Phonics and Early Reading

Starting in the first week of Reception, we begin to teach pupils to read using the Ruth Miskin 'Read Write Inc' programme. The programme teaches children to read fluently and teaches them the skills they need to comprehend what they are reading in small, planned steps. At St Michael's, our children begin to be introduced to the routines and initial learning of Read Write Inc Phonics in their final term of Nursery, before they begin Reception, in order to give them the strongest possible start. Using the Read Write Inc programme:

  • Children will learn the alphabetic code, initially learning one way of reading each of the 40+ sounds;
  • Blending will then be taught to help the children use these sounds to read words;
  • Children will then learn to read alternative graphemes (ways of writing the sounds) for the sounds they have already learnt;
  • Reading books are closely matched to the phonic level of the child. These use repetition of the sounds and words they are using in class or have used previously and they build fluency and confidence for the child;
  • Story books will be used in Phonics lessons to develop comprehension alongside decoding.

Click on the link below to see more about phonics and early reading at St Michael's:

Read Write Inc Information for parents FAQS