Phonics in Year 1

Read Write Inc Phonics

As a school we implemented a phonics and reading programme called Read, Write, Inc.

Learning to read is the most important thing your child will learn at our school. Everything else depends on it, so we want to put as much energy as we possibly can into making sure that every single child learns to read as quickly as possible. We want your child to love reading – and to want to read for themselves. This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.

How will my child be taught to read?

We start by teaching phonics to the children in the Foundation Stage and this continues into KS1. This means that they learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down. This is essential for reading, but it also helps children learn to spell well. We teach the children simple ways of remembering these sounds and letters.

What can I do to help? Is there anything that I shouldn’t do?

Help your child to sound out the letters in words and then ‘point and sweep’ the sounds together to make a whole word. Try not to refer to the letters by their names. Help your child to focus on the ‘pure’ sounds. You can hear how to say the sounds correctly by searching on YouTube for ‘Read Write Inc. Phonemes Pronunciation Guide’. Your child will learn letter sounds in a certain order which are set out below.

We know parents and carers are very busy people. But if you can find time to read to your child as much as possible, it helps him or her to learn about books and stories. They also learn new words and what they mean. Show that you are interested in reading yourself and talk about reading as a family. You can find out about good stories to read to your child here: http://www.ruthmiskintraining.com/teacher-support/17/index.htm