At Abercarn Primary School we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their literacy. RWI is a method of learning centred around letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children with their reading and writing.

Reading opens the door to learning. A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.

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

READING 

The children:

• learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts
• learn to read words using sound blending
• read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out
• after meaningful discussion led by an adult children show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions

WRITING 

The children:

• learn to write the letters/letter groups which represent the 44 sounds
• learn to write words by saying the sounds and graphemes
• learn to build sentences orally using adventurous vocabulary
• start with simple sentences and develop towards more complex ones by the end of the programme
• compose a range of texts using discussion prompts

TALKING 
Children are assessed so they work with children at the same level. This allows them to take a full part in all lessons. 
They work in pairs so that they:

• answer every question
• practise every activity with their partner
• take turns in talking to each otherA

Blending

Help your child learn to read words by sounding-blending (Fred talk) eg. c-a-t = cat, sh-o-p = shop. Children learn to read words by blending the letter-sounds that are in the Speed Sounds set. Help your child to say the pure sounds ('m' not 'muh', 's' not 'suh' etc.) as quickly as they can, and then blend the sounds together to say the whole word.

Support your child at home using the guide below:

Spelling

Once your child starts on green level reading and writing books, they will be completing spellings.  These spellings support the learning that is taking place during phonic lesson's and results are recorded.Please support your child with learning their spellings. As children progress through the levels, the amount of spellings they bring home will increase.

Green words

'Green' words are phonetically decodable words that the children learn to read. They allow children to become fluent readers because regular reading of these words mean that they become familiar and are able to recognise/read them on sight. They can then use their knowledge of these words to read similar words more quickly.

• Green Words 1
• Green Words 2
• Green Words 3
• Green Words 4
• Green Words 5 
• Green Words 6
• Green Words 7

Red words

These are words that children will need to learn on sight because they contain parts that are not decodable. For example the word 'the' could be decoded as 'theh', but children must learn the correct pronunciation and spelling. They might only be red words until a specific sound is learnt or because people pronounce them differently in different parts of the country.

• Ditty books red words
• Green books red words
• Purple books red words
• Pink books red words
• Orange books red words
• Yellow books red words
• Blue books red words
• Grey books red words

Fred talk

 

Fred is our Read, Write Inc. mascot/friend. He can only speak in sounds though, so we have to help him learn to say words, instead of sounds. For example Fred says 'c-a-t' instead of cat. We also teach him not to add 'uh' to our sounds in order to keep them pure. For example we say 'c' and not 'cuh'.

Nonsense words

 

Research has shown that incorporating nonsense words into teaching reading can be an effective way to establish blending and segmenting skills. However it is important to ensure that children understand that they are reading nonsense words (and why) so that they are not confused by trying to read the words for meaning. By reading nonsense words children develop their ability to decode individual sounds and then blend them together to read. They are an indicator of early reading skills and work as a quick, reliable and valid way of assessing children. However reading nonsense words is only a small part of the Read, Write Inc. phonics teaching.

 

Below you can find some examples of nonsense words for each stage of Read, Write Inc. Of course, any number of nonsense words exist and the following lists are only to give an idea of the kinds of words that might be used.

• Nonsense words Set 1
• Nonsense words Set 2
• Nonsense words Set 3

Parent video: How to say the sounds