Do we have to re-do phonics?

[ForeverBubblegum]

DS is in the nursery class at a primary, but they decided to close in line with the rest of the school, so we're doing online 'lessons'. This week their starting on phonics and spending the week learning 'm'. DS already knows all the letter sounds and is on to blending cvc words. Do we need to do the work so he re-learns it in the right way/order? Or can we just skip it and do some reading insted?

Not criticising the teacher, they're pitching to the majority, and won't necessarily know what level any of the kids are at, as until now it's all been listening skills and games. DS is a bit of an outlier due to an alphablox phase last year.

(Not really relevant, but to avoid a drip feed, DS has ASD and when he's interested in something it can be very intense/ obsessive. He has difficulties with the social/ emotional side of thing, but is 'academically' ahead)

By nursery do you mean the year before reception? As in 3-4 year olds?

If so then yes completely do your own thing as they will repeat when they start reception anyway, and many aren't in preschool at that age anyway.

I'd focus on anything with fiddly fingers - lego/ baking and cutting cookies/scones etc/ planting. You'll have enough of school set work for the next however many years I certainly wouldn't worry at preschool age. Also practice putting on clothes/ taking off etc.

And anything which follows his interests...

If he knows it, you can just rattle through it in a few minutes and move on to something else

As phonics isn’t ‘letter sounds’ you might find there’s stuff you haven’t covered

The most academic school I know puts even the most precocious readers through the same phonics programme as everyone else (starting from scratch) to make sure everyone is really secure in everything with no real gaps.

Time on the foundations is never wasted, and it doesn’t have to be much time on the parts that are already secure - leaving plenty of time for the other activity of sharing stories

The school will put everyone through phonics but that will be in reception.
So right now she doesn't really need to do it again surely?

That's quite structured for nursery. DD's nursery home learning was things like see what floats and sinks, go for a walk and what do you see/hear? They will do phonics again in Reception but hopefully at a quicker pace. If he is not keen, I would skip it and do something else. I would let nursery know your plans so they know he is still learning and they don't need to follow up.

Yes it's nursery, as on pre reception, so all optional anyway, but we're mostly enjoying having something to do, otherwise DS ends up watching way to much TV. He mainly learned it from alphablox and some tablet games, so it is phonics based, but learned in a haphazard 'what do you want to watch/ play' kind of way, which is why I wasn't sure if we need to start over following their program.

DD (also ASC) is 'redoing' the phonics lessons and using the lessons as spelling/handwriting practice.

Social skills was my main goal last lockdown, as much as we could without a class of 20 odd kids. Teach him card games, have plays, you can work phonics into conversation. Anything to get him talking/interacting/used to losing sometimes ready for reception.

Well if he enjoys having something to do then do it.... if not then dont!

They will restart in reception anyway because everyones experiences will be different and learning in a haphazard way can mean little bits are missed. It will also set the foundation for spelling and the way they do phonics as they get into different sounds than the basic letter sounds.

But right now do whatever you both wnjoy and is active. So yes to the walks and looking at sounds, smells etc. Yes to any form of mark making (painting/drawing/sticks in ground) . Jigsaws/lego/etc . Vary the activity and keep active.

You could also do some counting etc with hias far as literacy the biggest thing is to keep reading to him.

Phonics is way more than knowing what sound m makes though. Can he identify words that begin with that sound? Can he read words with that sound at the beginning, middle or end? (I know you said he could blend but think about mixing it up)
Can he read words with that sound when it is in a list mixed with other sounds e.g. cat, top, man, bat? So that he's not already aware of the sound he's looking for.
Sounds like he's doing well but I'd recommend diving deeper rather than stretching wider.

DD1 learnt to read CVC words and really simple books before starting reception. She was fine recapping the first phonics reception it meant not everything was new. But in her nursery and school they did a sound a day as they follow Read, Write, Inc programme which starts with Maisie mountain. Now she is probably about average for her reception class.

In phonics there are 42 sounds and some of the sounds can be made more than one way, some 3 or 4 ways so maybe keep going with phonics.

I agree with others to work on building finger strength for writing - look up funky fingers.

This is very structured for nursery and they will do it all again once they start school. Focusing on phase 1 phonics would be good, listening for sounds in the environment, identifying rhyme, hearing you segmenting and blending words. This happens often when preschool are keen to push ahead but skip phase one activities. Phonics okay website is free at the moment and has some good starting points.

Also definitely work on fine motor skills. Pinterest is your friend!

He can play I-spy, and if I say something beginning with 'm' (the sound, not M) he will make m word suggestions, and he can read random words in a book, so if I was reading to him and there's a word coming up I think he'll get I'll ask him to read it.

When DD1 was learning to blend words I used to make up treasure hunts with single word clues like pen, bath, mat, sofa with a ceebies magazine at the end.