To be worries? 0 on phonics screening.

My DGS passed his phonics test….just he is 6 and is getting a 1-1 next year no identifiable SEN as such. He has a different problem, he’s reading everything he loves his atlas atm and can read Pacific Ocean and North America BUT he doesn’t sound out the words he just seems to know them so we were worried about the phonics test. All I’m saying is that children learn very differently to each other I’m not sure I’m a fan of standardised tests

6/18 if that’s with both eyes open and glasses on means he should definitely be assessed by a QTVI. The school will need advice on where to seat him and to ensure any resources are made big enough if they need to be. He could be missing a lot because he can’t see from where he’s sitting etc

My question would be whether this low level of performance is an ‘outlier’, or whether he has similar struggles in Maths, in grasping concepts in other subjects, in remembering and retelling a story etc etc.

For a child where the low level of performance is present across all subjects, then urgent investigations in the form of an EHCNA should be explored, as a ‘general’ SEN is indicated and there may be a need for a specialist setting etc (these can be much easier to access the younger the child, and conversely become extremely full by the end of primary).

For a child of average or above ability but a very poor Phonics score, then there is obviously something more specific going on - could be visual, auditory, in working memory etc - and another reading method after intensive Phonics revision would be worth trying.

Whichever, you need to be working very actively with the school. Nobody should just be ‘hoping it will resolve in time’ or covering it up with platitudes about friendships. There is a specific or general SEN in play, which will need hard work from all to address.

You are right to be concerned. To get 0 on the phonics screening at this point in Y1 shows he cannot blend at all. I work in Y1, to put it into context even my very high needs SEN group including children who have just arrived in the U.K. scored 2/3.
Im not saying this to worry you but he needs some phonic support. My first suggestion would be to find out which phonics scheme they use. We use Little Wandle which promotes super supported blending initially, so you basically blend it for them and see if they can hear it. They gradually reduce the amount of support they give.
Start with the sounds SATPIN and make words with them and help him to blend them together. You’ll ideally need some cards to do this with. Then ask him to make the word PIN, SIT etc as well.
Please please don’t get Ladybird books or teach him to sight read, genuinely if he cannot retain the sounds from the start to the end of a CVC word ( like SAT) then he won’t be able to retain enough words to sight read.
I literally spend all day every day doing this, so please ask if I can help in anyway.

Have you tried a reading program at home? We use Nessy and have seen huge improvements https://www.nessy.com/en-gb

DS also really enjoys the ladybird Peter and Jane books for sight words and they've boosted his confidence

It was more a suggestion

For some children phonics doesn't work, I seem to remember particularly children with dyslexia. So potentially over the summer you could try different approaches like reading whole words instead of sounding out to see if that works better for him. Phonics became the thing a few years ago and it works for most children, but I would guess after 2 years it's not going to help your son, so I'd look at alternative strategies

I'd be really worried at five if he can't read simple three and four letter words. Work with the school, do everything they suggest and ask for any and all help.

You can suggest op does that but you can't tell her she has to.

Request an EHCNA yourself. On their website, IPSEA has a model letter you can use. DS needs a proper assessment by multiple professionals so his needs and the support he requires can be better understood. Then he needs an EHCP so he receives the support he needs.

Alongside requesting an EHCNA, request a meeting with the SENCO. Even without an EHCP, the school should be providing support. They have a duty to make their best endeavours to meet DS’s SEN.

When you are reading sit closely next to him and point the words as you read, emphasising common phonics (like "oo" in food, "ch" in chicken).

Green Eggs and Ham is really repetitive and good for starting reading.

I’m a teacher and the parents who make a fuss get the most done unfortunately. Look at end of expectations for reception and year 1 and ask them how they are going to support him, what will his targets be etc.

Glasses don’t correct nystagmus as it’s not a refractive error so I would want to be totally sure he can access all the resources in class.

do you know what his corrected vision scores are? They’re usually something with 0. In front like 0.32. Not the same as the glasses prescription. Some people have nystagmus quite mildly or only when they close one eye and therefore it doesn’t affect them too badly and they don’t need QTVI support in school. Some children find it much harder as their vision is blurrier and they need resources adapting

Ok sounds like you've had great advice on here. A few things to add. Try sight reading for him- he will need phonics at some point but such reading can give a really confidence boost. Label everything in the house (door, bath, light- colours too- red etc) try having some words either tricky or set 1 words on his wall, mix them up, can he find the one beginning with? Which has 4 letters? Etc.
Also try online games and maybe a tutor.

