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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Introducing phonics to DD starting reception.

87 replies

passthewineplz · 30/07/2015 19:52

Hi, my DD is due to start reception class in September. Can anyone recommend a good website to help me introduce her to phonics, and recommend any good YouTube songs/rhymes as the ones I've found are mainly American (not 100% sure if there's a difference. But I know they say Z differently).

TIA

OP posts:

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moab · 30/07/2015 20:12

She can watch alpha blocks on cbeebies and there is a website called phonics play thT has phonics games on. There is also a lot of good phonics app if you have a tablet to download them on to. However I wouldn't worry about phonics too much now, make sure she is Ready for reception in other ways e.g. Indepednent toilet ing, dressing. Equally important are speaking skills, talking about books etc with her

SuffolkNWhat · 30/07/2015 20:14

If you're going to start now make sure you know which system the school uses.

Sausages123 · 30/07/2015 20:15

Reading eggs?

BartholomewCrouch · 30/07/2015 20:18

I rally wouldn't bother.

We already starts the formal teaching of reading so young why push it to even younger.

Also even if you do and she happily picks it up easily she is still going to have to sit through all the phonics lessons in reception and may be bored.

So instead focus on doing lots of language rich, play based activities, share lots of books, take to lots of places talk to her about the world, expose her to lots of social situations and different people-that will be so more valuable tbh.

Not trying to be snotty by the way, I know you are just interested in your DDs eduaction, meant as honest advice.

passthewineplz · 30/07/2015 20:21

Thanks moab I forgot about alpha blocks, and iPhone apps. I'll have a look and see what apps I can find.

She's fine with the other skills, talking especially! she never shuts up

I was thinking I need to channel her hyperactivity enthusiasm and get started on phonics.

OP posts:

passthewineplz · 30/07/2015 20:25

Thanks BartholomewCrouch I tend to do those kind of things, and she's always asking questions very inquisitive.

I just worry I'm not doing enough, especially when I see children the same age on FB being able to write their names and read words.

OP posts:

BartholomewCrouch · 30/07/2015 20:30

you are definitely doing enough and all the rights things.
Any reception teacher would tell you that.

Turn off facebook.

TwoLeftSocks · 30/07/2015 20:31

Ooh, ignore facebook!!! Nothing good ever comes from seeing what other children are doing.

If anything, just things like learning the sounds the different letters make it useful enough.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 30/07/2015 20:38

Try the Jolly phonics songs if you are looking for you tube songs. Those are English and not American.

If you have an ipad, the Sounds-Write app is supposed to be good. Won't work on an iphone though.

passthewineplz · 30/07/2015 20:44

Thanks for the advice, think I'll go with a song and look at the iPad app.

I'll also step away from FB, I spend more time on MN these days

OP posts:

mrz · 30/07/2015 20:53

Be Careful with iPad apps as phonics is taught differently in the U.S. (ReadingEggs is a U.S. model)
I would recommend the Sounds Write app but as others have said don't worry your son hasn't started school yet most children don't read and write before school.

mrz · 30/07/2015 20:54

www.sounds-write.co.uk/apps.aspx

Wolfiefan · 30/07/2015 20:55

We spent the weeks before reception focusing on skills like dressing self and ensuring hands washed properly after toilet! Social skills are huge too. Listening skills and sitting still when needed are important. Made sure she could read her own name and focused on mark making. No reading.
End of yr and she's doing great.

SomethingFunny · 30/07/2015 21:03

I think you are better off leaving it to the school. They will cover each letter/ sound and teach the children how to say it properly, and how to write it in what ever method they use in the school.

Some of the children who had learnt to read and write before school came across problems- they hadn't learnt to read phonetically, so struggled with the way things were taught at school and they hadn't leant the correctly style of writing either. They had to re-learn these things which was harder and took longer (and was more frustrating for the teachers) that the children who came ready to learn but without the (bad) prior teaching.

Much better to be a blank slate ready and willing to learn.

tricot39 · 31/07/2015 23:01

Pocket phonics app
Teach your monster to read website
Fab for just building up familiarity
Our school nursery started the phonics and we continued with it all so that DS was sound with it all and it took the pressure right off settling for us, where social skills are an issue and academics less so

noramum · 01/08/2015 08:05

We taught DD the letter by their name when she was 2-3 and she could write her name. Then learning phonics in school was no problem at all as they all started together and she picked up in no time. I don't see a need to start early.

Knowing to read her name is important so she can find their things in a heap of 30 identical looking stuff. Reading to her to share books is great and if you think she is lacking concentrate in practical things like dressing, fine mortar skills etc. arts and craft or HAMA beads are good for this.

You will spend your next 14 years hearing what great little geniuses your friend's children are. Just learn to ignore and think about the things these parents do not share. For example my friend's DD was a free reader in Y1 but she never admitted that the girl hates speaking in front of a class and wouldn't ask for a role in a play. Now, they start Y4 and this girl and my DD read the same books.

mrz · 01/08/2015 09:29

Teachers would normally suggest not teaching letter names before children are secure with the sounds those letters represent

zingally · 01/08/2015 13:09

Speaking as a reception teacher, leave it alone for now... Let her get settled into school first, and follow her lead with what she's telling/showing you at home.
I Spy is a nice little game to play at home and out and about. Just make sure you are using the sound of the letter, rather than it's name.

Generally though, things to practise with her that are more important at this stage, are things like independent toileting (including dealing with poos!), recognising her name written down (writing it herself is a nice bonus, but not particularly expected), and being able to dress herself, put on her own coat, that sort of thing.

noramum · 01/08/2015 15:01

Mrz - she was 2 and I am not from the UK and was not even thinking about school at this time.

I learned to read with phonics, German is a very phonetically language, but knew all the letter names before I started school. I feel extremely silly saying letters phonetically when they should be pronounced by their name like in "WH Smith". DD was more than able to distinguish when she started school and while we got into the habit to spell words phonetically she can use both.

user789653241 · 01/08/2015 19:32

I kind of agree with noramum.
I am not from UK as well, so I had no knowledge of phonics. I didn't teach my dc to read, but let him watch TV with subtitles on.
He wanted to know all the letter names, so I bought a book about Abc.
He was able to read at 2 1/2, and nursery teacher asked me how I taught him to read. I didn't!
In school, he has done all his phonics learning with other children, but no problem. He actually enjoyed it.
So, I thought there is no harm done teaching names of letters first!!!

Longtalljosie · 01/08/2015 19:37

The YouTube song has a zed version:

Plus Jolly Phonics do a CD

mrz · 01/08/2015 20:12

Irvine ...so you didn't teach him the alphabet?

My son could also read fluently before the age of 2 without being taught ... I'm not sure how that's relevant

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mrz · 01/08/2015 20:19

Sorry I see you did

mrz · 01/08/2015 20:25

The reason many teachers don't teach letter names until children are secure with sounds is that letter names don't help with reading or spelling (latter alphabetic order and conventions of using letter names may make it worthwhile)

See ay tee doesn't help a child read cat

user789653241 · 01/08/2015 20:54

mrz, I really respect you!!! I have learned so much about English education system from your post and I think you are the most level headed, great teacher I ever come across.
The reason I commented about my ds being able to read was because I just wanted to give example how my ds leaned to read without learning phonetically. (And did not disadvantage him.)
I am not a teacher, and I don't know how to teach someone, but I was lucky even I can't speak English well enough as normal English parents can, my ds didn't suffer from it so much!
I am not against phonics learning either.

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