How does learning to read really work ? When does the c - a - t sounding out stop ?

[fonic]

Hello very smart ladies of Mumsnet. I’m curious about the learning to read process. My DD is in reception.

She has gone from learning single letter sounds M A etc, to blending the sounds C - A - T. Etc. all fine.

now she’s moving through the RWI programme with the different books. She recognises some words really well- especially the red words of course- like AND and THE. Here she sees it and doesn’t need to sound it out, she just knows it by sight reading.

but lots of other words, she still needs to sound out. I see her fluency getting better, but it’s quite a slow process.

how does this work ? Does it just go on like this for ages ?

she seems to be moving through the book bands and the sentences are getting longer, but I do wonder how she’s actually processing as I can’t always tell that it’s much better. She’s on the pink books now, if that helps. Which should mean she’s doing alright, but I just can’t always see it when she reads.

it’s probably not helped by the fact that she often doesn’t want to do her reading practice and isn’t in the mood for it, so she doesn’t really try.

Some children will whizz through the early phonics and can be reading fluently (with understanding etc) but then they have to do the phonics test with about 50% made up words.
DS hated this and wouldn't co operate even to the point of school wanting him to resit. Absolutely pointless in some children.
Btw this was over ten years ago and he got 9s at GCSE in both English language and literature so don't worry too much.
It is getting to the time when some academic invents yet another new way of letting read and schools have to shell out for yet another syst

You’re asking for advice, people are giving it you. Perhaps self reflect on that instead of getting defence.

I didn’t say you were being pushy, nor did I say you were judging – you’re the only one using those terms. I said you should try to relax about it, because for the reasons I stated, you are creating a problem that doesn’t exist.

It's not a typical faddy trend though in that it's been used in many English speaking countries for 20+ years now. Your mum example only works because the second sound is u. You don't need a huge long mmmm, just a very short one. I don't worry too much about whether my own children say mu or mmm because I know they have the natural academic ability to learn to read pretty quickly anyway, but for some children it makes a big difference.

@DidimumI can and have taken advice but it’s not a ‘ me ‘ problem. That’s just harsh. First of all, there’s not really a problem. I was actually wondering about how the learning to read process works.

I then described my daughter’s behaviour and attitude towards reading, which could be classed as a problem I guess. But her reading speed isn’t a problem at all, the way she’s learning to read isn’t a problem. It’s clearly just a process and a process I’m not yet familiar with it and sometimes I’m surprised because it doesn’t seem like she’s improving that much, that’s all.

she clearly is improving though and she’s on pink books, which means she’s actually doing quite well. Despite her not practicing with me every day at home. I don’t see there is a problem and I don’t see there’s a me problem.

I am just doing my best to understand a system I’m not familiar with and a process I am not familiar with. I’m doing what I can to support her and this post has been useful for me.

I think it seems slow and like they're not really getting it for quite a while then it very quickly clicks for them

My eldest was still struggling with the biff and chip books at 7, then one day over lockdown it clicked and he was reading harry potter! This was over lockdown so no extra intervention or anything, actually less, as we had a newborn and were trying to WFH, he just seemed to 'get it' all of a sudden