Teaching phonics: is this a little advanced?

[chique]

My DC, who is 4 next year, attends a school nursery that uses Jolly Phonics. This term they have repeated the Group 1 sounds (which they worked on last year) and will be moving on to the Group 2 sounds and blending.

I am wondering if this is a little advanced/formal for a nursery but as I have no previous experience of nursery classes, it would be interesting to hear the views of other MNers.

[Littlefish]

It's just un-necessary! At your dcs age, they should be playing with sounds, listening for sounds, differentiating one sound from another etc. They should be starting to recognise some letters e.g. the letters in their name etc.

Sounds too formal and overly pushy to me!

My dd is just 4. I am a primary teacher. I am very deliberately not doing anything formal with her. She has 14 years of formal education ahead of her. Nursery should be about play, exploration and investigation.

[Littlefish]

sorry - can't spell unnecessary

[TeenyTinyTorya]

I could read and write stories independently at the age of 4, my brother couldn't read until he was 7. Children vary immensely, so it's great that your dc is getting the chance to learn about letters and reading at an early age - he/she may well be ready for it.

I'd be concerned if it was too formal though - at this age, children need to learn through play and having fun, not by sitting at desks doing "work". Children do learn things very easily in their pre-school years, so if your dc is doing well and you don't feel that it's pushy, I wouldn't be concerned.

[chique]

Thank you for the responses Littlefish and TeenyTinyTorya: interesting perspectives.

The nursery also appears to be a little advanced in its approach to writing. I was aware that the children were learning to write/trace their own names. However, they also appear to be writing/tracing other short words: some of which include Jolly Phonics Group 3 and Group 6 sounds, which I don't think they have been taught yet.

Whilst some children enjoy 'writing' and seem to be progressing, DC is not interested and is, I suspect, falling a little behind. I am not worried as I am sure DC will catch up when the time is right! Do you think this sounds a little formal though?

[WotsThatSkippy]

My son's nursery don't teach any subjects formally - it's all 'learning through play'. I'm not sure why a nursery school is teaching children to write / read? Usually this starts in reception or even Year 1 of school (which personally I think is still a bit young to be pushing them into academic learning). The danger with teaching children formally at such a young age is that they won't enjoy it and will be turned off the whole thing. I thought most pre-schools were up on this...?

[Habbibu]

Oh god, I hope not. It just isn't necessary. Some children will want to read/write early, and some won't. I don't think it has any bearing on later academic achievement. Sounds very formal, tbh.

[ForeverOptimistic]

Our nursery does this. The children are already reading and spelling words such as hat, leg etc. I think it is too early.

[TheBlonde]

our preschool is doing phonics and word tracing

[mrsmalumbas]

Preschools are meant to be following the new "letters and sounds" curriculum but for preschool it is not about learning letter sounds as such or forming letters, it is more about things like using rhyme, story telling, song, musical instruments, listening to sounds in the environment (e.g we went on a walk in the woods and listened for birds, leaves swishing etc). The key is listening - learning to listen and to enjoy sounds. The more formal stuff is what they do in reception. Things like learning the sound of the letters in their name is probably fine, but the other stuff is way over the top. IMHO. And then when they get to reception and mix with children from other nurseries etc and it all gets repeated won't they just bored?

[MollieO]

My ds's nursery did this but it depended totally on what was suitable for the individual child. My ds started JP when he was 3.2 which was earlier than they usually did but right for him.

[Littlefish]

Psychobabble - Mrsmalumbas is right. Pre-schools and nurseries are not expected to be teaching children to write and read.

Chique - yes, I think your dc's nursery sounds overly formal. Tracing over words has no value at all!

Children should be given the opportunity to make marks in many ways - using invented symbols, lines, patterns or any letters/numbers they know. They should be given the chance to use paint, mud, sand, glue etc. with which to make marks. They should use pens, pencils, sticks, fingers, leaves, bricks etc. to make these marks.

[FunkyNora]

My DD went to a nursery school that was a little like this. She left there being able to write her name, surname, knew all the letters and letter sounds and could decode some three letter words. I though this was reception-based stuff. I was chuffed and relaxed that she'd progress along in reception just fine. That is until I went to her parents consultation two weeks ago. Teacher said that my DD had ONLY managed to write her numbers up to 14 and needed to learn to recognise that the number zero has a value (eg in numbers like 10 and 100). My heart sank and i came away from the meeting feeling deflated and like she was behind in the class. I did all I could to resist looking in her classmates school books (they were all lined out for parents to look at their OWN childs work) before I left.