Here at Collingwood Primary, we know that being able to read is the most essential skill your child will learn during their  time here. To ensure they achieve this, we teach early reading via the RWInc Phonics programme, developed by Ruth Miskin. RWInc is a structured approach to learning phonics, used by over a quarter of the UK's primary schools. It begins with exposure to environmental sounds, to discrete learning of sounds both oral and written, progressing to blending to read, with developing fluency and comprehension through regular sustained practice. 

What will my child learn throughout the RWInc programme?                                                      

Throughout the RWInc programme, children will:                                                                               

• Children will learn 44 sounds and their corresponding graphemes (letter/letter groups)
• Learn to blend words using Fred Talk (sound talking e.g. s-or-t )
• Read words in context within story and non-fiction texts, closely matched to their current phonics stage
• Develop fluency, reading speedily with accuracy and expression
• Develop deeper comprehension skills 

At Collingwood, phonics teaching begins in Nursery and progresses throughout KS1 and into KS2 where appropriate. Your child will learn within a phonics group which is closely matched to their phonic stage and individual need. For our children who may still need further phonics teaching, we also run RWInc FreshStart groups in Upper KS2.

To ensure our children make speedy sustained progress throughout the programme, we support our children who need additional help by running Fast Track Tutoring interventions to ensure no child is left behind on their journey to becoming confident readers. 

Phonics @ Home:

Children will begin by receiving flashcards to match the current sounds they are learning in class. Following that, RWInc Ditty Sheets, Sound Blending books and Book Bag books will support their in school learning, ensuring that children have the opportunity to practise the sounds they have just learnt in context within a text. 

UKS2 FreshStart children will receive a FreshStart Reader with high quality texts that match their age and interests whilst still enabling them to practise their sounds at a level closely matched to their stage. 

RWInc Glossary of Terms:

• Special friends- sounds which combine together to make one sound e.g. a digraph (two letters/one sound) 'ew', a trigraph (three letters/one sound) 'igh'
• Fred Talk - blending sounds to read a word e.g. b-e-d = bed
• Red words - also known as 'tricky words'. The words which do not sound right when 'Fred Talked' e.g. was
• Green words - words which can be blended to read
• Fred in your head - when children blend the sounds in their head (not out loud) and then say the word aloud
• Alien words - nonsense words which do not make sense, testing the child's ability to read anything e.g blurph

Where can I find out more?

If you would like any further information on the programme please click the hyperlink below to learn more:

Ruth Miskin Parents and Carers Further Information 

Oxford Owl Phonics Guide