How do you actually teach a child to read?

[septemberremember]

I know they do phonics at primary school but I don’t know how they go about this and translating it into reading - obviously cat and dog are phonetic but what about other words? I was taught by a look and say method which was the rage in the 80s. But I believe that isn’t favoured now.

I always thought I’d teach my children loads and I haven’t

I think kids aren't "school ready" these days because no one talks to them properly and they spend too much time on screens. You can introduce numbers and letters without trying to learn to read or write......little things like "what number bus are we catching", if you're x old how old are you next, do you want your toast cutting into squares or triangles, if I cut the apple in half how many pieces have you got? etc

I would say just concentrate on reading to your child as much as possible to give them a love of books and reading. Go to the library every week and choose some really nice picture books. Let them help by turning the pages, run your fingers under the words as you read so that they can see how they run from left to right.

Teachers don't tend to like parents teaching phonics if they don't know what they're doing as they then have to reteach it which is actually harder. Personally I was perfectly happy with 'muh' and 'suh' but now it's 'mmmmm' and 'ssssss' - try sounding out the word mum when you're using 'mmmm'! Especially when the kids all end up saying what sounds like 'uummmmmm' IME when listening to readers. Anyway teachers generally don't like it if you don't do it correctly so you might be better off waiting for school.

After learning individual letter sounds they'll move on to digraphs and trigraphs ie sh, oa, igh, etc and then they'll have tricky words to learn that can't be sounded out.

Once they start learning to read at school just practice every day for a short time with them. It's one of those things that just takes practice and then often one day just clicks.

when entering reception

I was taught traditionally, and very well, but have gleaned info from the Gdcs’ reading books. E.g. for non phonetic words they seem to be introduced in groups, so one stage will feature (e.g.) light, bright, night, sight, might, tight. There will always be non-conforming one-offs in English, though - e.g. enough and through - they just come with familiarity and (we hope!) plenty of reading.

concentrate on teaching them to do their coat up etc.,

I'm interested in this too, as my mum taught me to read before I started school in the 80s, and I was able to read chapter books in reception. Some of my earliest memories are of the books I read and really enjoying them, e.g. Andrew Lang's colour fairy books, which my reception teacher recommended. We're in Scotland so DS (currently nearly 4) won't go to school until he's 5 and a half, and he's already frustrated that he can't read the words in his books. I wouldn't push anything if he's not keen, but I just can't really see him wanting to wait another two years before he starts. I think I'll have a look at some of the resources mentioned above and just be ready for when he gets really keen.

We've watched some Alphablocks but I don't find it as well put together and logical as Numberblocks, which DS loves - possibly because English is not really a phonetic language, so they're having to introduce some quite tricky words and concepts probably a bit too early. For example, Magic E turns up before they've explained what it is.

You don't need to try - they give you a steer on what they're working on each week at school so you can reinforce the sounds at home with your home reading

This really is the most sensible advice. They'll probably cover everything at school again regardless of what you may or may not have taught her. Just continue reading her books for enjoyment, possibly playing games like I-spy using letter sounds rather than names.

You are an engaged parent who will send her DC to school regularly, and will make sure they read the books sent home and will probably provide opportunities for learning without even realising. I would advise patience and to stop worrying.

Just read with them constantly at hime and don’t worry about actual ‘teaching’. Follow the words with them. Ask them questions about what they see on the page.

I worked through a useful book with one kid called Toe by Toe (which is a play on step by step, but broken down even more). Not suggesting you need this, as it’s a workbook for dyslexia, but the method was interesting -

This would be far too long and tedious for a 4 year old. The advantage of it is that it starts from a very basic level but is not aimed at little children. As the DC is a little child there is far more engaging material from which to learn.

It has always been the case. You might have been able to read when you started school, but it is unlikely you would know exactly where the rest of the class were regarding reading. The teacher would still start at the beginning of whatever method was being used at the time.

This is not what people mean by children not being school ready.

I remember on the foundation settling in day, the teacher told us all, we are going to teach your children to read this term, and then it was like magic, how fast my dc picked it up when all the class were learning together.

Don’t worry, this time next year, you’ll think, wow, they have learned so much.

My dc knew the basics pre school, but being taught phonics by the teacher worked wonders. All parents went into school one evening and the foundation teachers taught us how we should be reading with dc at home, and got us to understand phonics ourselves which really helped

Do they know the alphabet? If not, sing the alphabet song regularly, until they know it by heart. Teach them what each letter sounds like and then how to merge sounds together to sound out words they are reading. Read with them every day, using your finger to follow along with each word. I think reading for fun every day is the best thing you can do, if you don't have time for anything else. I think where schools so often go wrong is turning reading into a chore.

