To feel I’m not doing enough to help my reception child?

I didn't do loads of phonics with mine. All but one of them were reading before starting reception but it wasn't a huge time suck, just reading together at bedtime, using subtitles on TV. Post it's with names of things like table, chair, cupboard. I get them to read things when out and look for words they know.

Are you a single parent? Can the DC help with either of them.

School will ask that you read together for 10 mins every night. Do this after school today. You point, she sounds out the words. Then at bedtime you read a story to get a love of books.

Flash cards I made into a garden and would place them around the room, some insight and some slight hidden and say go and find C-A-T etc. the leaning my play was easier for my eldest as my youngest would collect the answers and join in with praise.

A good school will tell you what you should be doing. You do not need to be doing/buying loads of extra stuff.

DS's school did Little Wandle. We got a worksheet every week with the sound/s to practice and a reading book. 5 minutes every/most days is plenty. We also stuck up "tricky words" round the house and I would point to them randomly to practice. Could you put them in the bathroom and do them at bath time/teeth cleaning?

The best thing to do is to talk about reading/language in your every day life. Read labels in shops. Look for letters on signs. Play silly rhyming games. Get her to identify sounds in words as you do stuff. You don't need to do formal teaching with her to reinforce the classroom stuff at this age.

I work in reception. Reading is one of the best things you can do, both the school reading book and plenty of reading for fun. We need children to know that books are great because then they are much more likely to engage.

There are so many learning opportunities in day to day life so don’t worry about doing specific activities just try to get those little moments in when you can. Sounding out words together you see when shopping, conversations like “we need three eggs can you help?”

Take you children to places (just a local walk doesn’t need to be anything fancy!) and talk to them about what you see the colours, the sizes, the animals. It’s all learning and it will all help.

I’d also say that Little Wandle starts off quite slowly in reception as they go through each letter sound first in sets of letters, but it progresses quickly in the secind half. My dd went from the wordless books at the start of reception to phase 4 books at the end of reception, and she’s a young summer born. So I really wouldn’t worry too much at this stage as they will all be going through the letter sounds together.

That’s the same as ours. Get the pink and the blue flashcards if you haven’t got both already as they’re what they cover in reception. What I do is go through the pack of cards with her and if she gets the sound right she wins that card. If she doesn’t I get the card and then we go through those ones at the end together. She gets really excited when she realizes she’s won most of the pack and can see her progress.

what reading scheme is the school doing? I’d really recommend the flashcards, the first ones will be the letters and it will similar to what they’re doing in phonics lessons in school so should help her learn them.

I recently had a meeting with the SENCO and head about eldest DC and happened to mention some concerns I had about youngest (reception age) mixing up her sounds (she has a slight speech difficulty and I’m starting to think it might be hearing related). They were incredibly relaxed. Reassured me that this term is for playing, to keep doing what I’m doing in terms of reading stories, and that we’d revisit later in the year if she was struggling.

I don’t think teachers are expecting us to be drilling phonics into four year olds tbh…

I don't have much time, I work 4 days a week, DH is full time and also have a toddler, we juggle the school and nursery runs, wrap around care and DDs activities. She started reception last year. The things I do to fit in school practice for her is listening to her read at breakfast time on the days she doesn’t go to breakfast club, incorporating phonics and maths into play and games for example in the car (I spy with letters, asking how she would spell something, playing teachers and school for example), and doing phonics flashcards with her before bed, and she enjoys doing workbooks so have a couple of those to do for when she asks for them. I also buy her a stretch reading book every couple of weeks at the next level up to the one she gets from school. All this only take an around 10 minutes a day plus whatever else she requests like the games and workbooks (I never make her do them it’s only when she asks).

Have a read through here. Some posters will give you comfort.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/primary/5418199-if-your-child-has-done-well-with-learning-their-phonics-and-reading?page=2&reply=147517869

Try to get into a routine where you read to both of them everyday. When you’re out or in the kitchen etc talk about letters, words, numbers, simple sums (we’re using three of these eggs, how many do we have left? Etc). That’s all I did with my daughter (also had a 2 year old) and she’s exceeding expectations fine.

If you don’t know what you’re doing with phonics, and don’t know the way they’re doing it at school then definitely avoid. You could just add confusion.

Read to her and with her if she gets books from school, give her lots of opportunities to practice her fine motor skills with games like beading, weaving, etc. building up strength in her fingers for writing later on.

There's someone called five minute mum who's on Facebook and has a few books of games that help with learning that are quick to set up. Highly recommend.

Please don’t worry. Reading is the only thing you need to do, and once a day is fine. If you are really concerned about it, there is an excellent app called “Teach Your Monster to Read” which does phonics and your child can do it alone if you are busy with your other child. Better than mindless screen time anyway! But honestly, your little one is only 4/5. They will be fine.