Reading, Writing and Phonics
At Washwood Heath Primary, we use a structured approach to teaching children how to use phonic sounds in their reading and writing, with the aim that children become fluent readers and accurate spellers.
At Washwood Heath Primary we follow the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme. This is a phonics programme which helps all children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling. It also allows them to spell effortlessly so that they can put all their energy into composing what they write. The children are assessed by the RWI lead teacher and grouped according to their ability. Small group phonics lessons are taught daily by trained staff and there are consistent expectations across the range of abilities. At the end of each half term the children are assessed to check on their progress and regrouped.
Our early reading lessons in EYFS and Year 1 link with the children's phonic skill level and decoding ability and they read from closely matched phonetically regular books to support them in developing reading fluency, comprehension and understanding and confidence in their reading ability.
In Year 2, when children at Washwood Heath Primary have completed the phonics teaching programme and have sufficient fluency and decoding skills, they will then begin the Read Write Inc Spelling Programme, which takes them through to Year 6. Both teaching approaches follow the structure of: review, teach, practise and apply.
During each academic year, parents in EYFS and Year 1 are invited to Phonic Workshops to introduce the teaching approach and to develop their understanding of how they can support their child at home.
We assess children every 6 weeks as part of the programme to identify any gaps in learning and to check and monitor progress. In addition to this the children take part in the statutory Phonics Screening Check at the end of Y1 which is designed by the government to assess how well children nationally have mastered the skill of using phonics. Children who do not meet the required pass mark in Year 1 will receive further support and phonics teaching in Year 2 and they can re-sit the test at the end of Year 2.
