Phonics
Intent
At Downton C of E Primary School, we are passionate about helping every child become a confident, fluent reader. We follow the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme by Ruth Miskin, a highly effective and engaging approach that supports children in developing strong reading skills from an early age.
Implementation
We teach phonics and reading daily to develop confident, fluent readers.
Each lesson includes:
Speed Sounds – Learning and revising letter-sound correspondences.
Reading Practice – Reading phonically decodable books matched to children’s ability.
Spelling Activities – Learning to use sounds within words.
Children are grouped according to their phonic knowledge and assessed every half term, with groups changing regularly to ensure progress.
Click here to see the expectation of progress document for Read Write Inc. Phonics.
Impact
Through the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme, our children develop into confident, fluent readers with a strong foundation in decoding, comprehension, and spelling skills. Regular, half termly assessments ensure all pupils make progress, with targeted support and additional catch up sessions for those who need it.
Children in Year 1 sit the Phonics Screening Check and any child who does not pass the check resits it in Year 2. Through assessments, those pupils requiring additional support to meet the threshold in the Screening Check, are given targetted practise in decoding real and psuedo words. There is ongoing assessment and support for those pupils who enter Key Stage two and have not passed the screening check.
Supporting your child at home
Parents play a vital role in supporting their child’s reading journey by practising phonics at home. Regular reading together helps reinforce the sounds and blending skills learned in school, building confidence and fluency.
To support you, here is a link to the Read Write Inc. website which has some useful videos demonstrating how we teach phonics, along with tips for practising at home:
Read, Write Inc. learning to read at home for families and carers
Oxford Owl Read, Write Inc. Parent guide
Spelling
Intent
At Downton C of E Primary School, we aim to develop confident and accurate spellers through the Read Write Inc. Spelling programme. By building on phonics knowledge from Key Stage 1, we equip children with the skills to understand spelling patterns, rules, and exceptions, enabling them to apply accurate spelling in their writing.
Implementation
In Year 2, when children have completed the Read, Write Inc phonics scheme and are confident with all sounds they progress onto the spelling scheme. Children learn a new spelling rule each week and in Key Stage two they follow a spelling rule for two weeks, or a ‘special focus’—such as homophones—for one week. In Year 2 spelling is taught daily. In Key Stage two three out of five days a week, children complete an activity in their Read, Write Inc book and on the other two days, they practise words with their spelling rule within their handwriting books.
Every Friday, children are tested on their spellings. In Key Stage two, any incorrectly spelled words are sent home to practise, while those who spell all words correctly receive new words following the same rule to continue their progress.
Impact
Through the Read Write Inc. Spelling programme, children develop an understanding of spelling rules and patterns, enabling them to make choices about how to spell words in their writing. Regular assessments ensure progress is tracked, with personalised spellings helping to reinforce learning. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils can apply their spelling knowledge independently, supporting their writing across the curriculum and preparing them for secondary education.