Learning to read is one of the most fundamental skills that your child will learn during their time at Holy Family School. We strongly advocate and encourage ‘reading for pleasure’ and this is reflected in our ethos and daily teaching. On entry to school, children are immediately immersed in a wide variety of books and children are given a reading book as soon as they begin Reception. We follow the ‘Read Write Inc’ programme, which is a highly regarded and successful phonics programme.
This programme is introduced in Nursery, with the full programme beginning in Reception and throughout Year 1 into Year 2. Here, children take part in daily discrete phonic sessions in which they are taught phonemes (sounds) and assisted and independent blending. Using ‘Fred the Frog’, children are also immersed in ‘Fred Talk’ , in which children are encouraged to hear and say each sound within a word, enabling them with the skill to read and then write a word. Children then participate in reading and writing activities using fun and stimulating reading books encouraging them to use and apply their phonic knowledge. The skills taught in Read Write Inc sessions are then reinforced throughout all other curriculum based subjects.Children also participate in a variety of shared and guided reading activities on a daily basis, reinforcing the ‘blending for reading’ skill.
We mainly use our ‘Read Write Inc’ reading books which are predominately phonic based, but also focus on High Frequency words. They link directly to the Read Write Inc programme and promote the blending for reading skill. They are fun and stimulating books which the children really enjoy. Alongside this scheme, we also use a variety of books that have been categorised according to a book banded criteria to support and reinforce children’s ability to read ‘High Frequency words’ and focus on story content. Both sets of books are used throughout the school year as home/school reading books to create a healthy balance.
We also run a Reception Parents Reading Workshop, where parents are welcome to share reading books with their child, get support and advice in helping their child to read and maintain a love of reading with their child. This has proven to be very successful and enjoyable.
Children’s reading is monitored and continuously assessed by an adult on a daily basis, mainly within Read Write Inc sessions and via their home/school reading book. We recognise that parent partnership and parental support is a crucial tool in your child’s progress. We encourage children to read their home/school reading book every evening and request parents to record your child’s progress in their reading log book.
Introduction to RWI Parent Meeting
