Read, Write, Inc – Phonics Schemes
At Bloemfontein Primary School, phonics is taught through the use of the Read, Write, Inc. (RWI) Programme. Children are assessed regularly, and grouped according to the sounds they know, and their level of fluency. If you would like to know more, then please download the presentation (at the bottom of this page) which explains how phonics is taught throughout the school as well as useful tips and advice on how you can help at home.
Staff have attended training on Read, Write Inc and the Key Stage 1 Co-ordinator closely monitors the provision and rate of pupils progress.
Reading Schemes
At Bloemfontein Primary School we are passionate about developing a love of reading and celebrate reading through special events, awards and storytelling sessions. We have regular book fairs which are eagerly attended. Children also enjoy World Book Day where we dress up as characters, participate in extreme reading and have storytelling sessions. Pupils also enjoy receiving books as prizes.
Each term a specially wrapped parcel arrives in school from Seven Stories (hooks into books). This contains new books which have been recommended. Children confidently discuss books they enjoy and their favourite authors.
We use a range of reading schemes to provide a breadth of different types of book. Books are banded according to the book band colours. Our main reading scheme is Oxford Reading Tree and this is enhanced by Rigby Star and Ginn.
Most schemes begin in the Foundation Stage and progressively become more difficult. For example, Key Stage 1 books (fiction, non-fiction and poetry) are written with a mix of high-frequency, often rhythmic language/clear phonic focus, and decodable words to develop a range of reading strategies, while Key Stage 2 books cover a wide range of genres and subjects linking to the curriculum.
In addition to this, we are using ‘Accelerated Reading’ to promote reading for enjoyment, reading at speed and to develop a deeper understanding of the text. Children enjoy the ‘challenge’ of a quiz at the end and become very competitive with their overall scores.
Once pupils are fluent, confident readers and no longer on the reading scheme, they independently choose books from our school library. This contains both new and classic fiction/non-fiction books from a wealth of popular authors.
We have introduced ‘Lexia’ in school to promote reading and spelling skills. This gives targeted children the opportunity for specific support with their reading skills.
Handwriting
Handwriting is expected to be fluent, joined and legible. We currently use the Nelson Handwriting schemes to support formation and introduce joined handwriting in Year 2.
Downloads
You can download our presentation in PDF format by clicking the link below:
Adobe Reader
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