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Phonics at Clewer Green

We follow the Ruth Miskin Read, Write Inc. phonic scheme.

The programme covers the 150+ graphemes that represents 44 speech sounds. Children learn the sounds and the letter or groups of letters which represents them in three sets of 'Speed Sounds.'  High frequency words that are not phonetically regular are taught as ' tricky' words, we call them RED words, and are practised frequently. 



Children read phonic books that are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and 'tricky/RED' words so that early on they experience plenty of success. Repeated readings of the text support their decoding to be increasingly fluent. On the first read, children focus on accurate word decoding, on their second read they are developing fluency and then comprehension. Fluency and comprehension increase with each repeated reading.

We have purchased a subscription to Oxford Owl Phonics eBook Library. This allows children to access ebooks matched to their phonics learning. In Year Two, we allocate the books read during the phonics session each week for children to re-read at home with their increased familiarity to read with expression and develop their 'storyteller' voice.



As with reading, we embed the alphabetic code so that children can write simple words early on and build on their success. We encourage children to rehearse aloud what they want to write and compose their work sentence by sentence until they are confident enough to write independently. They write at the level of the sounds and the 'tricky/RED' words that they have learnt. We encourage children to use ambition and adventurous language in their writing that they have encountered and talked about in their wider class stories.

Focus on

  • transcription - where children develop a confident handwriting style, spell common words and write prepared sentences with correct spelling and punctuation.
  • composition - build and rehearse their own sentences, apply new grammatical concepts linked to the story, use new vocabulary, edit their work to correct, write a composition based on the story they have read.



Where children are grouped, it is according to their phonics knowledge. Ongoing assessments means that groups are adjusted where needed to ensure best progress for each child.


Click the links below to find out more information: