Today, all the children will  come home with information about the changes we have made to the way we distribute and organise our school reading books. If you have not received this letter, it is available to download at the bottom of this blog. Simply scroll down and click on it to get your own copy.

For some of you The Read Write Inc system that we are using may be unfamiliar.

Click here to go to the 'Useful Video' section as we have quite a few video guides to give you an overview of some of the books. We are intending to add examples of each book level so watch this space. If, in the meantime you have questions, please contact your class teacher using their class email and they will get back to you.

We have changed the way we organise the reading books to reflect the way we teach our phonics through the RWI strategy. Unfortunately, RWI do not follow the same colours as the traditional book banding system. That means that some of our existing supporting books being sent home could cause an element of confusion. Please do not worry if you think your child is on the wrong book banding as we have approximately matched books according to the skills they develop in line with the RWI books they are on. This means they may bring a variety of book banded books home within one shelf. It is the RWI colour that we will be using to identify their level and this is clearly stated on a sticker attached to the front of their book.

 

A little more information about our reading book organisation

What sort of skills will the children be developing for each level?

Over time, children will work their way through the following colour levels:

Blending Books

RWI lilac blending books – one CVC word per page eg. c-a-t (consonant, vowel,consonant)

The one word is confirmed by turning over to the corresponding picture on the next page. This builds up anticipation that the word has been worked  out correctly.  

 

Books from the Jelly and Bean Ditty book shelf

Moving on from single words to simple decodable sentences. Towards the end of this level, full stops and capital letters are introduced.

For children just starting to read. Children are getting used to reading from left to right and matching spoken words to written words. Usually no more than 10 pages with up to 5 words on a page.

Help your child to :

• Locate title
• Open front cover
• Turn pages appropriately
• Understand that left page comes before right
• Understand that we read from left to right
• Use meaning together with repeated language patterns (syntax) to predict the storyline
• Match spoken word to written word
• Use a few known words to assist own reading

 

Books from the RWI Red ditty book shelf

These books start to blend RWI set 1 sounds within a small sentence. They introduce set 1 special friends ‘sh, th, ch’ and  reinforce end sounds  ‘nk, ng’.

These books help children gain a little more confidence and they may get to know some words by sight.  

Usually no more than 15 pages with 1 sentence per page.

Help your child to :

• Locate title, open front cover, turn pages appropriately
• Match spoken word to written word (1:1 correspondence)
• Use a few known words to check and confirm own reading
• Solve simple CVC words by blending phonemes from left to right and check for meaning and correct syntax, ie, does it make sense and sound right?
• Start to read more rhythmically or use phrasing while maintaining track of tex

 

Books from the RWI Green Reading shelf

These books reinforce RWI set 1 ‘special friends’ and encourage the children to use them regularly.

The children are also exposed to consonant clusters for example fl, cr, sn, spr

RWI Set 2 sounds are introduced.

Children are beginning to read more varied sentence structures and taking some note of punctuation. Usually no more than 15 pages with 1 or 2 sentences per page.

Help your child to :

• Follow print with eyes, finger pointing only at points of difficulty
• Take more note of punctuation to support the use of grammar and oral language rhythms
• Cross-check all sources of information more quickly while reading
• Note familiar words and phonemes and use these to help with reading of unknown words
• Search for information in print to predict, confirm or attempt new words while reading
• Notice relationships between one text and another
• Predict in more detail

 

Books from the Purple RWI book shelf

These books introduce all of the RWI set 2 sounds.

Children are exposed to CCVC words for example: flat, brim

Children are beginning to read more varied sentence structures and taking some note of punctuation. Usually no more than 15 pages with 1 or 2 sentences per page.

Offer guidance if needed, but see if your child can now:

• Follow print with eyes, finger pointing only at points of difficulty
• Take more note of punctuation to support the use of grammar and oral language rhythms
• Cross-check all sources of information more quickly while reading
• Note familiar words and phonemes and use these to help with reading of unknown words
• Search for information in print to predict, confirm or attempt new words while reading
• Notice relationships between one text and another
• Predict in more detail

 

Books from the Pink RWI book shelf

Using these books encourages the children to independently apply all of the RWI set 2 sounds

Children are beginning to read more varied sentence structures and taking some note of punctuation. Usually no more than 15 pages with 1 or 2 sentences per page.

