Who is it for?
Fresh Start is a systematic synthetic phonics programme for struggling readers aged 9 – 13+. In primary schools, it is for children who:
- are reading below age-related expectations
- have missed schooling or are late arrivals into school
- are new to the UK education system
- are learning English as an additional language.
Let’s rescue these children before they move up to secondary school. It may be their last chance.
How does it work
Fresh Start builds children’s reading accuracy, fluency and stamina in just 25 minutes a day. Children make as much as two years’ progress in only two months.
- Quick diagnostic assessment. Children start at their highest point on the programme for speedy progress, whether this is for accurate decoding or for reading fluency – or both.
- Daily phonics lessons at each child’s ‘challenge point’. Children progress quickly because they learn and review letter-sounds and words at their level.
- Motivating age-appropriate Modules*. Older readers enjoy applying their new phonic knowledge to engaging matched decodable stories and non-fiction texts.
- Flexible organisation. You can teach Fresh Start flexibly depending on the number of children who need it in your school, and the number of staff you have available.
- Mirrors the DfE’s 2023 Reading Framework. You can be confident you have everything covered.
If you’re a Read Write Inc. school, your Reading Leader already knows what to do. Fresh Start is the ‘grown-up’ version of Phonics. The lessons are similar, just with age-appropriate stories. You already have the Fresh Start training on our School Portal at no extra cost, or your tutors can attend a regional training course.
*Now includes 10 compelling new Modules that reflect children’s everyday experiences and backgrounds.
Time required for teaching
To ensure children make the speediest progress, they are ideally taught individually for the first 16 Modules. They then progress to working in small progress groups. They are taught for 25 minutes each day throughout the programme. The duration depends on each child’s starting place. Children starting later in the programme will only need a few weeks’ tutoring; others starting at the beginning need two or three terms.
Fresh Start works even if you’re short of time and staff.
Children make the speediest progress with Fresh Start when they are taught individually. If, however, you have insufficient adults to teach them one-to-one: teach the first four children who are the lowest point individually until they can be taught together. Then repeat this with the next four children, and the next…
The Reading Leader
A Reading Leader coordinates the teaching. They organise practice sessions for the reading tutors, assess children’s phonic progress half-termly, and ensure tutors’ time is protected so tutoring can take place every day.
Children with SEND
Older children with SEND are sometimes better taught using Read Write Inc. Phonics One-to-one Tutoring. This programme is designed to be fully inclusive. Although designed for younger pupils, it uses a smaller-step approach and provides a greater amount of practice.
We can help you make this decision – contact us here.
Assessment and grouping
Assess pupils’ phonic knowledge before they start the programme, and every half term. Teach those at the early stages of the programme one-to-one.
Well-trained reading tutors
Pupils make rapid progress when they have individual support from an enthusiastic and well-trained tutor – either a teacher or teaching assistant.
Home support
The Virtual Classroom has over 600 phonics films to send home and pupils take home their Fresh Start module and an anthology every week.