What should I be doing to assist dd to read?

[DeathMetalMum]

I'm only asking here as we are on half term (two weeks here) so can't ask preschool, and dd is trying her best to try and read anything and everything at the moment. She is 4.5 and will start reception in September and I would like to help her as much as possible but I also don't want to tell her the wrong thing either iyswim. She is sounding out all the letters in words and starting to 'blend'? some of them together. Should I do anything?

Watching this thread with interest, I'm in a similar position. I worry so much about teaching something wrong.

It will come in time. But we have just started Reading Eggs for that very reason and my son really likes it. As an Infant teacher I also approve of it. It isn't too expensive either.

Just to add, it teaches the individual phonemes (sounds) and there is a fantastic Taps activity early on that teaches them to blend.

I played a game yesterday with DD where I gave the sounds in a word and she told me the word. We mostly did consonant-vowel-consonant words, so it wasn't difficult. And it allowed me to practice phonemes without putting "uh" on the end of them, which I find hard.

Mainly answer any questions and support their interests in a phonics-y way. So if they ask what a word says, I'd sound it out for them or help them to sound it out rather than just telling them the word.

Are you familiar with phonics? If not, worth reading around a bit, then you won't be feeling you're doing it all wrong. The Jolly Phonics songs on youtube are helpful for how to pronounce the sounds, and alphablocks also good for them and you to see how blending works. Here's their guide for parents:
www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/the-alphablocks-guide-to-phonics

Games like i-spy or finding rhymes are good. You could try making words with magnetic letters or something. Or her or you writing things if she's also starting to form letters - DD loves writing cards to her friends with a bit of help, or writing each other secret messages.

In online games, DD is currently very into the "Teach Your Monster to Read" game; actually 6 yr old DS rather likes it too, despite the fact he already knows all the phonics in it. That has been better than REading Eggs for us, we found Reading Eggs a bit slow. That tap game is infuriating once they can already blend!

Thanks catkind the alphablocks page is very helpful particularly for some of the letter blends - that was where I was struggling, unsure how to explain but that page is very good.

I do have a slight complaint about pre-school today I asked if they have any advice and the teacher basically told me to tell dd that some of the words are too hard to rrarread and to call them 'reception' words as in words she will learn in reception. Not sure I quite agree with that, I thought they would be able to give me something at least. Dd is starting to write also but only smaller three letter words such as 'Dad' and a couple of her friends names.

If you have an iPad try the Sounds Write app free sounds-write.co.uk/apps.aspx

Our daughter knew A,B,C before she started school but then it turned out most of the others did not so she was spinning her wheels for a term whilst everyone else caught up so I wouldnt get heartburn about doing too much. Read as much as possible and enjoy it!

Most schools don't bother teaching A,B, C until much later as not really useful in learning to read and write