Francois Walker, Headteacher from Model School Whiteknights Primary shares his experience of the impact of the resources from Read Write Inc.
After a term of implementing Read Write Inc. Phonics we saw an impact! Children were starting to read out of Oxford Reading Tree books and they’d never done that before. They were also able to read shared information in other subject areas, which made teaching easier and minimised the need to differentiate.
The impact of the comprehension skills learned in Read Write Inc. filtered across to all subject areas, including maths, so that children could read at the speed correct for understanding the question. Read Write Inc. has enabled us to broaden our curriculum while guaranteeing our pupils have exceptional reading skills.
Behaviours improved across the school. Children started to pay attention in lessons. They were, and still are, so engaged. There was no running down the corridor or hiding away because now there were clear expectations. It took a year to secure behaviour expectations; to get to a point in which we could guarantee that children would sit in chairs, smile, listen attentively and enjoy learning. Now, school is a wonderful, calm place for pupils and staff.
We expect children to be able to read by year 1 and do all that we can to ensure this happens. Developing a positive attitude to reading begins when pupils join us in Nursery. We saturate the environment with books, storytelling and begin to teach pupils sounds. 10 minutes of focused Read Write Inc. group work every day makes a world of difference. Pupils go into Reception confident, engaged and ready to improve their ability to read. It’s very exciting to see! By the end of Reception the vast majority of pupils are exceptional readers for their age. Because of this they are able to access all other areas of the curriculum. We love this.
To visit a Model School, go to our website to book an appointment to see the impact for yourself.