At our school, we use Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics to help children in the Early Years develop the essential skills they need to become confident readers and writers.

RWI is a structured phonics programme that teaches children how to read sounds and blend them together to read words. Children also learn how to represent sounds using letters and develop their confidence in writing.

What will my child learn?

Children will learn to:

• Recognise and say the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters.
• Use Fred Talk to sound out and blend words for reading.
• Read simple words and sentences independently.
• Learn common exception words, which cannot always be sounded out easily.
• Form letters correctly when writing.
• Apply their phonics knowledge when spelling and writing.
• Develop fluency, accuracy and confidence when reading.

What is Fred Talk?

Fred Talk is a strategy used in RWI to help children blend sounds together. For example:

c – a – t → cat

Children learn to say each sound and then blend the sounds together to read the whole word.

How can parents help at home?

There are lots of simple ways you can support your child:

• Practise the sounds your child has been learning at school.
• Encourage your child to use Fred Talk when reading unfamiliar words.
• Read regularly with your child and talk about the story or information in the book.
• Ask questions about what they have read to develop their understanding.
• Encourage your child to spot familiar sounds and words in everyday life.
• Praise their efforts and celebrate their progress.

Reading at home

Your child will bring home books that are carefully matched to the sounds they have been learning. Regular reading at home helps children practise their phonics skills and build confidence and fluency.

Please remember that reading should be enjoyable. Sharing stories, singing songs, talking about pictures and visiting the library are all wonderful ways to develop a love of reading.

Working together

We believe that the partnership between school and home is essential in helping children become successful readers. By practising little and often and sharing books together, parents can make a huge difference to their child's confidence and progress.

Together, we can help every child become a confident, enthusiastic and independent reader.