The Department for Education strongly recommend the use of synthetic phonics when teaching early literacy skills to children. Synthetic phonics is simply the ability to convert a letter or letter group into sounds that are then blended together into a word.
At Sherburn Hungate Primary School, we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with their English. RWI Phonics is a structured programme, designed to ensure all children learn to read accurately and fluently. It is a method of learning based upon letter sounds and phonics, and we use it to aid children in their reading and writing.
Children learn the English alphabetic code: first they learn one way to read the 40+ sounds and blend these sounds into words, then learn to read the same sounds with alternative graphemes.
They experience success from the very beginning. Lively phonic books are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and ‘tricky’ words and, as children re-read the stories, their fluency increases.
The children are assessed regularly and grouped according to their ability. They work daily with a RWI trained teacher or teaching assistant.
Click here to download the Read, Write, Inc. Pure Sounds Guide.