To be worries? 0 on phonics screening.

[lollilou2]

My DS5, in year 1, got 0 on his phonics screening. They done 12 words with him, then decided not to carry on.

We read to him every night, he can’t read to us as he can’t read yet, but what else can be done to support him at home? He does small group work at school, is there anything else school can do to help him along? He is already on the SEN register but that’s due to speech and language.

I wouldn't give up on the phonics straight away. Although of course he doesn't need to know he's doing phonics practice and it doesn't need to be a huge thing.
I suspect a minority of children do just learn to read by sight. The problem is whenever they have run with that and removed phonics from the curriculum it's been a huge disaster for most of the children (it was a whole thing in parts of America). So, I would assume he isn't part of the small minority who do better without phonics. That way, if he isn't then he still learns the way he needs. If he does turn out to be a small minority who learn better in other ways then learning the phonics won't hurt him. Since you will be reading t him/encouraging him to look at books anyway.

But the main thing at that age is keep it fun and relaxed. Don't let him feel he's "bad at" reading if possible as it can become self fulfilling.

@SpanThatWorld I did ask when he started reception, when he had a general assessment from the LA’s early intervention team they said that as he wears glasses to correct his vision he will be fine and a assessment from a QTVI isn’t needed. They primarily focused on his SALT from there.

If he doesn't have an EHCP, I think you should request an EHCNA. You can do this; the school doesn't need to. It sounds like he has quite significant SEN and I think an educational psychologist would be able to offer more insight on exactly where his learning is breaking down around phonics. If he is autistic, there are a lot of things that might be impacting his ability to learn in the classroom.

If he does have an EHCP, there should be specific reading targets built into this.

But he isn't fine.
And the early intervention team aren't QTVIs. Its a one off assessment by experts.

Im surprised this was a surprise to you if he can’t blend- we’re a school honest or have they just been hoping it would click before the test?

I taught a child who really struggled with blending. There is no easy fix. Phonemic awareness practice and then dynamic blending (basically you blend the first two sounds mu and then add on the final sound m. Mu-m etc) it WILL click. My boy that I spent most of y1 practicing with daily is now in y4 and is a good reader!

Thank you all. I will ask for a QTVI assessment next term, and a EHCNA, although unfortunately my LA are notorious for turning them down (already going through appeal for older child). @OhHellolittleone Although I knew he had struggles and wouldn’t ‘pass’, I thought he’d get some of the easier ones right. Since the early intervention assessment which was at the start of year one, the school haven’t really said anything else.

We had similar struggles with DS2, he knew his letters but couldn't blend.
I was really worried about it and spoke to my friend who is an educational psychologist - she advised to teach him reading by sight which is how I learned to read.
By year 4 he was absolutely crushing it and has excelled academically ever since. He's been a voracious reader since he was 10, year 7 dyslexia screening identified him as highly likely dyslexic (struggles with auditory processing, phonological sequencing and something else), and incidentally he was diagnosed as autistic at 14. Total brain box, loves books, still doesn't do well with phonics.
You are right to be concerned and discuss with the school how to help, but please know that anecdotally there are lots of kids with similar struggles who it absolutely works out for in the end.

If he recognises and knows the sounds that’s a good start! I would concentrate on trying to make blending a more practical activity then, particularly if he’s got S&L difficulties.

I’d start with blending just two sounds together (e.g. at, an, it, in, on) you could do made up words here too but if he struggles to say words with two conservative consonants I’d stick to blending a vowel sound and a consonant for now. To make it practical anything that involves things crashing together or being squashed together is perfect. E.g.

• two toy cars and say one sound for each car and then crash the cars together and say the blended word
• two Lego bricks and say one sound for each brick and then join together and say the blended word
• two blobs of play dough and say one sound for each blob then squish them together and say the blended word

Or anything that involves more of his body works well too. E.g.

• little jump for each sound and then a big jump for the blended word
• Karate chop for each sound and then a clap for the blended word
• magic wand “point” for each sound and a twirl for the blended word
• stretch an arm out for each sound and then curl up into a ball for the blended word

Once he’s able to blend the two sounds together then start adding a third sound but using the blended words he’s already achieved. So from at go to cat, bat, mat etc

I’d keep these activities really short as if he’s finding it hard you don’t want it to become a battle for either of you. You want it to be something fun that you are doing together.

Phonics doesn’t click for every child so you might find that what actually helps him to read is whole word recognition so in September with his new teacher I would definitely ask what else they’re doing in school to support his reading rather other than just small group phonics support.

Good luck! I hope that this is helpful.

Then school aren’t doing a very good job. They should be meeting with you to share strategies, targets etc.

I knew my eldest was dyslexic from no age, he failed his phonics screener too

School weren't overly concerned but I kept pushing them, they suggested toe to toe - which we did ourselves and actually his reading is pretty good now

But he cannot really decode new words (he has a stab but the pronunciation is always off) and his spelling is off the charts terrible. School have accepted that phonics does not and never will work for him

He had a dyslexia screener at 7 that was borderline, and again ay 9 which showed he is moderately dyslexia

So my advice - trust your gut even if they say he's fine

Don't despair,. phoenics doesn't work for all kids

Try and promote reading for pleasure (even if it's looking at pictures, my boy loves comics)

And they toe to toe at home (big red book you can buy on Amazon)

I was literally jumped on before on mindset for saying that my child could read despite never passing phonics 😂😂 she really struggled with phonics. She is year 6 now and went from years behind to age appropriate by changing method to sight reading alone ….from being year 1 level in year 4 to scoring 107 in reading for sats this year but apparently I’m deluded and she will never succeed without phonics 🤷‍♂️

Hi.

learning to read is taught by methods which include phonics because the evidence is that this is the most successful way.

however there are kids that phonics doesn’t really work for.

the fact your child got zero on the phonics test would seem to indicate he is one of those children.

you have a number of options, some of which can be done at the same time.

firstly, something like wordshark will help with basic phonics. If you do a small amount every day it is possible he will start to pick it up.

https://www.wordshark.co.uk/

There’s also interventions school could put in place - something like toe to toe is a possibility,

https://toe-by-toe.co.uk/

Children who struggle with phonics can also benefit from learning the Dolch or sight words - so the most common 100 or so words in the English language. In other education systems it’s quite common to learn these via flash cards or similar so that the child recognises it on sight.

https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/DolchWord_List_220.pdf

The concerns for me here would be with the school, why haven't they flagged this with you earlier? DS had a practice phonics test back in February they all did so they could see what they were working towards individually and as a class. What did they say to you at parents' evening about his progress? Is it just affecting phonics or other aspects of his learning? I wouldn't rely on them being proactive with the information at they haven't been with this. Can you book to see the senco? I'd also be requesting an ECHNA if he doesn't have an EHCP. The thing is with the ongoing autism assessment and the visual impairment or will be difficult to know where the impact on learning is predominantly coming from without a detailed assessment.

@TheCurious0range they really aren’t proactive with the children, I’ve been through it all before with my older daughter. When it went to tribunal for her EHCP, they pointed out multiple failings with the school (giving her Y4 work when she was working at Y2 level for example). Unfortunately, all the primary schools I could realistically get to are full, and possibly in the same state of affairs due to funding. That’s why I made this post, to see what else I can push for before it gets to that level with my son in too.

And at parents evening they keep reiterating ‘He’s coming on really well since September, he’s ‘working towards’ in all areas, and has started making some friendships’. That’s about it really.

I'm so sorry they sound awful

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 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?

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

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.

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.

‘Small group work’ is all I’m told.

Yes it’s a lot worse when he’s tired or stressed. I’ll definitely ask for the QTVI at the start of term.

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.