Encourage your child to:

• Move through text attending to meaning, print and sentence structure flexibly
• Self-correct more rapidly on the run
• Re-read to enhance phrasing and clarify precise meaning
• Solve new words using print information and understanding of the text to try alternative pronunciations
• Identify constituent parts of unfamiliar words to read correctly
• Manage a greater range of text genre
• Discuss content of the text in a manner which indicates precise meaning

 

Books from the RWI Orange book shelf 

These books consistently reinforce RWI set 2 sounds and introduce the children to RWI set 3 sounds.

Children are starting to read quite fluently and take note of punctuation. Usually about 20 pages with 3 or 4 sentences per page.

Encourage your child to:

• Read fluently with attention to punctuation
• Solve new words using print detail while attending to meaning and syntax
• Track visually additional lines of print without difficulty
• Discuss and interpret character and plot more fully
• Use contents page and glossary in non-fiction books and locate information

 

Books from the RWI Yellow book shelf

Children can read complex sentences fairly fluently, taking note of punctuation. They use expression and do not rely on illustrations to help them. Usually about 20 pages with 4 or 5 sentences per page.

These books will encourage your child to apply their reading skills to:

• Extract meaning from the text while reading with less dependence on illustrations
• Approach different genres with increasing flexibility
• Use punctuation and layout to read with a greater range of expression and control
• Sustain reading through longer sentence structures and paragraphs
• Tackle a higher ratio of more complex words using known vocabulary, phonic knowledge and syllables
• Find a way around alphabetically ordered texts such as indexes, glossaries and dictionaries

 

Books from the RWI Dark Blue book shelf

Children might read silently or quietly at quite a rapid pace, taking note of punctuation. Usually about 25 pages with 5 to 10 sentences per page.

By now your child will be starting to:

• Look through a variety of texts with growing independence to predict content, layout and story
• Read silently or quietly at a more rapid pace, taking note of punctuation and using it to keep track of longer sentences

• Solve most unfamiliar words on the run by blending long vowel phonemes, recognising and using
• them in longer and more complex words
• Adapt to fiction, non-fiction or poetic language with growing flexibility
• Take a more conscious account of literary effects used by fiction writers, and the formal language of different types of non-fiction
• Begin to make more conscious use of reading to extend speaking and writing vocabulary and syntax

 

Books from the RWI Grey book shelf. 

Books might have chapters. Children will read silently most of the time. They are interested in longer texts which they can return to easily after a break. Usually no more than 30 pages and about 10 sentences per page.

Further skills your child could develop:

• Read silently most of the time
• Sustain interest in longer texts, returning to it easily after a break
• Use text more fully as a reference and as a model
• Search for and find information in texts more flexibly
• Notice the spelling of unfamiliar words and relate to known words
• Show increased awareness of vocabulary and precise meaning
• Express reasoned opinions about what is read and compare texts
• Offer and discuss interpretations of text
• Comment on main characters and how they relate to each other
• Suggest alternatives or extensions to events and actions
• Discuss feelings created by stories
• Retelling of stories is balanced and clear

 

At this point the children are classed as Independent ‘Free Readers’ and will be choosing from the traditional book banded books from within the school library

Books might have chapters. Children will read silently most of the time. They are interested in longer text which they can return to easily after a break. Usually more than 30 pages.

• Begin to read reflectively and to perceive meanings beyond the literal
• Refer to text to support own ideas
• Distinguish main points from examples; fact from opinion
• Devise key questions and words for searching and use several sources
• Begin to read in different ways for different purposes, e.g. skimming for relevance, scanning for specific details, reflective and recursive reading for fuller comprehension
• Compare/contrast work from more than one source
• Read aloud with expression and intonation taking account of punctuation
• Pupils can refer to text layout and organisation
• Pupils show some awareness of the point of view of the author
• Beginning to sustain narrative and investigative reading

Learning opportunities:

• Sustain confidence and perseverance when reading longer, demanding texts
• Begin to use deduction and inference with more mature fiction and poetry
• Begin to perceive how an author develops: plot, characters, meanings beyond the literal, figurative
• Distinguish fact from opinion, point from example, relevant from irrelevant
• Select key points of a text and summarise
• Can refer to the impact of structure and organisation of texts
• Can refer to text to explain their views
• Identify themes
• Identify impact of word choices
• Secure the skills of skimming and scanning and recursive reading
• Pupils can identify the purpose of a text