Reading year 1

[MrsEms]

Hi,

DD is in year 1, still five at the moment if that's relevant.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how she is doing with her reading. Last time I did manage to grab a couple of minutes they did say she was on target for the end of the year.
However she's only reading songbirds stage 3 books.
DD says she doing phase 5 phonics, don't know how she knows this unless the teacher told them.
Am I confusing the 3 on the book with something else and it actually doesn't mean it is phase 3 phonics?
Thanks

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Phonics phases:
www.theschoolrun.com/what-are-phonics-phases

Book bands
www.readingchest.co.uk/book-bands

The three is the book bands and it isn't the same as the phonics stage.

[Ginmummy1]

As PP says. The class will be on phase 5 phonics. At the end of this they will have covered all the phonics sounds necessary for the phonics screening check at the end of year 1.

Children within the same class will be on a range of reading levels.

[Ginmummy1]

How do you think she is doing with her reading?

I have just done a search for the songbirds series and found
this link which might be informative.

Assuming your daughter's class is following the phonics phases in PPs original link, it looks at a glance as though her reading book is a bit 'behind' the phonics level being taught. However, this may be perfectly normal.

If you feel the books are too easy, or that she's struggling with something in particular, I'd ask the teacher for a chat. If it's difficult to catch the teacher, perhaps put a note in your daughter's bag outlining your concerns, and the teacher can contact you.

[empirerecordsrocked]

DTs are August birthday and are on green ORT. Apparently one is near the bottom of the class and one the middle (how that works when they are on the same banding I have no idea).

They are making good progress imo so I'm just going with it for now.

[MrsEms]

Thanks for the replies and the links, yes looking at the links it looks like DD is doing phase 5. I'm arriving at this based on the spellings she gets. I assume spellings are linked to phonics phases?
DD tells me they learnt the sound to spell for example blue and chew recently,
She doesn't always like the school books saying they are boring. We therefore some nights read our own books/library books and if she is unsure of a word we break it down together. Being our own books/library books I wouldn't have a clue how they match to phonics/bookbands.

Looking at the songbird link provided I know she can read all those referenced in stage 3 and would say based on the work we do at home and books we read she can read all the ee, ie, oa , ai sounds and looking at spelling given over the last few weeks assume she must be able to read wr and kn sounds to be able to spell them?

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Yes, spellings should be linked to phonics stage and ability level.
Atm I know that some of DS' year one are studying phase 5 so your daughter seems spot on in terms of progress.
Not sure about songbirds but biff and chip seems to Get little better at level 4 (blue level) as I find the stories have a bit better storyline and are a little more amusing.

[Peakyblinder]

My DS is 5 ( July born ) and in year 1. He really can't read at all. He tries to use his phonics to blend sounds but if the word can't be pronounced phonetically he can't do it all. I watch him desperately scanning the pic for clues to what the word is.
Chicken I'm interested in what you have said about the spellings bein linked to his phonics stage and ability level as the whole class all received the same spellings on a weekly basis.
He regulary receives 0/10 . I think the highest he's ever had is a 3. Do you think its worth addressing this with the teacher ?

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Peakyblinders I would tbh. I can't see how it would be helpful to that child to give them spellings that are in no way possible. In fact I would be worried about potential harm.
I'd want to know what the school are doing to help your son.

[MrsEms]

Thanks Tommorow for replying.
Aww Peaky I just want to give your son a hug. I know what DD feels like when she gets only 6 (lowest she has got) so cant imagine how your son feels. I think our school most have the same set of spellings but know some have slightly easier.

[mrz]

"but if the word can't be pronounced phonetically" all words can be pronounced phonetically or they wouldn't be words

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

I assume they meant that the words can't be sounded out with the phonemes taught so far. Not exactly helpful

[mrz]

Then the correct approach is to show them how to sound out the words (by helpfully explaining the unknown part rather than saying they aren't pronounceable which sends the wrong message and confuses) if the school is following the National Curriculum the books sent home should closely match the child's phonic ability / knowledge unfortunately this doesn't seem to be the case in many schools.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

I suppose it depends on the distance between the child's knowledge and the difficulty of the spellings. If a child was struggling with phase 2 phonics adding in phase 3,4 and 5 will just add confusion.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

No it won't.

It was fine before the introduction of letters and sounds and would be fine if people could get over the bizarre hang up with phases.

In fact, I'd suggest that plenty, if not most children would have fewer issues if people weren't obsessed with rigorously sticking to the stupid phases.

[mrz]

"I suppose it depends on the distance between the child's knowledge and the difficulty of the spellings" actually it doesn't ...it's something that should be done right from the onset

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

So teaching a child ue and ou alongside u would be a benefit?

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Yes.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

oh ok.

[Scabetty]

Words are patterns of letters so pointing out the various combinations within words is important eg: ea is often ee but sometimes ay. This gives a child options to retry for sense. They often plough through saying non words as they are decoding which isn't reading for understanding.

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

As long as you are teaching in the context of words and not just isolated sounds. It's especially helpful for spelling.

Children need to be introduced to the key principles of the English code from the start. It's much easier that way.

In fairness to the creators of Letters and Sounds, it does say that the phases, in particular the introduction of spelling alternatives from phase 5 should be fluid.

If you look at other schemes, it is common for several spellings of a sound to be introduced at the same time even in the early stages.

Even in l&S c, k and ck are introduced at the same time in the first few weeks of YrR. If children can cope with that, then there's no reason they can't do the same for other sounds.

[Scabetty]

Once they are blending confidently cvc words, then phase 3, 4 (basically words not sounds) and 5 can follow quickly. You have to revisit the trigraphs as they never spot igh or ear or air within words.

[InTheDessert]

We are at a British School, outside the UK. May of the kids have English as a second (third, fourth) language.
DS2 is on higher ability tables for all work, and is fairly near the top of reading ability. He has just moved to stage 4. The whole school takes a much slower pace at reading levels, and it seems to work.
We take other books, and read them together - I will, for example, get DS2 to read speech bubbles, or other little e trade, but I read the bulk of it. That way we get to read more exciting stories, and not spend too much time on homework!!!
If the teacher thinks she's on track, don't worry about it, just encourage reading little bits when out and about. And enjoy a wide range of other books with her. The best thing she has going for her is an involved Mummy

[HarveySchlumpfenburger]

Children don't need to be blending words at all before moving on to phase 3. Ability to blend isn't a prerequisite and children should be moved onto phase 3 even if they aren't blending.

[Blossomdeary]

Children, especially at this early age, progress at such different speeds and in different ways. It is only the government that is trying to shoehorn them into specific progress targets.

I think you are doing the right thing by reading her the home books and library books - and remember it is also very important that she just reads for pleasure with you with no attempt at all to spell words out. Otherwise reading just becomes a chore.

The teacher has said she is doing fine - take that on board and sit down with her and read a lovely story that she enjoys, making no mention of letters etc.

One of my DDs did not even begin to work our reading till she was 9 - and she now has an MA! It is far more important that you DD enjoys her childhood and enjoys books.

[Blossomdeary]

"out" - no wonder she could not read!!