Read, Write Inc

At Crook Log school we use the Read Write Inc (RWI) programme to get children off to a flying start with Reading. RWI is a phonic based approach to teaching reading. It involves children learning to read sounds and how to blend them together to read words. RWI is a successful reading programme that enables every child to become a confident and fluent reader at the first attempt. It aims to teach all children to read at a pace that they are comfortable with. The children learn 44 sounds (speed sounds). Once your child has learnt all of the sounds in one group, they can move on to sound blending the letters in that group to read words.
The speed sound groups:
1. m a s d t
2. i n p g o
3. c k u b
4. f e l h r
5. j v y w z x
6. sh th ch qu ng nk
For example, once your child has learnt to read the first 5 sounds: m a s d t they can then start to read words that include these sounds such as mat, sat, sad, mad, at etc. Your child will then learn the next five sounds and be able to read words with a combination of the ten sounds.

Red & Green Words
Green words
Green words are words that your child will be able to sound out and then sound blend together, using the speed sounds they have learnt. Your child will be able to read a book more easily if they practice reading these words first.
Red words
Red words are those words which contain spelling patterns that cannot be sounded out. Some of the most frequently used words in the English language have an uncommon spelling pattern and do not sound like they look, for example, said sounds like ‘sed’. Red words have to be learnt by sight. These words are printed in red in the story books. Learning to read the red words is a very important part of reading and one which you can help with at home. Please remember you cannot sound out all the sounds in these words as some sounds are ‘grotty’! Children will be given ‘Green words’ in a word book to begin with, before moving onto ‘Red words’ when we feel they are ready for them.