Phonics & Word Study

In reception class, children start Read Write Inc, which teaches them the sounds that they will need in order to read. Read Write Inc starts by introducing children to the initial sounds, and then progresses to digraphs and trigraphs (sounds made up of two or three letters). Read Write Inc follows a colour scheme, and children progress through the colours – each colour has a set of books linked to the set of sounds, and we also use these to assess children’s comprehension.

Once children have completed the Read Write Inc scheme, they move onto Word Study, which is based around investigation of the KS1 And KS2 spelling patterns. Our Word Study sessions follow a four-part sequence:

• Sort (we sort the words, thinking carefully about the patterns we can see)


• Explore (we find out more about the words – meaning, word types, antonyms, synonyms)


• Challenge (we show what we have learned in creative ways – games/leaflets/crosswords/word searches)


• Reflect (we complete a spelling test and mark it together to reflect on our own learning)

Word Study is based on exploring the spelling patterns and meanings of words, and linking them to phonics. By exploring the words and patterns, we are able to discuss our findings and apply them to our writing.