There is a stage before blending which they need to grasp before blending will make sense to them - it's called phonological awareness and is partly the idea that letters or groups of letters can represent sounds, and partly the idea that words can be broken down into separate parts. My DS nearly 7 (with SEN) is only just grasping this, and can't blend at all yet. There is basically no point keeping on about blending if they haven't got there with phonological awareness yet.

Some useful games to practice phonological awareness are anything with rhyming - if he can't identify rhymes himself yet, then lots of exposure - songs, nursery rhymes, funny rhyming books (especially books which use made up words, like "Octopus Socktopus").

Also beginning sounds. So things like I Spy (using phonics sounds rather than letter names) if this works, or if that's not working yet, you can work it into your everyday play together picking up objects and asking, or when he wants you to spell something for him, ask him "Does 'go' start with the sound 'gg' or 'lll'?" And once he's consistently picking the right option out of two, you can start to get him to identify the starting sound without offering multiple choice.

If even multiple choice is baffling still, you could work on specific sounds one at a time (maybe go through the sounds in the order of whatever system his school uses - e.g. SATPIN is commonly first), and look at alphabet books/lists/songs (youtube has lots, of varying quality!) if he doesn't find this too babyish.

Clapping syllables in words (or any other action, like jumping or stomping) is another good exercise for this (weirdly DS has always been able to do this even though he has only recently been able to begin to identify starting sounds and rhymes).

Alphablocks is always fun as well.

Don't worry - sounds like he's doing great exactly where he is. The phonics screening will be based on where NT children are at that age on average. Since you already know he has some difficulties with S&L as well as the visual area it's likely expected that he won't reach those milestones at the same time as others. The screeners are partly to help identify children who haven't yet been identified who might need further support, and partly to check that schools are sticking to the phonics programmes, which do have the most benefit for the most number of children, but might not fit the right pattern for children who are developing at their own pace.

Why can't he read if he is in year 1? Children in reception are already reading.

I would ask his teacher for advice and practice with your son during the summer. My child reads very short books given by his teachers. In the beginning it was just ine word per page, now are few sentences per page. I maje him read them every night and i know they do practice phonics every day at class.check youtube, practice phonics with him and make him read few words per day /night until he can start reading short stories. I don't remember my son's stories collection but I can ask at his school and you can buy them or get them from the library.

This may not be a consolation to you, but in the US, children do not tackle blending until first grade, when aged 6-7.

The UK hothouses children in phonics in Reception, ignoring best oractice from elsewhere that takes into account what the brains of the majority of children are capable of absorbing.

If you want to boost his progress, make sure you sing, dance, and clap rhythms with him. Read rhyming poetry. When you read, run your finger along u Der the text so that he can see you're not just making up the story and can start to associate the story with the written words. If he wants to hear the same story read ten, fifteen, rwenty times in a row, read it to him.

I’d also be saying that he’s working at reception level and needs a not of additional support.

I agree with @DPotter and @Everdecreasingcircumferences

Phonics isn't the only way.

We shouldn't have a one size fits all system.

My DC was suffering and behind on reading levels and also failed both phonics test
We did all the toe by toe and extra reading at school and she plodded on slowly. ..guess what got her up from level 5 to 8 in three months ?

Peter and Jane. I got the set and started all over again and she had a huge sense of achievement reading a whole book ( even with very few words on the page ) .
When she finished the set along with first 100 high frequency flash cards we went to reading chest in line and. I looked for level 5 books on her interests we dropped phonics like a hot stone read the book twice a day her or me or both . About a month's and half in it clicked and she started to read all the books on one go ( you can get up to 3 or 4 at one time ) .
She was away !!

Thank goodness she had me to support her.

I’m sorry but if he got 0 then I’d be putting pressure on school for more support. What are their plans for him in year 2? How will they support him? How will they ensure he passes next year or at least help to close the gap?

You will of course know your child best, but I would wonder whether his nystagmus worsens with tiredness or stress, and if so whether this is being properly accounted for at school. As others have said hopefully the QTVI or similar will be able to assess.

I’m close to someone with nystagmus who finds that this is the case. Their vision can vary quite significantly depending on the time of day, eye strain and how they’re generally feeling. As an adult they know word shapes and context well enough to be able to read without seeing every letter, but even as a very fluent reader they would struggle with made-up phonics words.

I'm so sorry they sound awful