First readers collection

[Malo314]

Hello,

Looking for some recommendations

My daughter is 4 and in reception. She's always been shy and taken a while to warm to people, but her teachers say they struggle to get her to talk at all! I think she has the skillset to start reading, she knows most of her phonics sounds, but if the teachers can't get her to talk I doubt they'll have much luck getting her to read! So I'd like to start at home with her. We already read lots of picture books, always have, we have a massive collection, but I'd like a set to help her start to read independently.

What have you had success with? What did your children enjoy? I've seen an usbourne collection but some of the reviews say the stories are a bit rubbish.

Thanks

See which phonics system the school uses as most come with their own set of books. If you go for a different system you will confuse her. Have you spoken to school about it? I think you need to work alongside them rather than trying to independently forge ahead.

There are apps like reading eggs which are pretty good as a basic start point. Other than that just read, read and read together. Anything that interests her, fact and fiction. Give her a want and a desire to read.

The Oxford books about Biff. Can’t remember what they are called but they are excellent and children love the stories. Based on phonetics. You often see them in charity shops.

Isn't she taking at all at school?

Julia Donaldson's Songbird phonics reading books are good for beginners.

Are they the magic key ones? That rings a bell, I might have read them when I was in school! They seem quite expensive so I will follow your advice and check charity shops.

@AmyandPhilipfan I will look at them too as we do like Julia Donaldson

I will mention to school that I want the make a start with her though, they might be receptive and give me one of their level 1 books to look at with her

Our school uses the Sounds-Write phonics system with its own set of books, he gets a new one each week. Has she not been sent home books for home reading? As to be honest I’d just focus on that.

Few schools I know of still use Biff and Chip - bit old hat . Ask the school for the phonics scheme so you are being consistent. We do RWI so have google classroom (that might help your DD make those sounds without feeling self conscious or pressured) and linked books to the levels. Mine have a reading book at their colour level and a smaller book also if that level that they also read in phonics lesions I’m sure you do already but sharing lots of books by different authors etc is just as beneficial too. It’s early days for the little ones in Foundation. She ll be ok. I’m a long time KS1 TA I teach phonics, reading interventions and individual readers etc. Favourite part of my job 😊

Yes, she gets books sent home, but just general reading books, of varying quality. I guess the intention is just to build a habit of reading regularly with your child.

It's possible that they will transition to first readers next week, in which case I'm fretting about nothing, but I guess I'm concerned they're waiting until they deem the child "ready", and if my daughter doesn't talk to them they won't be able to assess whether she's ready. I don't want any social issue she might have to impede on her academic progress, and I definitely don't want her getting bored in school!

@JT69 we're RWI too, although I haven't heard of Google classroom. I will check with her teacher for recommendations, but I might also just ask whether we can have a level 1 book to take home one week

I might still look at getting some biff and chip though, if only for nostalgia's sake!

Thanks for your advice :)

Songbirds is a great series and there are quite a few other Oxford books that
cover their stage 1 equivalent. My youngest is in reception and I’m enjoying revisiting the song birds much more than the school books.
Usborne first readers get tricky quite quickly. I really like the format of parent text and child text but it think they move too fast as really only the first 5-6 books cover pink book band level and then they’re onto red and then quickly onto yellow. I still like them as supplementary books but I found mine needed lots of practice at pink level to give a solid foundation/build stamina before moving up. I think the bulk of the usborne set are better for y1/2.