KS1 Phonics/Reading
At Tiger Primary School, early reading and writing skills are embedded within daily Read Write Inc lessons.
By focusing on the teaching of reading in the Early Years and KS1, using a synthetic phonics scheme, children learn to read unfamiliar printed words by blending (decoding) and speedily recognise familiar printed words by sight. We want all children to enjoy and experience early success in learning to read. We are committed to developing children’s love of reading and to help them to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know.
These principles and features characterise our approach to the teaching of reading using Read Write Inc:
- Teachers teach Read Write Inc using a detailed, proven step-by-step teaching scheme; where children are first taught simple GPCs, to accurately blend taught sounds, to decode simple words containing taught graphemes and then to read specifically designed books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words.
- Pupils are taught within small groups, across both reception classes in EYFS and across year groups in Key Stage 1, which reflect their performance in Read Write Inc phonics assessments. We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ability to read ‘tricky words’ so they experience early reading success and gain confidence that they are readers.
- Regular assessment ensures that pupils are taught in homogeneous groups which match their phonic knowledge and reading level. Pupils making speedy progress move groups quickly. Those pupils making steady progress continue at an appropriate pace matched to their reading level. Those pupils making slower progress are usually taught in smaller groups and generally receive additional small group or one-to-one intervention.
Children will have the opportunity of practising the speed sounds that they have learned at school with their parents/carers. When children can blend independently, Read Write Inc ditties and Storybooks will be sent home so that children can read these books to their parents. Children must read their book three times before the book is changed. This is because each read through of the book focusses on specific skills; decoding, reading with expression, accuracy and fluency as well as reading for comprehension. We also send home a list of irregular words (red words) that need to be known by sight and cannot be decoded using common graphemes.
We encourage parents to help their child learn to read. Use the following link to gain further information:
