DS is memorising sounds instead of learning them - WWYD?

[fel1x]

DS is in reception. He is learning sounds and has a sheet that they go through with him at school and we also practise daily at home.

The sheet says s a t p d g o c k ck etc in the order that I presume they want him to learn them.

I've just realised this week that although DS is saying them really well and has got nearly all of them ticked off as 'learnt' by the teacher, he actually doesnt recognise hardly any of the sounds out of context. he has memorised the order of them on the sheet iyswim.

So he can reel off 's a t p d g o' etc but if I point to a 'b' in a story he wont remember what it is.

Dont know if this is usual? DS has Aspergers and caan sometimes do things in a 'mathematical' kind of way!

I am thinking of maybe printing off a few more sheets mysellf with the sounds all in different orders to prevent this and then giving his teacher a copy too - does this sound interfering and will the teacher mind?

He has learned a new language then, essentially.

Maybe he's not ready yet for associating letters with certain sounds. Reception is so early to expect all children to be on the same phonics page -- as your DS illustrates, most of what is counted as achievement is just parroting, without ability to use the sounds in context, imo. If he has an Aspergers diagnosis it seems especially silly to expect a straightforward (and misguided) approach to work.

I would send a note in to the teacher to say he seems only to "know" them in order and not individually. TBH I'm a bit surprised they are focussing on doing them as a lits, as DS learned letters one at a time with lots of practice seeing them in different places, separately and at the start of words and so on, not always on a list.

If you print something off yourself, make it separate letters - see if he can give you the sound when he only sees a "b" etc.

Can you make individual cards with the letters on?

Or is he a physical learner, maybe associating sounds with a physical version would be better - magnetic letters maybe?

Jolly phonics do a sound lotto game (£6 in ELC) that may help?

Yes, individual letters would be better, thanks.
I have just bought him a set of magnetic letters for the fridge as a xmas stocking filler, so hopefully they will help too

Should I do a copy of the individual letters for his book bag too for them to use at school or just mention it in his school/home reading book do you think?

I wouldn't do it for him to take in to school, it might look like you know better than the teacher. Just a mention in the book I think would be best.

I would jumble them up and get him to learn them at home (but only a few at a time, not that great long list.) If his teacher thinks he 'knows' them he could well be given reading tasks to do which are beyond his capabilities and become very discouraged.

I would also point out to his teacher that he is memorising them in sheet order (like chanting the alphabet?), rather than actually 'knowing' them.

(Mind you, I am rather surprised at the long list; did he have a few to learn each week at first, this list being a compilation of the lot?)

Yes, sorry, they circled the first 3 and then when those got ticked off they circled 3 more, so he didnt have to leaarn them all at once.
Its only now we aare getting to nearaly all of them circled that I've realised how he is leaarning them!

I'll just mention it to the teacher then and do the individual sounds at home if possible.

The only possible problem with that is that DS is very into numbers and has never been interested in letters. He wouldnt even look aat them with me before starting school. Its only with the routine of doing it at school that he's now ok with practising them with me at home. I think that maaybe if I try to do things differently from how Mrs X has set the rules on how to do it then that would throw him and he wouldnt like it!
Will try though!

www.phonicsinternational.com/unit1_pdfs/simple%20code%20flash%20cards%20-%20correspondences%20not%20on%20lines%20-%20units%201-5.pdf

You can print these off smaller by selecting your 'multiples per page' on your printer options.

Use them as the school introduces them - but as separate grapheme tiles like this, you can use them to learn the letter/s-sound correspondences (see the grapheme, say the sound; hear the sound, point to the grapheme) - and you can use them to build simple words to sound out and blend all-through-the-word - or, say a simple word very slowly (which consists of the letter/s-sound correspondences learnt already), the sounds will 'pop out' and then you can spell the word by selecting the correct grapheme tiles.

Then, check the word by sounding it out and blending it.