We do read books and he’s familiar with all the preschool literary heroes - all the Julia donaldson and tiger who came to tea, Jill Murphy books and so on, as well as a range of less well known titles. But I suppose I wonder if I should be doing more to support early reading and maths and the like (he absolutely will not watch alphablocks or number blocks!)

What you do sounds great and will improve his vocabulary and understanding. For numbers he would probably be ready to play simple board games like snakes and ladder or Ludo, or dominoes, or more modern games based on the same principles. Does he like to draw? If so, it will stand him in good stead when learning to write.

I absolutely did this and both mine were good readers before they went to school.
If you are unsure though why not stick to 'play' and wait for the teachers to take them forward.
However, you can do a little bit of preparation. Does your little one play 'snap' with you?
Buy two packets of Ladybird key words cards and mix the packs together.
Then play snap with them.
Over time they will start to memorise and learn the words as most of them are short.

Key Words flash cards

Absolutely not. Despite my advice above, to leave it to the teachers, I did teach my child to read before she started school (I’m a primary teacher and confident with phonics and she was keen.) it was largely a waste of time, because the school teach the whole class together and won’t move anyone on, so she now brings home books which are far too easy for her (currently y1).

Schools expect children to come in not reading, and teach accordingly. Not trying to teach your child before they start, when you don’t have the skills and knowledge to do so, is not ‘not making your child school ready’. That’s to do with being able to toilet, dress and eat independently, and have some basic social skills (sharing, listening, sitting for short periods for an activity for example).

Yes my daughter was taught to write her name at nursery so definitely by the age of 4

I taught all my kids to read using Puddle Lane books, sadly out of print and very expensive on eBay.
One of the most important things you can (continue to) do is read to your dc. Instil the love of books to create a yearn to learn. It’s amazing how little ones soak up stuff. Most teachers can see the (NT) children who are read to and have books around them. Visit the local library if you can and especially if they have story time.
It’s great that you want to help your dc but don’t put yourself under pressure, just enjoy books with your child and be led by them .

My son learned to read at home with the Peter and Jane books. He never got on with phonics.

My daughter was reading and writing her name by the time she started primary. She saw us reading all the time, whenever we were out and about I'd point out words to her - reading her the signs at the supermarket and daft things like that 😅 - because of all the research linking the number of words a child hears at a young age with their future vocabulary. So she's always been surrounded by words. We read to her every night and always had books out during play. We had flash cards and one of those etch a sketch things for her to practice letters.

She started primary and her teacher said she was struggling with reading and phonics and suggested lots of activities for very basic words, which was confusing because she was reading Biff, Chip and Kipper books to us at home with ease. Turns out, she didn't like the nonsense words and wouldn't read them because they weren't proper words. We decided to just be patient through the phonics stage, and once they were onto the Biff and Chip books at school she flew through the stages and moved onto novels very quickly. Her reading age was 15 years 7 months when she was 8.

I see it from both sides. I understand why schools say "leave it to us", because they have their way of teaching, but what we did worked very well for our daughter and I have no regrets.

There’s different phases in phonics.
The c-a-t is the first phase.
It develops into being able to segment and blend words like sh-ee-p and ch-air.
Digraphs have two letters per sound (ch as in choo choo).
Trigraphs have three letters per sound (air and igh).

They also learn “tricky words” which are words they have to memorise like “and”, “the”, “to”.

They get progressively more difficult as they get older.
They’ll be sent home with books to read that are suited to their reading ability x

Despite my advice above, to leave it to the teachers, I did teach my child to read before she started school (I’m a primary teacher and confident with phonics and she was keen.) it was largely a waste of time, because the school teach the whole class together and won’t move anyone on, so she now brings home books which are far too easy for her (currently y1).

That’s quite poor of the school. In my child’s school there were a couple who started reception able to read (not mine!) and they did phonics with year one because they would have been bored stiff if they had to sit there learning what sound a S makes. I would expect a school to be able to accommodate and challenge children with a range of reading abilities even in reception and I would be very concerned if my child was still being held back by year one and not getting appropriate books, just because they were ahead of others.

When my elder child was two we drove past IKEA Glasgow and she piped up from the back 'IKEA'.

It dawned on me she hadn't read it, she'd just memorised it from elsewhere.

These are recommended for Reception (4yrs+) but only once they’ve been taught the basics of Phonics.
An overwhelmed child will struggle to learn anything.
Start small and build x

https://www.axelbooks.com/products/biff-chip-and-kipper-stage-1-read-with-oxford-3-24-books-collection-set?_pos=2&_psq=biff+&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Read aloud together every day, running your fingers under the words as you go along / sounding them out. Mine learnt really fast this way & whatever is done at school reinforce w practise when they get home. For a little one I would buy musical / sound books to whet their appetite for books.