To not see the point of phonics books with no words?

[Rainallnight]

DD is in Reception and and enjoying it.

She gets a phonics book sent home in her bag every week and so far it’s ones with no words - Level 0.

Teacher says that’s her level and she’s in a reading group with other kids the same level.

I’m really not pushy about this and if that’s where she is, then that’s where she is, but the wordless books just seem to me to be a waste of time. And DD is very, very bored by them. She loves books and her vocabulary is massive so the very last thing I want to do is turn her off books.

The instructions that come with the book, on the inside cover, say that the child should tell the story and you should talk about it, etc which DD is well able to do. She’s just baffled and bored by why there’s nothing for me to read to her (or for her to have a go at).

BUT I am very old and prepared to be told that I just don’t get how reading is taught these days.

So tell me what you think.

Sorry didn’t mean to hijack thread ive googled it now

@Itstheprinciple

I'm a Reception TA. Currently most of our class is on picture books. There are several who already know a lot of phonemes and are beginning to blend who are on words. The idea is to get the child used to looking at the pictures and making inferences, what is happening, what are the characters feeling, what are they doing, what do they think will happen next etc. This will help them massively when it comes to using the pictures in books to support their reading. It is no good giving them books with words in that they simply don't yet have the knowledge to decode. They will be zooming through the phonemes apace in school and, once your child's teacher has assessed them as knowing enough to start to at least have a good go at reading they will soon be put onto words.

I have to say, I hate this element of the way they teach reading. I work tutoring elementary school kids in reading, and one of the worst and most debilitating habits they have is guessing based on the bleeping pictures. Closely followed by guessing based on the first letter of the word. They manage as long as the books are constructed to allow them to guess based on those things, and as soon as they encounter a real book, it doesn't work.

It's massively frustrating for the kids and does a real number on their confidence.

Reading in class can be a different experience than home often with many distractions and noise.
Building up a relationship where children trust and engage with the adult reader can be helpful. But if you have lots of children around a reader they may not do so well or even attempt the words. For other children who lack confidence they may see someone reading the book well, but know they will struggle. The books without words help gauge a childs vocabulary, what they see from the background and expressions. Can sometimes throw up safeguarding questions, disparities in language and expectations, provide useful info about what a child has experienced in life. They have their place when used correctly. Children tend to read better at home where there is a need to please the parent. At school they may not be in the mood because they have been taken away from an activity they enjoy with Peter. You can also identify possible speech or development issues

Op I have two very different children.. Both needed the reading scheme for different reasons at the beginning but my advice to any dp is never leave reading to the school.
Always do it yourself.
Op let them do their thing and you do yours... Carry on with your own reading appropriate books. If she is bored let them do the pictures at school and you get her going at home.
You can buy your school book scheme via reading chest.