Bolshaw Primary SchoolHow do we teach Phonics and early Reading
This page is to help you understand how we teach phonics and early reading at Bolshaw Primary School and the part that you can play in helping your child become a confident and fluent reader. Our aim is for all our children to become independent, life long readers, able to read a wide range of texts for a variety of purposes with understanding and for pleasure. We welcome and encourage support from home in the teaching of phonics and reading. We work in joint partnership between home and school to help children develop this vital skill.
Intent
Out of everything we do at Bolshaw, teaching reading is our most important job.
Our aim is to teach all children to decode unfamiliar words by the time they leave Year 1. From Year 2 onwards, we aim to teach children to read with fluency, expression and understanding and to use what they have read to broaden their understanding of the wider curriculum.
We aim to create a love of reading, by sharing daily high quality books with our children, by reading to and with them, and by supporting our parents to make reading an enjoyable part of their daily routine.
We choose books that make our children think and question. Our books both reflect the community in which the children live and introduce them to lives different from their own. Children read widely across the curriculum, in all forms, including non-fiction books, magazines and newspapers and digital formats.
Implementation
In Septmeber 2022 we launched our new phonics and reading progrmame, Red Write Inc. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 take part in daily phonics sessions. These are fun sessions involving lots of speaking, listening and games, where the emphasis is on children’s active participation. They learn to use their phonic knowledge for reading and writing activities and in their independent learning during the day.
Read Write Inc & Phonics Teaching
At Bolshaw 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 round letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in 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.
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
- read lively stories 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.
- learn to write words by saying the sounds in Fred Talk
- write simple sentences
How you can help your child at home
Throughout every year we hold various phonics and reading workshops for parents.
Ask your teacher for advice on how your child is doing in phonics, and whether there are certain areas you should focus on at home. Every child learns differently. If your child struggles with phonics, your child’s teacher will have already contacted you to discuss the extra support they are receiving and ways you can support them at home.