To be worries? 0 on phonics screening.

I’m very surprised by this. I have taught a couple of students with nystagmus at secondary school and they had significant adaptations to all work as well as glasses (not that it’s critical here, but for full picture - these students were in selective grammar school environments, so academically doing well.)

Before phonics is rhyme. Does he listen to you read nursery rhymes? Can he repeat nursery rhymes? Can he identify rhyming words in rhyming picture books?

Agree - sight reading is better for some.

The sight word list used in the US is called Dolch words. This complete list of (iirc) 220 words that make up about 80% of words in literature aimed at under-8s is available online in pdf form and on various websites. It's sorted by grades/ levels.

My son has it hard due to speech sounds and blending issues.
As a teacher though I would say look at those pre skills. If you clap clap tap tap. Can he do the rhythm back? Can he do rhyming words when you read... finishing off the sentence.

Keep up with the first sounds. But do some musical or patterns. 3/4 actions long then longer. It is preblending.
I hope that helps for something for the summer

Otoh if you have a child who is not learning with phonics, then continuing using the same method may equally well be unhelpful.

You can't know.

But in a child with an SEN that affects all learning and seems to be resulting in significant delay in all areas, it is unhelpful to think that a change of method will enable a huge leap forward - rather that it might be a route to explore once full assessment of his difficulties have been carried out.

I agree.

Phonics may be the best way for most to learn to read.

That doesn't mean it's the best way for all to learn to read.

I learnt by whole word recognition and just didn't get phonics. I remember the moment it clicked. I was reading Lord of the Rings. It's not necessary for them to have to do it by phonics to get a long way in reading.

For boys (especially but also any very active child)..

letter carpet tiles to make words, sound them out whilst jumping on them in turn

large letters outside and a water pistol/washing up liquid bottle. Make words and squirt each letter as they are sounded out

Action games ‘can you… j-u-m-p’ ( s-i-t, s-t-o-p etc. )

Collect the cards (in order) from around a room, and sound them to make a word.

I will also add that the tv programme ‘Alphablocks’ is really useful in the visuals of joining letters together to make words.

Reading eggs app

Phonics is the basis for reading it comes before reading/writing. It’s absolutely linked to s&l.
Do they send home read Write inc books to do at home? If no I’d order some to practice at home. Still do normal reading for pleasure tho as phonics books are not that great for installing a love of reading.

i would ask for a meeting with senco and class teacher and ask what they will be doing and also how he is doing on other areas - writing etc.
If he’s on the sen register they can apply for additional funding for some 1:1 support. I’d be pissed they are raising this now after the event and I’d want more than small group work as that should be standard.

We practiced using the phonics cards they use at school. He had 50% attendance last year but we managed to get him caught up and he passed

If he got 0 then he cannot blend cvc words.

Try watching alphablocks with him or have it on in the background.

You can begin the ehcp process yourself, school don't have to request it.

There are template letters on websites like Sendiass. You could also contact your LA.

Good luck

It sounds to me very much as if you should apply for an EHC needs assessment. At this stage you only need to show that he may have SEN - which is acknowledged already - and that he may need extra support via an EHCP. An assessment doesn't necessarily mean an EHCP will be granted, but it sounds as if it would be helpful to get to the bottom of what the issues are and what support your child needs.

@lollilou2 I just wanted to add to this not to let Phonics stop you enjoying reading with your son as it sounds as though that’s something you do a lot of. And I wondered if you’d heard of wordless picture books? They’re exactly what they sound like stories without any words but they’d give your son an opportunity to read to you without any of the phonics pressure. There are lots of lovely ones but I particularly like “Flotsam” and “Journey”.

My youngest dd had speech and language problems and although much of the speech problem was solved, she always struggled with reading.
I did Toe by Toe with her in the summer between year 4 and year 5. She also moved school as we moved and had loads of 121 and programmes in Year 5.
She finished primary at level 4, bang on average. A huge achievement for her.She followed through at Gcse, getting 8 at level 4 and above and grades 5 in English Maths and Science.
At the end of year 1, she was working towards reception level, at the end of year 4 she was at year 2 level.
I would say it's a long haul but keeping up confidence, praising their effort makes all the difference

There may be other ways to teach initial reading skills like whole word recognition, but all ways of teaching have to lead to phonics in the end, because letters represent spoken sounds in different combinations.

Nobody can possibly memorise every word in the dictionary by it's shape alone. Without using phonics you wouldn't be able to decode a word you have never read before. But we all can because we all use phonics to read whether you are aware of it or not.

I had to have extra reading lessons as a young child, then went on to excel in English at the top of the class.

The Ladybird Peter and Jane books helped one of my children who was struggling with phonics.

They are actually incredibly good books for repetition of the most common words and building up slowly from the basics. Several generations learned to read this way and it can be combined with phonics. It's a good way of boosting confidence too.

How is his speech though OP? Is he speaking clearly or are the sounds not quite there yet? My other child could read well but had a speech issue where certain sounds weren't pronounced correctly. She really couldn't do L sounds at all.

We knew what she was saying even though it wasn't pronounced right. In the phonics test though the tester won't be familiar with your child's speech and they don't make allowances for speech impediments.

Some speech and language sessions did help my child a lot.

I'd request a meeting with the school and ask for confirmation of all additional support they now intend to provide.

Have you had him assessed for a learning disability? My son was like this, diagnosed with a moderate learning disability.
we did the whole word learning approach in the end, he now reads at 16+ level and is only 14. Phonics just doesnt work for some kids x

Oh also, alphablocks.

There are lots of oral blending games on busy things, teach your monster to read, topmarks and ict games. Also YouTube has a blending machine video and a blending song.

Although if he has speech issues it really is probably the cause of it, how can you blend the sounds if you're struggling to say them altogether anyway?

I'm surprised they didn't prep you that he would be this low. I hope they realised before!

Tbh it sounds as if he might struggle with whole word methods as well, given that the OP says difficulties extend to Maths etc as well.

Really important IP works with the school to get him comprehensively assessed via an EHCNA.

One of my offspring couldn't get phonics at all for reading. He struggled until I taught him using look and say, as I was taught, and he learnt amazingly quickly and was quickly a competent reader. Phonics is great if it works for the child and they are ready for it but it is not the only way as children are not one size fits all. Some children learn to read at 3, some not until much later, try not to worry he will get there.

The school on the other hand sound fairly useless. You know your child best, maybe try a few different reading books to see if one clicks, as they aren't really offering any support. .