Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Original poster

I 'm begining to think I must be thick!

81 replies

Creole · 30/09/2005 22:20

I have read almost all posts on teaching our little ones to read and I still do not get it. I am getting so frustrated and worried for my ds. I would really like to know how to use this synthetics phonics thing but from most of the post I have read, I still don't understand how to use this method.

Can anyone please give a simple and straightforward guide on the best way to teach my ds please?

OP posts:
Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 22:23

BTW, he's 4.7 yrs old and in reception and bringing home 2 books per week.

OP posts:
kid · 30/09/2005 22:23

Are you interested in teaching him the jolly phonics? I can photocopy a set of them for you to work on with him if you like.

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 22:35

We have the JP dvd and he knows his letter sounds and can really sound out most of the key words. But the porblem we have is the books he's bringing home are full of really difficult words like "sometimes", reached" enormous etc

OP posts:
auntymandy · 30/09/2005 22:37

school teaches them you encourage and support and listen

kid · 30/09/2005 22:38

which books is he reading? DD is 6.8 and is reading the Oxford Tree ones. I don't think she was reading words like that when she was 4. Can't you speak to the teacher or put a note in his bookbag to say he is finding the books difficult.

IME, if the books are too hard, the child won't enjoy reading them as they don't understand what they are reading.

mizmiz · 30/09/2005 22:39

Creole,I would suggest an excellent book called 'Why Children can't read and what we can do about it'.
Written in very plain non technical English.

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 22:40

That's exactly what I thought, but no parents are expected to teach them. The second book came with some vague instructions (I believe after a parent complained).

OP posts:
auntymandy · 30/09/2005 22:40

do you not have a reading diary?
Often they arent focusing on all the words in the book. You will notice a couple of words overused throughout these are the ones they are learning!

ScummyMummy · 30/09/2005 22:42

Oh hon- I don't know anything about synthetic phonics and agree it sounds very complicated but I ddo think that the other thing to do is chill a bit if you can. 4.7 is young to get reading and if he knows his letter sounds that's a great start. He'll be building up from there before you know it.

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 22:44

Kid - the book he got today is called "The enormous turnip". I believe they will be on the ORT later on.

If anybody wants to send me something particularly on SP or JP my email addy is [email protected]

Thanks

OP posts:
auntymandy · 30/09/2005 22:51

maybe just read the pictures with him. teach him you read from front to back left to right that sort of thing.
Ask teacher what is expected. this is beyond first stages so I dont think he will be expected to know the words. Maybe you could read it to him. Dont get stressed this willll rub off on him. Reading should be fun, dont make it hard work

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 22:51

Reading diary?? I'm very new to all this.

SM - I agree I should really chill out. He really use to love books, but he's now taking a dislike to it. I really do want him to enjoy it again, so it will be good to have the best method to help him. It is too early to be teaching them reading and I will be bringing it up in our parents evening.

OP posts:
soapbox · 30/09/2005 22:53

creole - are you sure that he is supposed to be reading it????

Often in the first term of reception they will be given a library book home for the parents to read to the child.

I know that book and there is no way on this earth that a new reception child would be expected to read it

kid · 30/09/2005 22:54

They should have a little book in with his reading book for you to make comments after you have listened to him read.

puff · 30/09/2005 22:55

Creole, this is my personal view, but the best resource I have used to teach children to read and write is The Phonics Handbook - A Handbook for Teaching Reading, Writing and Spelling by S. Lloyd. This is the Jolly Phonics workbook that I have used when teaching children to read and I have taught my own little boy using it. It costs £19.95 which is money well spent. You do not need to be a teacher to use it with your child - everything is explained very clearly. It's good to have access to a photocopier (local library perhaps) so you can photocopy stuff from the workbook as you go along to use with your child.

I've tried to do a link to the book on amazon, but my computer is playing up tonight.

auntymandy · 30/09/2005 22:57

Dont try too hard you will put him off. Let him work at his own pace and dont expect him to read this book. It will be for you to enjoy together

puff · 30/09/2005 22:58

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

kid · 30/09/2005 23:00

DS has been learning JP in nursery. he came home and said the teacher had been spitting. I asked him what he meant. Apparently, the teacher had been going 'p,p,p,p!' (blowing out a candle) I'm glad I knew what DS was on about!

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 23:01

Soapbox - That's exactly what I thought when he brought the first book home. But then the next one came with instructions of how to teach them to read eg. One of the instructions is (in the form of an FAQ):

Q: What can I do when my child is stuck on a word?
A: You could ask hin/her to try some of the following things:
.Use the pics as a clue
.Look at the letter at the beginning and the end of the word
.Break the word into letter sounds eg "a-n-d, and"

This is for my 4.7 yr old.

OP posts:
soapbox · 30/09/2005 23:03

Creole - I would say that book would challenge a good Y1 reader, never mind a new reception reader!!

I think it may be worth having a word with the teachers to see what is realistic to achieve!!!!

Original poster
Creole · 30/09/2005 23:05

Puff - My son has that book as well, we have read it a million times. Imagine me trying to teach him to read that - he'll probably memorise the words.
What I've done thought is get him to read the words in the bubble which he knows and loves to read.

OP posts:
aloha · 30/09/2005 23:14

I think it's mad to expect him to read it, personally. Especially as he clearly has no idea how! If he knew his sounds (phonics) he could decode 'reached' - r -ee - ch -e-d - but he has to learn the sounds first (via a method like Jolly Phonics). But he doesn't have to do that before he is five.
I'd just read him the story if I were you.
Certainly would NOT encourage guessing and looking at the pictures for a clue. That's not reading.

auntymandy · 30/09/2005 23:17

that is pre reading! first books are often just pictures and children read the pictures. Over zelus parents can put children off so be careful. Pre reading skills are vital. there will be lots of story reading in class then children will get pictures and have to put them in the correct order..
Surely yoy would let a child look at a book even if they cant read the words?

aloha · 30/09/2005 23:18

Of course, but that's not what we are talking about. We are talking very specifically about how reading is taught.

auntymandy · 30/09/2005 23:19

pre reading is speific reading skills

Swipe left for the next trending thread