Phonics

Please find relevant information and links to help you understand the importance of phonics and how it is taught at Cottesbrooke Infant and Nursery School.

Read Write Inc Phonics

At Cottesbrooke Infant and Nursery School we use the Ruth Miskin Read Write Inc. phonics programme.

Read Write Inc. Phonics is a whole-school approach to teaching literacy for children aged 4 to 9 that creates fluent readers, confident speakers and willing writers.

To help you understand better, we suggest you watch this short film:

What is Read Write Inc Phonics?

If your child is learning to read at school with Read Write Inc. Phonics, they will be at one of the following stages:

Learning Set 1 Speed Sounds

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 to help you.

Learning to blend with Set 1 Speed Sounds

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 spot

b-e-s-t best

s-p-l-a-sh splash

Learning Set 2 Speed Sounds

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

Learning Set 3 Speed Sounds

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 to see if your child can read these sounds.

Home Practice Cards

Please find below a copy of all sounds taught. I would suggest only printing off those that your child is learning so as not to confuse your child.

Typically, this is Set 1 - Reception, Set 2 - Year 1, Set 3 - Year 2. You will find a list above indicating which sounds are in each set.

Download Document

What is Fred Talk?

Fred is a frog who helps your child 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.