At Tredegar Park Primary we think learning to read is the most important thing your child will do during their time at school.  We want your child to love reading and to want to read for themselves.  This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.  At Tredegar Park Primary School we use the Read Write Inc. programme. 

What is Read Write Inc?

Read Write Inc. is a complete literacy programme that uses phonics to teach all children to read fluently as well as developing their skills in comprehension, vocabulary and spelling.  It is aimed at Foundation Phase children and older children who need some additional support.   

How will Read Write Inc. be taught?

Children are taught in groups based on their stage of reading.  Teaching focuses on what children already know and what they need to learn next in order to make the best possible progress.  We teach the sounds first in a specific order. 

Speed Sounds

We teach Set 1 Speed Sounds first using simple picture prompts.  Most Set 1 Speed Sounds are written with one letter.  Some sounds are written with two letters and we call these ‘special friends’.

Your child will learn to read words containing Set 1 Speed Sounds by sound blending (e.g. m-a-t,  mat).  Once they have learnt all of the Set 1 sounds they move on to Set 2 and then Set 3. 

Fred Talk

Once children are ready to start reading words we teach them to blend these sounds together.  We use a small toy frog called Fred who can only say the sounds in words and who needs your child to help him; Fred will say the sounds and the children will work out the word.  Children learn to sound words out just like Fred using ‘Fred Talk’.  'Fred Talk' is used by children to orally blend, read and write words.    

Storybooks

The children read 'Storybooks' containing the sounds and words they can read.  Each storybook is carefully matched – setting them up for success. 

Within all storybooks children will have red and green words to learn.  Red words are words that cannot be easily decoded and challenge children to extend their vocabulary. Green words are linked to the sounds they have been learning and are easily decodable. 

Children read each storybook numerous times and complete activities and sentence work related to the book.  Alongside this we read stories to the children, ‘real’ books.  These are called linked texts and introduce the next storybook to pupils. 

Read Write Inc. Intervention Groups

Some children in the Foundation Phase need extra practice when learning to read so we teach these children in additional one-to-one sessions each day on top of their group lesson.  We make sure children ‘keep up’ from the beginning so they don’t need to ‘catch up’ later. 

Some pupils in Key Stage Two can struggle with their reading and so we also run additional intervention groups for these pupils.  We teach students to read accurately and fluently with good comprehension.  Our intervention groups teach pupils to spell correctly and compose their ideas for writing. 

At Tredegar Park Primary School we want to make sure every child learns to read. 

Letter Formation

We make the physical process of writing enjoyable from the very beginning.  We use mnemonics (memory pictures) to help children visualise the letter before they write them down (please see sheet below).  Children always practise handwriting under guidance so they do not develop habits that will be difficult to undo later.  We never ask children to copy letters or words as we want their attention to be focused on their own formation of letters.    

Handwriting Position

We teach children that whenever they are writing they must sit in the perfect writing position:

• Feet flat on the floor
• Bottom at the back of the chair
• Body one fist from the table
• Shoulders down and relaxed
• Back leaning slightly forward
• Left/right hand holding the page
• Left/right hand ready in the tripod grip.

Click on the pencil below for printable handwriting sheets for each Set 1 Sound. 

Please find below some additional videos which

may be of interest to parents and carers.