Phonics at Summerhill Academy

At Summerhill, children learn to read using the Read Write Inc. programme developed by Ruth Miskin. The programme uses a synthetic phonics approach, meaning children first learn individual letter sounds before blending them together to read whole words accurately and fluently.

Read Write Inc., provides a clear and structured method for teaching literacy. It is used by over a quarter of primary schools across the UK and aims to develop fluent readers, confident speakers and enthusiastic writers.

The programme meets the expectations of the National Curriculum and uses effective assessment to ensure every child makes strong progress and is well prepared for the National Curriculum Tests.

How do we make phonics easy to learn?

Read Write Inc. Phonics focuses on helping children read and write sounds with confidence and ease, using engaging and straightforward methods.

Phonics teaching is divided into two main stages. First, children learn one way to read and write the 40+ sounds in English. Visual prompts are used to support learning; for example, the letter ‘a’ is shaped like an apple and ‘f’ like a flower. These images help all learners, particularly those who may need additional support, to recognise and remember sounds more easily.

To practise blending sounds into words, children are introduced to a frog called Fred. Fred says the individual sounds and the children help to blend them together to read the word.

Fred the Frog

Next, children learn that some sounds can be spelled in different ways. For example, the ‘ay’ sound can be written as ay, a-e, or ai, and the ‘ee’ sound can be written as ee, e, or ea. Short phrases and actions are used to support memory, such as “ay – may I play?” and “a-e – make a cake?”

The Order of Teaching Sounds

In Read Write Inc., individual sounds are known as “speed sounds” because children are encouraged to recognise them quickly and effortlessly. Set 1 sounds are the initial letter sounds and are taught in the following order: 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

Special Friends: sh, th, ch, qu, ng, nk

There are 12 Set 2 speed sounds, made up of two or three letters that represent a single sound, such as ay in “play”, ee in “tree”, and igh in “high”. When learning Set 2 sounds, children are taught:

• The letters that represent each sound (e.g. ay)
• A simple picture prompt and short phrase to support recall (e.g. “may I play?”)

Each speed sound is linked to a list of “green words” so children can practise sounding out and blending words containing their new sound. For example: s-p-r-ay = spray.

When children move on to Set 3 speed sounds, they learn additional ways to spell the same sounds, such as ee in “tree” and ea in “tea”.

Reading Books

Once children are confident in recognising letter sounds and blending them to read words, they begin reading short ditties, followed by storybooks.

Before reading a story, children practise sounding out character names and unfamiliar words, read any “tricky red words” and listen to an engaging introduction designed to spark their interest.

Children then read the story several times. This repetition helps them to:

• Read words accurately
• Develop fluency
• Improve comprehension

Staff regularly read aloud to the children to model fluent, expressive reading. During these sessions, adults discuss characters, events and ideas, sharing their thoughts about the story. This modelling encourages children to think deeply about what they are reading and supports them in developing strong comprehension skills.

How Can I Support My Child at Home?

Along with the following suggestions, please take a look at the videos and resources below to help you support your child at home with phonics and reading. 

• Take time to engage with any Read Write Inc. (RWI) videos or learning activities that are sent home.

• Read regularly to your child, giving them the chance to enjoy a wide variety of books beyond phonics-based decodable texts.

• Continue sharing nursery rhymes and traditional tales to strengthen language development and storytelling skills.

• Visit reading spaces such as your local library or charity bookshops to discover new and exciting books together.

• Be a positive reading role model — let your child see you reading and enjoying books.

• Explore a range of genres, including poetry, comic strips and newspapers, as well as fiction and non-fiction.

• Share and talk about your own favourite books and authors.

• Bring stories to life by using different character voices when reading aloud.

• Revisit books you have already read together to build confidence, familiarity and deeper understanding of the text.

We are here to support you and your child every step of the way.