Read write inc book changes…

[Spareincoming]

Hi, let me start with I am a qualified teacher and back in the dark ages I taught in the old foundation stage, now in a specialist provision, so I do understand the pressures!

But!

Can anyone tell me if there’s an advised delivery of read write inc reading books and assessments? DC is being sent home with one green level book and one ditty book a week, and has often not done any reading with an adult at school.
DC is a capable reader and writer and has strong “sounds and blending skills, is capable of purple level” according to the class teacher but still is on greens.
DC also had to read all of the previous level before they could move up, despite it being too basic and DC was very unmotivated- we reverted to the Julia Donaldson reading scheme from the library until we’d finished that level.
I can’t find out if RWI has set assessment stages or even how often the books should be changed. In my day it was twice weekly. But that was nearly two decades ago, very different scheme - Jolly phonics anyone - and in England.
I’ve approached the teacher but got a vague reply about RWI assesses half termly. If that’s the case with this scheme then so be it, but if not I’ll approach him again.

If I need to mind my business, I will!

My 2 children have been through Read Write Inc. It is a book a week and assessments half termly. There are strict criteria to meet to progress to the next level. My youngest skipped Red and only did around half the books on the lower levels. However, following Read Write Inc to the letter needs a lot of staff so I wonder if some schools make children do the whole level to keep a group together.

My children didn’t read to the teacher in the sense of sitting 1:1 with a book. However, they will have been observed reading with their partner nearly every day.

I will say I didn’t bother too much with the school books for home reading. I got the Songbirds phonics books to start which are more interesting. However, I found Read Write Inc very effective for my children. My youngest finished the scheme at the end of Year 1 and was a confident reader at that stage. Our school also saw a huge boost in the national Year 1 phonics assessments when they introduced the scheme.

My year 1 and reception child use RWI.
My year 1 is a fluent reader now and on the final RWI book, I'm amazed at how quick he has learnt to read.

The books in our school are changed once a week- the children come home with 2 RWI books and 2 "sharing books" each which I think are other learn to read probably from when the school used an old scheme. The kids are expected to read 5 times a week.

Thank you @MoonriseKingdom @Onyuk100 that’s helpful to know.
We read every night but there’s no push to read regularly from school, which a few parents in the playground have commented that on, often positively as it’s one less thing to think about, which is sad.

He should be reading purple books if that’s what the assessment says- doesn’t sound like the school group across year groups as the scheme requires…
Maybe ask if you can have the books the assessment shows he needs even if he isn’t reading them in school?

Does anyone know from what age kids can realistically do RWI? Our DD seems to be catching onto numbers quite quickly - she's 2.5 and we were thinking if she might like to try some reading phonics. Is there a home version for these since her nursery is unlikely to introduce them any time soon

@preppingforlife You can order the sound cards on Amazon - they have pictures on one side and the sound on the other. I wouldn't rush, though - advice for RWI in nursery is to introduce it from the Spring/Summer term before they start school. I would focus more on Phase 1 phonics - this is things like distinguishing between different sounds, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, oral blending and segmenting. This document has loads of good ideas of games and activities: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7a10cfed915d6eaf15381b/Letters_and_Sounds_-_Phase_One.pdf

Focussing on these sorts of things would set your DD up so much better than learning which letter makes which sound, at this stage. She'll have to learn it all (or at least sit through it) again when she starts school anyway, and if she already knew all of it, she'd be bored and that might put her off reading.