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Original poster

ORT read at home confusion!

34 replies

NedSchneebly · 17/09/2011 21:14

I've acquired a set of ORT read at home books, set of ORT floppy phonics books and set of read write Inc Ruth miskin books.

My DS has just started reception and is loving the whole idea of reading :) He has brought ORT 1+ book home from school.

Anyway, which of these 3 sets would be the best to give him to complement what he's likely to be doing at school? Any or all? Any better to avoid?

Am v confused!!

TIA

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newtermnewname · 17/09/2011 21:17

ORT Floppy's Phonics books.

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 17/09/2011 21:21

Thanks newterm Smile

Why these ones particularly better?

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newtermnewname · 17/09/2011 21:25

Because they are phonic-based and not look and say. Ask which phonic scheme his school uses, though, so you don't confuse the poor boy. Personally I do not like the style of the Ruth Miskin books but that's just me.

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 10:25

Ah, I see.

He's coming home with a sheet with one letter sound per day, with an action on it- like a a a a ant, s with a snake movement etc. Does that sound common?

When to use ordinary ORT books then? Not at all, if using floppy phonics? Or come to later when he's a bit better at the phonics bit? As you say, newterm, I don't want to confuse him! Smile

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mrz · 18/09/2011 10:33

How many sounds has he been taught? He won't need books until he has begun to blend sounds for reading. I'm afraid ORT read at home are a considerable way in the future (and depending which Floppy Phonics they may be too advanced for this stage).

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 11:14

He's done s, a, t, p at school, but knows most of his basic 1 letter sounds, I think, plus ee, oo, sh, ch. Am NOT a pushy mother, Blush it's just that he loves it!

We looked at floppy phonics 1a "I am
Kipper" and 1b "cat in a bag" and he could do pretty much all of it, certainly cvc words.

Any thoughts mrz ? Am I taking him on too far?

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virgiltracey · 18/09/2011 11:22

what you might find is that you need more books at the lower levels. Your library will have them. Those sets are great (we have a few different ones) but you only get a couple of books at each level and generally you need more. Floppy's phonics will be easier since they will build on his phonics knowledge. ORT read at home will contain words such as "the" and "I" and "one" even at the very early stages which might confuse him when he's just getting to grips with the phonics.

I mixed them all up. We used songbirds phonics too (the julia donaldson ones) and we put the ORT read at home ones a stage behind so when DS was reading stage 2 songbirds we introduced stage 1 read at home. This seemed to be about right although I was still a little confused to see "orange" in a stage 1 read at home!!

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 11:23

Should add we haven't done all these sounds this week since starting school. . . He's been picking them up over last year or so. . .Blush!

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mspotatochip · 18/09/2011 11:24

sounds like jolly phonics

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NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 11:27

I should add that we haven't done all these sounds this week since starting school . . He's been into letters etc for the last year at least Blush !

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Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 11:28

Oops - posted again cos (cr)app keeps kicking me out!

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NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 12:13

Is that a phonics scheme potato? So any phonics read at home type scheme will complement ok?

Thanks for the tip Virgil will look into library and love Julia Donaldson so will check out those on amazon!

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virgiltracey · 18/09/2011 12:19

The a a a thing is definitely jolly phonics. You can get the books and workbooks to go along wth the scheme plus a dvd and some games/posters etc in ELC or online. The books aren't story books though.

Sounds like the school is using jolly phonics to give them a good grounding in phonics and then using standard ORT scheme. If its anything like my DCs' school though you may well find that they use all sorts of schemes mixed in together.

virgiltracey · 18/09/2011 12:21

bookpeople do the songbirds sets but you may well find you don't have time to read the books since school will also be sending books home. Depends how often they change them really. Our school changes every day but I know that some schools don't.

mrz · 18/09/2011 13:04

Yes it's Jolly Phonics but no "any phonics read at home type scheme won't compliment ok" You can't just jump from knowing a a ant on my arm to a phonics reading scheme there is a progression and he is on the starting line. He needs to start at the first set which are pink band.

