To not practice for the phonics screening?

[PlinthOfSoap]

Over half term it was suggested we look at past papers and practice with DC. I ignored this as we were relaxing and having fun.

Now a letter came home in the bag last night, asking us to practice over the weekend with past papers.

Am I being unreasonable to not bother, and just let DC have a go at it next week? Assume they have been doing all the necessary prep in school so DC isn't going to be completely blind sided.

I don't see why I would want to try and coach DC to get a better score, or am I doing him a disservice? I thought the results were important for the school but not really for DC, and I don't really want to make it a big thing by practicing past papers.

This is the issue with parents today. Zero interest in supporting the school, not to mention the negative effect this will have on your kids as they grow up.

You will end up with teens who never bother to do their homework, are predicted crap GCSE grades, and you'll be scratching your head wondering why they have zero motivation.

This is a test where you achieve a pass mark and don’t have to repeat the test.
On the contrary, I understand the nuances of the results. But the results to be fair will not impact at all on the input I give to the children who need extra support. Those who achieve a pass unexpectedly will still need and receive additional input. It is obviously not our only assessment.

People are creating an artificial dichotomy. There is a gentle middle, whereby parents have a little practice alongside regular reading books. That is not artificial coaching. That’s 5 minutes of decoding words for reading. And I’m sorry, if your child fails the test, in the vast majority of year 1 classes, it will be due to the child’s ability rather than teaching standards.

What does it actually matter then, if the child would receive the same support regardless of how they perform?

I'm guessing because it measures your teaching.

An engaged parent will be reading with their child every day anyway, which gives them ample opportunity to naturally practise the phonics skills you have been teaching them. To expect parents to do extra focused work for the purposes of a government test which by your own admittance doesn't impact anything is a little ridiculous.

For some bizarre reason, our Infant school repeated the test for everyone in year 2. I remember my son's teacher telling me that he'd passed it. I told her I'd be very surprised if he hadn't, since he passed it " unofficially " in Reception.

Phonics can be useful for decoding new words but THAT IS ALL

Well I'd say being able to read and pronounce new words is a fairly essential skill and no THAT IS ALL about it. You never stop using phonics; you're going to be coming across new words throughout your life.

Yes I quite agree. People get very het up that phonics is only one part of reading - yes, but a rather important one. Those who ‘don’t get’ phonics and learn via sight reading eventually end up understanding phonics anyway (as in, they make the links between letters and sounds themselves rather than it being explicitly taught), otherwise when they come across words like ‘quidditch’ or ‘slytherin’ for the first time they’d have to ask someone else what they say, as they wouldn’t have been taught those using flash cards.

You do you for your kids. I helped my yr4 son with his times tables today (15 mins) as he has the national assessment this week. I’m teaching him that tests matter and we will (at an age appropriate level) practice, respect and celebrate them. It’s not just the short term 5 minutes of decoding an alien word, it’s the message behind it. That’s why we do homework in my house, because I value their education. I’m fully aware (more than most being a teacher) that not everyone does.
My kids will revise for their GCSE’s too, although school will have taught them everything they need to know.

We value education, but don't do homework in Year 1 🤷‍♀️

It depends on the child. School sent so much home but my daughter finds school tiring and was in a really good routine of play after school so homework didn't feel right. She often chose to read and write in her free time. Also my daughter was ahead anyway. I asked the teacher about my daughter and she said she doesn't need to do phonics work at home. It's for the benifit of the school and a screening not a test.

You can't practice for this test because it's a bunch of words, half of which are made up. It's pointless IMO, teachers know who's struggling to read. Listen to your kid read everyday and forget about it.

Wouldn't it be so much better if all kids were screened for dyslexia at 7, now that would be screening worth doing.

Likewise and I'm also a teacher. 😃 Homework outside of reading to your child in year 1 is unnecessary and that's a hill I would happily die on.

That would be much better, they do that in my country, with screening in the first few years of school (better than a one-off screening)

Same

It's quite a leap to assume that because I didn't coach DD for a phonics test (or, shock horror, SATs) that I don't value education 😂

When it came to the first test that actually mattered, the 11 plus, the time and effort was absolutely put into making sure she passed. Similarly her GCSEs are being taken seriously.

GCSEs doesn't require an apostrophe by the way. It's a simple plural. And practice is the noun - you were looking for practise as the verb.

Same. We value education and don’t set or do homework in year 1.

Thanks 😋
Im not a great speller. I still managed an English degree from Oxford 😂

If you say so 😂

I learnt (and then forgot) the practice/practise difference when helping my DC1 through 11+ so, likewise I know when it's important. I also know that the 11+ is pretty soul destroying and doesn't foster a love of learning which is why I'm hesitant grilling my DC2 on phonics at age 6 when he could just enjoy reading. It would be more fun if the test was a text to read with some nonsense words in it.

I'm finding it quite bizarre that some PP believe that not thinking homework (outwith reading) is appropriate for a 5 year old means that I don't support the school or value education.

For those interested, we didn't do any practising. He did the test today and got them all right.

Schools shouldn't be telling you how they did...is this what your child told you or staff?

Whyever not? There is no moderation to do, the child either read the words or didn't. But maybe the person who administered the test told the child and he told his mum

Pretty much all schools will give results at some point

Basing it on my school, not all children have done it yet and I assume there is a form or something to officially submit.
I would have thought they would wait til all children have sat the test.

Presumably they have also been preparing in class at school. It does no harm to support this with homework. If the teacher sets it as a task, then it should be done

The phonics screening is absolutely nothing like a SATs test.