Phonics – A Guide for Parents
At St. Paul’s we follow the Read Write Inc Phonics Scheme.
Read Write Inc. teaches children the sounds in English, the letters that represent them, and how to form the letters when writing. Read Write Inc. Phonics includes reading books written using only the letters they have learnt at each level and a small number of separately taught tricky words.
Speed Sounds and Read Write Inc. Stages
If your child is learning to read at school with Read Write Inc. Phonics, they will be at one of the following stages.
It is really important to say the sounds clearly to help your child learn them. We say ‘mmmm’ not ‘muh’ and ‘lllll’ not ‘luh’ when teaching the sounds. This really helps children when they learn to blend sounds together to read words.
These are the Set 1 Speed Sounds written with one letter:
m a s d t i n p g o c k u b f e l h r j v y w z x
These are the sounds written with two letters (your child will call these ‘special friends’):
sh th ch qu ng nk ck
Check if your child can read these sounds. Make sure they say sounds like ‘mmm’, not letter names like ‘em’. Watch the Sound Pronunciation Guide video below to help you.
If your child is learning Set 1 Speed Sounds, help them to:
- Complete the Speed Sounds practice sheets for the Speed Sounds they have learnt.
Your child is learning to read words containing Set 1 Speed Sounds by sound blending. For example:
m-a-t mat
c-a-t cat
g-o-t got
f-i-sh fish
s-p-o-t spotb-e-s-t best
s-p-l-a-sh splash.
If your child is learning to sound blend, help them to:
- Read the Sound Blending eBooks in order.
- You could watch the Sound Blending video to help you support your child with sound blending.
These are the Set 2 Speed Sounds:
ay ee igh ow (as in blow) oo (as in zoo)
oo (as in look) ar or air ir ou (as in out) oy
Check if your child can read these sounds.
If your child is learning the Set 2 Speed Sounds, help them to:
- Complete the Speed Sounds practice sheets for the Speed Sounds they have learnt.
- Read the eBooks at Red Ditty level, then Green level and then Purple level, in order. We recommend children read each eBook three times, as they would at school: once to read the words correctly, a second time with more fluency, and a third time in a ‘storyteller voice’ that shows their understanding.
These are Set 3 Speed Sounds:
ea (as in tea)
oi (as in spoil)
a–e (as in cake)
i–e (as in smile)
o–e (as in home)
u–e (as in huge)
aw (as in yawn)
are (as in care)
ur (as in nurse)
er (as in letter)
ow (as in brown)
ai (as in snail)
oa (as in goat)
ew (as in chew)
ire (as in fire)
ear (as in hear)
ure (as in pure)
Check if your child can read these sounds.
If your child is learning Set 3 Speed Sounds, help them to:
- Complete the Speed Sounds practice sheets for the Speed Sounds they have learnt.
- Read the eBooks at Pink level, then Orange level and then Yellow level, in order. We recommend children read each eBook three times, as they would at school: once to read the words correctly, a second time with more fluency, and a third time in a ‘storyteller voice’ that shows their understanding.
If your child has learnt all three sets of Speed Sounds, they need to practise them and read books with words made up of those sounds. They could:
- Complete the Speed Sounds practice sheets for the Set 3 Speed Sounds.
- Read the eBooks at the Blue level and then the Grey level, in order. We recommend children read each eBook three times, as they would at school: once to read the words correctly, a second time with more fluency, and a third time in a ‘storyteller voice’ that shows their understanding.
What is Fred Talk?
If your child’s school is using Read Write Inc. Phonics, teachers will introduce your child to a toy frog called Fred once he or she is ready to start reading words.
Fred can only say the sounds in a word and needs your child to help him read the word. Fred will say the sounds and children will work out the word. For example, Fred will say the sounds c–a–t, and children will say the word cat. This is Fred Talk: sounding out the word.
Fred Games
Speaking like Fred helps children to understand that words are made up of sounds. Use Fred Talk throughout the day to help children practise blending sounds together.
Fred says…
- Say: Fred says put your hands on your h-e-d. Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to jump in with the whole word and do the action.
- Say: h-e-d, hed. Ask children to repeat.
Repeat with: b-a-k, t-u-m, l-e-g, h-a-n-d, f-u-t, n-ee, r-u-n, s-k-i-p, h-o-p, s-t-o-p
Fred I spy
- Say: Fred says ‘I spy something r-e-d’ Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to ‘jump-in’ with the whole word and point to something red.
- Say: r-e-d, red. Ask children to repeat.
Repeat with: b-l-oo, g-r-ee-n, b-l-a-k, b-r-ow-n
Fred’s fridge
Milk m-i-l-k, juice -j-oo-s; cream c-r-ee-m; eggs e-g-s; corn c-or-n; grape g-r-ay-p; pear p-air; peas p-ee-z; leek l-ee-k
Fred’s wardrobe
Scarf s-c-ar-f; hat h-a-t; coat c-ow-t; socks s-o-c-s; shorts sh-or-t-s; dress d-r-e-ss; skirt s-k-ir-t
Use Fred Talk for single syllabic words at the end of sentences throughout the day.
E.g. It is time for l-u-n-ch…lunch, come and sit on the f-l-oor…floor.
Read Write Inc. Videos
Watch our parent tutorials to learn all about how to support your child as they learn with Read Write Inc. Phonics, with detailed ideas and advice on pronouncing pure sounds, blending, and digraphs.