Teachers/Experienced Parents - Help me with DDs reading please!

[notyummy]

DD (4.3) started reception last month. Although she is one of the youngest in the class, she is fairly bright etc (but no genius!) We had stayed away from teaching her to read, although she knew all the letters, and a lot of the 'sounds'. Basically, if she asked, we told her.

She has been bringing Oxford Reading Tree books home since the first week. She can memorise them after one reading so just 'parrots' them to us and says they are 'too easy'. I have been picking the words out of them and putting them on little cards to make her read them without the context of the pictures and she has got all of them. She is doing phonics at school, because she has come home with the sounds/actions to show me, so we do sound out a word if she hesitates. Basically, I just wanted to check that I am doing the right thing by taking the words 'out' of the book like this, and also how quickly the reading tree progresses, as although she is not a fluent reader, she is complaining that the level one books are babyish and too easy. I guess it may be a fairly common gap between comprehension of a story and actual comprehension of the text. We read quite long complex stories to her (Charlie and the Choc Factory/The Enchanted Wood), which she understands completely - and I think she is hoping her reading books from school would be like that, despite the fact that she would really struggle to read much of them!

[notyummy]

Thanks for that. I will just keep going then. The school has sent home a number of 'hints and tips' sheets on supporting reading, most of which we are doing. I will check that we are doing all the things suggested. We are quite happy with the school thus far - she seems to enjoy it and wants to go on Saturday, so thats the main thing!

[sarahfreck]

Sounds like you are doing wonderfully! If you wanted to give her some other easy phonic books to get her teeth into, I would recommend these www.redhouse.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10151_18251_184018_100_17602_17602_category_17602
but I don't think that's essential - just if you wanted and felt she would be keen to try.
My gut feeling is that your daughter is really ready to read and is going to start to "fly" with it in the next 6 months or so!
Have fun!

[sarahfreck]

PS - Just fond book collection here too www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_searchResult_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&pageSize=20&pageNumber=0&searchTerm=read+write+inc and may be a bit cheaper. you'd have to compare p&p rates to check.

[notyummy]

Thanks Sarah. Have used the Book People before so will have a quick look!

[wallababy]

My dd was like this last year, I tried to ask her more probing questions after the Reading to also help with creativeness etc. Things like, what do you think they did after they found the cat? Why do you think the cat ran away? And discuss all the different options. I think has helped her with her story writing now ( in year 1) she sounds just like my dd (bright but no genius!) it's hard to stretch them without being pushy isn't it!!

[wed99]

Its early days yet as she has just started in reception and I expect the teacher is still getting to grips with what level each child is at. Your DD sounds like my DD was - she was reading the early Oxford Reading books very easily (She used to read them without opening the book !)
I also put the words on cards , with every book there would be new words to add and then we would make our own sentences and eventually our own stories.
As the term in reception went on our teacher moved the more able readers on quite quickly so I hope this happens for you.