At Ryton on Dunsmore Provost Williams, we use a synthetic phonics programme called Read Write Inc. This programme is a method of learning letter sounds and blending them together to read and write words. It ensures children develop fluency and automaticity whilst translating this into writing and SPAG skills.

Children begin the RWInc programme in Nursery, where they learn through play pre-phonic skills such as listening skills, rhyme, alliteration, saying sentences and oral blending.  They learn new sounds in preparation for Reception. The RWInc programme continues throughout Key Stage 1, increasing in complexity of sound, text, retrieval and inference until children leave the programme. This can however, continue into Key Stage 2, if needed.

In years 2 to 6, we continue to secure and further develop children’s decoding and comprehension skills in daily discrete reading lessons using a whole class reading approach. Lessons are based on the acronym VIPERS to aid the recall of the 6 reading domains:

Vocabulary

Inference

Prediction

Explanation

Retrieval

Sequence or Summarise

These lessons last for around 25 minutes and include modelled reading by the teacher, vocabulary work and paired reading aloud where children work on developing fluency. They then learn and practise the skills needed to understand the meaning and structure of what they read.

By the time children leave us, we aim to have developed fluent readers who enjoy reading. We realise how important reading is for secondary school and life beyond and so reading is embedded throughout the whole curriculum; exploring texts and practising skills in English, Science, and Topic and RE. Vocabulary is explored throughout all lessons, both planned and incidentally.