RWI Phonics

[BeccaBean]

For those who have experience of Read Write Inc phonics, when is the usual time (if there is a typical time) for children to start learning set 3 sounds? In my DC's class, they learn two new sounds a week (started after half term last year) and some children are still learning set 1.

Just curious. Thanks!

My DS is in reception doing RWI and he is in the top group for phonics. They had just finished covering all set 2 sounds before Christmas so would have started set 3 this term. He has live phonics lessons every day but they aren’t differentiated and nor are the tasks they’re set so everything is pitched lower than his level tbh, which his teacher has acknowledged.

DH and I have started on the set 3 sounds with him ourselves, but I don’t think we’re teaching him as effectively as school does. It just seems a shame for him not to progress at all during this lockdown so I’ll keep trying with him.

My daughter is using a different programme but the split diagraphs (which look like your set 3)are listed as year 1 and I don’t think school will teach in reception as it feels like there has been quite speedy progress to the end of our phase (which looks similar to your set 2) but now moving to consolidation abs the teacher has said they won’t introduce any more sounds.

I find it interesting how schools seem to vary quite a bit in how quickly they introduce the sounds/expectations.

DS's school do whole class lessons rather than grouping. He did 2 new sounds a week last academic year in reception, and had just finished set 1 when lockdown happened. He was due to cover set 2 after Easter, although the school chose not to cover any new material while home learning. They covered them at the start of year 1 instead, he started set 3 just before Christmas.

If you are on Facebook there's a group called Read Write Inc teachers run by Oxford university press. If you look on there you can find posts where people have put the official scheme expectations of which colour books children should be on at which stage of the academic year.

Look on YouTube for Ruth Miskin Phonics, lessons every day in lockdown. They're really good to try at home.

@DinoGreen Ruth Muslim have daily free phonics lessons up on YouTube covering a range of things including set 3, have you looked at them? The schedule is here www.ruthmiskin.com/media/filer_public/df/c1/dfc1ec43-a40b-41cb-9d7e-2a017803bed8/schedule_jan-feb_2021.pdf . They worked very well for my DS last year.

@Duckchick thanks for that, looks really useful, will have a look on Monday!

home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/

There is more info on here about the set sounds. I think set 3 is not introduced until they are on pink books. For many children this isn’t until yr 1. My DD was in Reception last year and we found the Ruth Miskin videos really helpful. She learnt all the set 3 sounds and was reading really confidently going into year 1.

Really interesting to read about different approaches. Our school has recently split Reception class into two groups, with one group continuing set 1 at 2 new sounds a week and the other starting set 2, also 2 new sounds a week. My DC is in the second group - she never finished set 1 at school but had done at nursery, which I assume is the same for others in the group. I was hoping that set 3 would start this year as she’s picked up reading quite well but am guessing that won’t be the case. Will also take a look at the Ruth Miskin YouTube lessons. Thanks!

I think schools might be doing things differently than the Strictly Ruth Miskin format due to Covid. When my daughter was in Reception Orr lockdown they went through all set 1 sounds as a class at one a day. Then they divided into groups according to level with some crossover with the lower end of year 1. So if you were on red books you would have all daily phonics in red group. They had lots of groups across reception/ ks1. With assessment every half term.

Since going back in September they had to stick to year group bubbles which has made it more difficult and they have been in groups made of a few different book colours. I think lockdown has given more of a gap in year 1 with some children still on red/ green books up to yellow in the top group.

They have divided the kids in DS class y1. Some are learning set 1, mostly are on set 2 and 3 children are learning set 3.

The reading level also varies between red - grey level within the class.

The school is providing daily phonic lesson using Ruth Miskin's phonic videos.

Covid has made teaching RWI properly really, really difficult.

Yes, look at the YouTube lessons. They introduce one sound a day, but if you want it to stick with your child you might want to flash up the sounds a few times a day (and say it). At work I'm supposed to have the cards with me at all times so I can flash them at children at any moment they're not engaged in something else (such as when lining up for lunch)

I think it's supposed to be a sound a day. We have 1/3 of the class on Set 3, and the only children on Set 1 still don't speak English and didn't start school in September. But it must depend on the cohort (we have some very able children) and your child's class teacher thinks 2 sounds a week is as much as they can cope with.

The Oxford O website has the sound sheets that are sent home from school which you can print off yourself during lockdown.

home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/learn-to-read-phonics/