Read Write Inc.

At Somerford Primary School we passionately believe that teaching children to read and write independently, as quickly as possible, is one of the core purposes of a primary school. These fundamental skills not only hold the keys to the rest of the curriculum but also have a huge impact on children’s self-esteem and future aspirations. We use the Read, Write, Inc (RWI) programme to teach decoding, comprehension, writing and spelling together seamlessly to enable children to become proficient readers and writers by the end of KS1. 

What is Read, Write, Inc?

RWI is a consistent, rigorous and dynamic literacy programme to teach EVERY child to read by the end of KS1. Using synthetic phonics, children quickly learn to blend letter sounds together following a fun and effective programme.

Synthetic phonics is simply the ability to convert a letter or letter group into sounds that are then blended together into a word.

Through the RWI programme, we teach children to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information;
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.

Who will be following the programme?

All children in Reception and KS1 will be following the programme. After initial assessment, they will be placed in groups that are based on a ‘Stage not Age’ system so that each child is following the appropriate part of the programme to meet their needs.

The programme can also be followed by children in KS2 in order to address any additional phonics needs that they might have.

How often will my child read with a teacher?

Children will read their RWI books three times per week with a trained member of staff (e.g. the class teacher, teaching assistant or other support staff).  These books will be kept in school.  Your child will still bring home a reading book and it is still important that you listen to your child read every day.

Where can I find out more about RWI?
The official Read Write Inc website,

https://global.oup.com/education/content/primary/series/rwi/?region=uk provides all the information you need to support your child through the programme.

https://global.oup.com/education/content/primary/series/rwi/parents/?region=uk  has lots of information for parents.

Reading Comprehension 

Reading comprehension forms part of the weekly RWI programme for groups that are reading fluently.  Once children complete the RWI programme, they will move into a reading comprehension group.

In addition to RWI, English lessons in KS1 will also include opportunities to study of a range of texts, including poetry, non-fiction and novels through our whole school reading spine. Group and partner discussion enable children to share opinions about themes in the text; make predictions; ask questions; summarise the information and understand more complex language patterns. Once these discussions have taken place, children learn a range of skills to enable them to answer questions about a text. The children are taught the skills of simple information retrieval and shown how to gain a deeper understanding of the text using the complex skill of inference. Vocabulary is explored, helping the children to develop a love of language.

The ultimate aim is for children to become avid readers who are not only able to understand a text, but are able to make judgements, express opinions and preferences – clearly justifying their reasons.

How can you help at home? 

• Read to them and always discuss the story you are reading to try to build your child’s comprehension skills, inference and understanding.
• Practice the sounds they know at home. These are the sounds in the Speed Sound Chart at the start of the storybooks.
• Listen to your child read, both their RWI storybook and other storybooks, every day. Make sure that your child brings their RWI Storybook into school every day!
• Talk to them! The most important thing you can do is to talk to your child and listen to them when they are talking to you. Try to extend their vocabulary range and their skill at talking in increasingly more complex sentences. For example, try to teach them alternative words for ideas, or nouns they already know.
• Make sure that they attend school every day, and that they are on time, as this will help your child to make the most progress.