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 17:19

Ok mrz guide me! He has had one book from school "come and look at this. . . Is it a big dinosaur? Come and look at this. . . Is it a monster?" etc. It is ORT 1+. he had it for a week and learnt it by heart after a couple of looking through. I had to ask for it to be changed and I don't think the teacher went through it with him. I was confused because I didn't think words like "come" and" dinosaur" were particularly accessible?

I just want to feed DSs interest on reading. As i posted earlier, he can do cvc words and most single letter sounds. There us no pink level on the ORT books we have.

What do you suggest that I do? Confused

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mrz · 18/09/2011 17:31

learnt it by heart after a couple of looking through. which is why some children struggle to read.

There are pink levels of the Floppy Phonics books and also the Read Write Inc books available which is what he needs first.

Take a look at the ORT phonics e books free here

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 17:44

I only said he learnt it by heart in that he knew what was coming next so didn't want to "read" the individual words with me. I'm not showing off, mrz or having a go- I'm just trying to figure out what to do to support and encourage him so that he doesn't struggle to read!

Thanks for link - I'll take a look, and try to get hold of pink level books.

Maybe I'm being unreasonable expecting him to have more than one book a week from school. Early days yet, I realise.

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mrz · 18/09/2011 17:48

NedSchneebly I didn't think for a moment you were showing off ... I actually thought you were rightly concerned he was memorising rather than reading sorry if I was wrong.
I think one a week isn't enough. I change books as often as needed.

nickschick · 18/09/2011 17:49

The best way I found of helping a child to read is 'letterland' learning the sound of the words and then ORT as children love floppy ( I dont and i cant stand chip or wilma either Grin)

NormaSnorks · 18/09/2011 18:05

OK - a different point of view here, from someone who has been through the whole ORT thing years ago... (DC now 11 & 9 !)

I would really stop worrying about getting your son reading other reading scheme books, and just read 'Early Reading' books (of all levels) together. Get him to pick out words or simple sentences he might know, but otherwise just enjoy books together!

Things we enjoyed together at this age were:

  • all the Colin McNaughton Red Nose Reader series
  • Usbourne 'Apple Tree Farm' series
  • All the Julia Donaldson 'Gruffalo' etc series

The ORT books are fine, but IMHO they are not as good as many other books out there.
At the end of the day you want your child to enjoy reading for its own sake - not just to 'get through' the reading scheme.
You'd be amazed how much kids 'pick up' reading from being exposed to a range of books....

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 18:14

Thanks mrz it was certainly very frustrating to be faced with . . "but I dont need to read it. I already know what the whole page says, mummy. It says..." I did think that maybe I had missed the point and done it wrong. . .

Would I expect teacher/TA to hear him read a book before they change it? Maybe that's why they didn't change it because they hadn't looked at it with him. He's got another 1+ book, with "ice cream" "come" "want" in- again, not what I would have thought of as obvious words?! Will be more pro-active about wanting book changed more frequently.

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mrz · 18/09/2011 18:18

I always listen to a reception child read the book before changing it with older children I listen to a few pages and talk about the book.

Enjoying books together is important and I would never suggest parents buy reading scheme books for home use.

Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 18:28

We've always read to him, since he was tiny, and we do pick out letters and words that he knows in other books. His new thing is pointing out all the full stops!
I am so far insisting on non school books for bedtime stories. I think I might run out of patience with Kipper and the gang before long anyway!

Think I may be over thinking this whole thing anyway. . . He's only just 4. Maybe should leave school to get on with it, push for more frequent book changes and see what happens.

Please feel free to agree with me- this is possibly pfb syndrome!

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Original poster
NedSchneebly · 18/09/2011 18:30

How would I explain non phonic words like want, come etc.? Don't want to confuse any more!

Maybe will ditch ORT books altogether then mrz ! :)

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