounds, read and spell words, and read coloured story books.
By the end of April, we would expect most children to be reading red story books, ending the year reading green story books.
In addition to our daily phonics lesson, we use Fred Talk and play Fred Talk games and support parents by sending links to sounds learnt weekly via Tapestry.
Fred Talk and Fred Talk games
Speaking like Fred helps children to understand that words are made up of sounds. All staff will use Fred Talk throughout the day to help children practise blending sounds together.
What does phonics look like in KS1?
Children continue with the Read, Write Inc. programme but will work on Set 2 and Set 3 sounds and begin to read longer words and books with the sounds they know. Daily sessions of RWI phonics last for 40 minutes., where children will be learning and recapping sounds, reading words with new and known sounds and spelling words with these sounds. 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.
They will work in a reading pair to read books. Children will read books 3 times before they bring them home to share with parents.
Read 1 – read words accurately
Read 2 – read fluently
Read 3 – read with a 'storyteller voice' that shows their understanding.
Phonics Screening Check
This will take place during June for all year 1 children and year 2 children who were not successful in year 1. Children will become familiar with the screening process during the year.
Phonics Screening Check Information for parents.
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