What is Read Write Inc?

Read Write Inc (RWI) 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. At Britannia, we begin some phonics sessions in Nursery, but start full RWI sessions when children begin Reception.

How does my child begin their reading journey?

When your child starts in Reception, they will be taught their Set 1 Sounds:

We ensure that we model using pure sounds with our children. 

The video below shows you how to say the sounds correctly to help support your child:

Blending

As your child begins to learn their set 1 sounds, they will be taught how to blend. To help your child begin to blend, they will use Fred Talk. Fred is a character from RWI who only speaks in sounds. To begin to blend, your child will be encouraged to 'Fred Talk' first to sound out the words before blending the sounds eg. b-e-d, c-a-t, sh-o-p.

Special Friends

When your child is confident with their set 1 sounds, they will begin to learn special friends. Special friends are when 2 or more letters make one sound. For example s and h make one sound sh. When reading words, we encourage children to find the special friends first and then Fred talk the word before blending it.

When your child is confident with their set 1 special friends, they will begin to learn set 2, then set 3 sounds. 

RWI Books

As part of the RWI session, your child will read a book that matches their phonics level. This will change every three days. 

How to help at home

Listening to your child read every day is the best way to support them with their reading. Children also benefit hugely from listening to stories, so a daily bedtime story is also valuable in helping their love of reading grow and supporting them with their vocabulary development. 

Please watch the video below to see how you can best use your child's RWI book at home:

For further information on reading at Britannia, please see a copy of our KS1 reading meeting that was held with parents:

How can I help my child become a speedy reader?

Fluency comes with lots of repetition. To become a fluent reader, your child will need to see a word many times and begin to recognise it by sight. 

The links below show words that are at your child's reading level. Can you make this into a game by challenging your child to see how many words they can read in a minute?