Moulton School

At Moulton School we are passionate about ensuring all children become confident and enthusiastic readers and writers. We believe that Read, Write, Inc (RWI) phonics provides the foundations of learning to make the development into fluent reading easier. Children learn to read fluently and at speed so they can focus on developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. Through RWI phonics children learn a simple alphabetic code followed by a more complex code. All reading books progress cumulatively, matched to the sound’s children are learning and already know. The teaching of phonics is of high priority.

As a school, we teach synthetic phonics as the initial, and most important, approach to the teaching of reading. Our pupils learn to read effectively using the Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics Programme which is a systematic programme for the teaching of phonics. We want all pupils to begin their journey to read with confidence and develop a love of reading.

 We aim to ensure that all pupils:

• Decode letter-sound correspondences quickly and effortlessly, using their phonic knowledge and skills
• Read common exception words on sight
• Understand what they read
• Read aloud with fluency and expression

The RWI programme is delivered to:

• Pupils in EYFS to Year 2 who are learning to read and write
• Any pupils in Years 2, 3 and 4 who need to catch up rapidly

 We group our children within their year group and use early identification to support any children that are falling behind. Teachers use a variety of intervention methods to support the children that may ‘fall’. This intervention is given in addition to the whole group session and is tailored to the individual needs of the children.

In Reception, we emphasise the alphabetic code. The pupils rapidly learn sounds and the letter or groups of letters they need to represent them. Simple mnemonics help them to grasp this quickly. This is especially useful for pupils at risk of making slower progress. This learning is consolidated daily. Pupils have frequent practice in reading high frequency words with irregular spellings (red words).

We make sure that pupils read books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and the common exception words. This is so that, early on, they experience success and gain confidence that they are readers. Re-reading and discussing these books with the teacher supports their increasingly fluent decoding.

Alongside this, teachers regularly read a wide range of stories, poetry and non-fiction to pupils.

Embedding the alphabetic code early on means that pupils quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. We encourage them to compose each sentence aloud until they are confident to write independently. We make sure they write every day.

Children in Key Stage 1 continue to be taught phonics. Children in Year 1 complete the phonics screening check at the end of the year.

It is our aim that children in Year 2 complete the RWI programme by end of the autumn term in Year 2.

We assess all pupils following Read Write Inc. Phonics using the Entry and Assessment 1, 2 and 3 at least half termly. Regular assessments ensure that children receive targeted teaching quickly according to their needs. Children who are at risk of falling behind the programme’s pace and expectations are given additional support.

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage 1. The children read books in line with their phonics knowledge. Once they have reached the end of the RWI books and are reading fluently, they enter the Accelerated reading scheme. Children can then focus on developing fluency and comprehension throughout the school. Embedding the alphabetic code early on means that children quickly learn to write simple words and sentences. Attainment in phonics is measured by the phonics screening test at the end of Year 1 and ongoing termly assessment throughout the Read, Write, Inc programme using the tracking system ‘Phonics Tracker’. 

Parental help and support:

Read Write Inc. Parental Booklet 1

Read Write Inc. Parental Booklet 2

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 For further help and support please visit the Oxford Owl website.