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Original poster

What words are you reception children being sent home with?

72 replies

InkyStamp · 17/12/2010 21:12

There seem to be such a a variation between schools, so was just interested in what is in your word box!

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Feenie · 19/12/2010 14:04

Me neither! Confused

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 14:10

ds1 got his first list last week:

Jill
Len
Jen
everyone
Tabby
like
Bunny
Hello
Goodbye
is
am
Rex
this

They're from the first class reader they'll do. When they finish this reader they'll get the list of all the new words from the next one. Luckily ds1 loves reading and has already been learning loads of dd's words from last year so not too much effort involved for him to do the lists

mrz · 19/12/2010 14:22

Does the school teach any phonics summerrain or do they rely on children memorising all the words in the reading scheme?
I can see why they are having to resort to sending home lists if those are the books they use.

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 15:53

no, they do a mix of phonics and memorising the words.

they've done most of the alphabet day by day and they do a lot of letterland stuff.

dd was useless at the list last year and has only really figured out how to sound out a word in the last month so is finally getting the individual readers home that her classmates were flying through last summer term but there's been no major pressure on her. Teachers attitude at the parent/teacher meeting in October was 'Yes she's behind but she might just be a late starter, if she's not grasping it by the end of the year she'll get extra help next year. Don't worry'

The book those words are from is this and basically consists of 'Hello! I am Jen. This is Conor. This is Tabby. Conor likes Tabby.'

mrz · 19/12/2010 16:06

Are you in the UK?

strandedatseasonsgreetings · 19/12/2010 16:12

Not in UK here, but moving back and dd1 will start in reception in Jan. She is Sept born so will be one of the older children (although not here where all children in reception will be 5 by the end of this term and some are already 6) and has been reading pretty well for a while. She can read more or less anything you throw at her - of course she still needs help with very difficult words like sleigh, flight etc but is probably about a year ahead of some of her contemporaries in the UK.

I really hope we don't get one and two letter words sent home with her. I assume most good schools cater to the child's level?

Urgh I have so much to learn about the UK schooling system!

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 16:12

No, Ireland

loosinas · 19/12/2010 17:08

no words so far.... school seems to be following letters and sounds framework but slow to get started as had a long winded settling in process.... the have learnt some initial sounds are are startng to blend satipn words but no tricky words home... opinions on this would be good ????

mrz · 19/12/2010 17:16

If taught correctly children don't really need to be taught many words as a whole. Tricky words are only tricky before the child has been taught the bit that is tricky - "e" represents the long /ee/ sound in he, me, she. we, be "a" often represents /o/ when it follows "w" as in was want watch

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 17:45

long, in posh english maybe but over here want and watch have the proper 'ah' sound for 'a' Grin Gotta love the west of ireland accent their developing thanks to the school.... in those stairways book they even have 'Mammy' printed in them [shudders]

mrz · 19/12/2010 17:47

We say "mammy" here too Grin

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 17:50

where did that 'long' at the front of my post come from Confused

demented keyboard is at it again.

mrz... i can't stand Mammy Blush I've banned dd from saying it and have told her the word in the book is Mommy/Mummy!

mrz · 19/12/2010 18:10

I can't stand "mommy" I usually say mummy but it isn't a word the children use themselves

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 18:26

I got into the habit of calling my mother 'Mom' when i was a teen as it annoyed her (she called her mother Mummy her entire life and wanted me to do the same) so Mommy sounds more normal to be at this stage than Mummy... i always feel i have to put on a posh voice to say Mummy Grin

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 19/12/2010 18:28

In answer to the OP: None whatsoever.

mrz · 19/12/2010 18:35

I always feel we are talking about a long dead Egyptian Grin

SummerRain · 19/12/2010 18:47

pmsl Grin

granted · 19/12/2010 19:08

We get go, no, so, to, and, the, I, is, has.

For the holidays.

Have had about 10-12 different ones every week for the last few weeks, and 2 books a week.

I actually wish they'd slow down a bit - I'd rather have less but for him to be totally on top of it - and able to review them at home when he wishes, rather than having them taken away each week and replaced.

Have bought a set of Project X books off the Book People, by the ORT - supposed to be aimed at boys. DS does seem to like them more and want to read them - will report back how that goes.

Plus we also have Peter and Jane vintage copies which served my older DDs well in the early stages.

Curlybrunette · 19/12/2010 22:22

Mrz - I'm not at all knowledgable on reading schemes, what's Ginn 360? I'm guessing you don't think it's a good one? Why?

We got wordless books for a while and I had to ask 3 times for books with words. I think if you've never read with your child then wordless books could be a good starting point for you both to sit and describe what's happening but books have always been around for us so ds could easily describe what was going on etc. and I found he didn't want to read the books as he got through them so quickly and they weren't in enough detail to hold his attention.

He's flying through now (I don't mean he's above average but that he couldn't read a few weeks ago and now is thoroughly enjoying being able to read and his confidence is lovely to see). His teacher said he's doing really well and is moving on to red books next. I feel pleased but have no idea why as I don't know what that means!!!

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 19/12/2010 23:15

I am so glad our school doesn't do this and doesn't use a reading scheme!

Feenie · 20/12/2010 07:23

Reading 360 is as old as the hills and very dry and boring. It's also a sight word scheme, meaning it doesn't correlate at all with the school's phonics teaching.

Totally agree with your comments about wordless books.

What does your school use for blending practice, etc, DLTDotF?

racmac · 20/12/2010 08:30

the last words ds came home with were

chimp
chug
person
chin
shed

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 20/12/2010 08:37

Feenle, I have no idea! Clearly they do reading in class but it is many through games. They have a class library where they are free to select whatever books they want, whenever they like, they read to adults and also are allocated a reading partner from, I think, Year 3. Reading with the younger children is something my older two really enjoyed.

As I understand it, they don't give them words to learn, they teach them how to read. is that phonics? They cancelled the parent workshops due to snow so I'm a bit rusty! What I do know is that both DSs had lightbulb moments whereby they effectively went from not reading to reading. I assume DD will do the same.

Feenie · 20/12/2010 09:03

Well, there are two types of words which can be given - words which adhere to a sight reading scheme (like the core ORT books) and need to be learnt to access the scheme, or words which are decodable and are used for blending practice once the child has learnt the sounds (that's phonics).

I am intrigued with your dc's school's method - do they not send books home at all?

DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor · 20/12/2010 10:50

No, no books sent home at all. The children are free to choose as many books as they like from the class library. It means we have none of this "what level book is your child on?" competitive parenting :)

They seem to have tables set up where they do activities based on This Week's Letters and they are encouraged to write letters to whatever character fits with their learning (one week they invited the fairy godmother to tea. And she came!) I guess this is teaching them the sounds etc and they do read to adults and older children.

I assume they are doing something right as they were rated Outstanding by ofsted this term. I had my doubts when DS1 went through the system as he left reception barely able to read. Half way through Y1 all the carefully placed building blocks clicked and he was off. DS2 was less dramatic but he learnt earlier. I am happy to leave DD in their care and just encourage her at home.