Sounds-Write - A Multi-Sensory Approach

At St John's Catholic Primary, we teach phonics using a linguistic phonics programme called Sounds-Write. Sounds-Write is a very highly structured, multi-sensory approach to teaching children to read and spell. Its structure and simplicity makes it a programme accessible to all learners and helps them to make excellent progress with their reading and spelling.

The four key concepts children are taught are

• 1. Letters are symbols that represent sounds
• 2. Sounds can be spelled using 1, 2, 3 or 4 letters

• 3. The same sound can be spelled in different ways
• 4. The same spelling can represent different sounds

The three key skills children need to master are:

• 1. Blending
• 2. Segmenting

• 3. Phoneme manipulation

Sounds-Write in EYFS

Children in reception begin with the initial code where they practice all three key skills whilst learning the 1:1 sound-spelling correspondences and securing their understanding of key concept 1.

This builds up confidence and phonic knowledge in a truly reversible system, enabling them to read and spell a wide range of words and sentences. At first, children learn to read and write simple one syllable words with a CVC structure eg pig, cat, sit.

Complexity of word structure systematically builds up so that children apply their code knowledge to monosyllabic words with up to six sounds eg strict, scrunch.

Sounds-Write Across the School

Once the initial code has been mastered, children continue to practice all three key skills through Key Stage 1 whilst learning the extended code which explores key concepts 2, 3 and 4. Learning of the extended code is a lifelong process – we all continue to develop our understanding of this code whenever we encounter new words. Whilst learning the extended code, children read and write monosyllabic and polysyllabic words at an age-appropriate level.

Children in Reception and KS1 have a 30 minute phonics lesson every day, in addition to their reading and writing lessons.

More information on the Sounds-Write programme can be found here 

https://sounds-write.co.uk/support-for-parents-and-carers/ including a free online course aimed at parents.

Below is a link to a sounds write training video: