Reading in reception class - DS won't do it

[kwaker5]

DS is really reluctant to read at home. I haven't tried to force the issue (not sure how I would 'make' him read anyway!) so we often only manage it once or twice a week. Tonight he actually asked to read his book to me at bedtime (it has a robot in it and I think he is quite motivated by it) but he was reading it to himself while I put DD to bed and threw a complete strop about one word on the second page that he could not read (rocket - he couldn't understand why it didn't have an 'i' in it, i.e. rockit). When he'd calmed down, I read the book to him (I think maybe he just wanted to know what the story was about), but while he was tantrumming he was saying that he hated reading, it was hard and he couldn't do it.

Is this something that will just settle down? I think he is making reasonable progress from the little I have seen so he must be doing something at school. I feel a bit bad that we're not able to extend/support what he learns at school because he never wants to do it at home.

Read it with him. You read some of it but stop at words you think he can read and get him to read those words (or you could pretend you're stuck on those words yourself and then be overwhelmed by the fact that he knew it )

Maybe break words down for him and then see if he can blend them. I.e 'r.o.ck.e.t' could quite easily be blended if he hears the sounds.

Mine also used to get frustrated if I'd stop to look at the pictures and then have a go at the next words themselves

It's a long process and you need to trick some children into it but they'll all get there in the end

my DS could no way read rocket at this stage in reception - he could only do CAT that kind of thing. does your DS get books sent home from school -my DS got very simple ones - and only really go on with the phonics based ones
something "clicked" late on in the autum term of Y1 - now doing great

I agree with Mufflinflop's very sound advice: tell you child that you're going to read the book and that some words are going to be your words and some are his. As Mufflinflop suggests, with your words, if you say the sounds, your DD will probably be able to hear what the word is.
And, it is a long process. English is a complex language to learn to read and spell and you need to take your time and be patient.

I have found that they just get bored. Remember that you've been reading to them all these years and they've learned to love books and stories. Then suddenly, it takes them 10mins to read 5 words and the story is virtually non-existant. My oldest wouldn't read, but suddenly at the end of year 1 it clicked and he started to read fluently. Books then became exciting again. Just expose him to letters and words and stories and sounds and he'll get it in the end.

DD used to go into meltdown if she couldn't read a word straight away - and despite knowing her phonic sounds, she wouldn't sound words out. She thought reading was something you could or couldn't do and it should magically happen without practice . So I went for bribery - I made a chart like a pathway and every time she read me a book we stuck a sticker on a 'stepping stone'. Every tenth stone, she got to put her hand in a bag and pull out a little treat. Once she had the visual cue of seeing how many books she had read, she kept counting how many and got quite proud of it. And suddenly we were motoring ..... and no longer needed the chart.

I also did reading first thing in the morning, so when DD woke up, she could come into my bed early for a cuddle if she brought in a book. I had to wake up 15 mins earlier - but it was worth it. We still do it, and I've found that she still finds it easier to read in the morning, than when she is tired after school.

BTW if she paused on a word, I would sound it out for her and she would 'say it fast', thus avoiding the arguments. Before nursery got in on the act and gave her a sounding out phobia, we used to play a say it fast game in the car - I would say the sounds in a word, and she would blend them. And in reverse, using a robot voice.

My DD didn't learn on a gentle curve, she shot forwards (and backwards) in fits and starts, so don't worry, and before you know it, they will have read their first chapter book and be crazily proud of themselves.

I help out in my son's reception class.
my job at the moment is helping them to learn some high frequency words to read. (only 2, 3 or 4 letter words)

My list of pupils is split into 4 groups.
Those who read happily, engage with the activity.
Those who can read with gentle encouragement
Those who can sound out letters and start to blend them into words
Those who are having trouble sounding out the letters.

This week I had a child who could not get the word "it" when sounded out and blended together.
Please do not worry, it will happen and enjoying books and stories is I think just as important. I second the idea of suggesting he read all of the "and"'s or"the"'s in the story.

Thanks for the replies. I feel a lot better now. I signed up to the Reading Eggs website this afternoon to see whether it would spark any interest (free 5 week trial on offer) and he did really well on the test. I was shocked by how much he could do and how well! I think he just doesn't like reading to me but maybe it's a regression/babyhood thing and he'd rather be read to when it's me or he's at home.

I will try sharing the words out when he does agree to sit down and do it. Maybe also some rewards-based thing (although I've never had much success with them before!). I wasn't sure whether it would end up making him think that reading was something to endure before you got something better.

Thanks again

I went in the old fashion way with flash cards! I figured out that reading an entire book was making DS a bit anxious, so I found some flashcards and printed them online, with high frequency words for KS1. Words like cat, dog, the, it, a, an etc. We try to read them 'against the clock' as a game. He then made the transition to books much much easier. I think that reading a whole book is a bit scary for a little one!

Do it every day.

The longer you mess around and do not really help your child the more they will fall behind.

if you google 'sparklebox' they have the high frequency words on rockets which I find appeal to the boys! Try choosing just 5 words, print 2 copies of each and then you can play 'pairs' etc with him. Don't worry, it's normal!