Phonics, reading and spelling

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How does phonics connect to reading and spelling?

DS is 5 and has just started Y1. I am not worried about his progress, I am a little concerned that he seems to have skipped a basic foundation. He is confident and reads with expression. He is very reluctant to write at home, at school he does what he is told to.

As background , he is in a mixed Y1/2 class and goes up to Y2 to participate in a few lessons including RML/Phonics Group. Yesterday he learnt the sounds for minute (60 seconds) and minute (tiny).

His ORT/Project X reading level is 8. He picks his own library books which seem to be a lower level and that's fine by me. He would much prefer to read books to himself rather than out loud.

In YR he had two new reading books per week and a TA/ Teacher heard him read before changing them. In his new class, the teacher does not listen to reading using home reading books. To change books he put them into a designated tray. He has forgotten to do this so far and the books have not been changed.

To pronounce an unfamiliar word he splits it into chunks and tried to spell it out (very reluctantly). He seems more comfortable with remembering words. His comprehension seems fine, it is the pronunciation he has a problem with and I worry how this will impact on spelling.

It isn't obvious to me that he is applying phonics. In YR, he went to a Y1 sound group and I am starting to think he has missed some basics. The reason for the Y1 move was that he knew the alphabet sounds and names.

Is it worth going over the phonics foundation and how do I do this?

Shameless bump.

School open night is a few weeks away and I need to be prepared.

DS(5) has a good reading age but doesn't seem to apply phonics knowledge. How important is this in spelling/ moving forward?

Thanks

It's important. But so is experience as per the minute/minute example you give. It sounds as though he's doing well, and I wouldn't be too concerned abou the spelling yet.

If he's splitting an unfamiliar word into chunks then that's good - he is applying his phonic knowledge - much better than guessing, BUT I would be still listening to him read his school books. If he's just reading to himself there's a chance he's just skipping over the words he's not sure of.

Thanks betterwhenthesunshines

I am very happy with his reading progress. However, I am worried that he seems to have skipped a year of first phonics therefore the fundamentals. I think he remembers more than he applies. I think the fact that he is considered a 'good reader' is masking a basic level of knowledge that he seems to be missing.

School will obviously listen to him read, just not ORT/Project X reading books they send home. He would prefer to read silently however, I make him read his reading books aloud.

DS1 missed out on a solid phonics core - I taught him basic phonics and he then taught himself to read. Now he is in year 6 the holes in his phonics knowledge really show - mainly in his spelling, but also in his reading too, as he has learnt new words from reading them not hearing them, and his lack of phonic knowledge means he hasn't read them right, iyswim. I am now having to reteach him to spell (his spelling age is several years behind, whilst his reading age is several years ahead).

I think it might be worth going over some of the foundation work. DS1 (now started year 2) took a little while to write and spell properly - DH is a primary school teacher and reassured me that if the building blocks are in place, ie a good understanding and knowledge of phonics, correct spelling will come later. And it does. He can now write words like 'car' and 'care' and make the difference between the sounds. He still makes mistakes (with C and K and CK for example) but the more he reads, the less spelling mistakes he makes. Agree that some of it is simple knowledge, but that comes with time. The important thing is to keep their confidence up, encourage any form of writing.

He is very reluctant to write and spelling hasn't been an issue. He is in a mixed Y1/2 class and I think this will be important as he progresses. Spelling or writing practise has not been set for homework.

I'm not quite sure what you're concerned about - you're happy with his reading level and you say spelling so far hasn't been an issue. He's only 5, he seems to be doing well. Avoiding writing isn't unusual at all. It seems to me that he IS applying phonics - so far as he knows them. See what school says, but from what you say, there doesn't seem to be anything to worry about. Just keep 'sounding' as you spell.

I think he will have problem spelling because he has missed a fundamental step in terms of phonics. I think because he is reading well it is not obvious there is a problem or gap.

I have two dc - yr4 and yr7 - both are appalling spellers and the yr4 child is way behind on reading. The school they both attended in KS1 used the mixed method, rather than synthetic phonics. I blame this entirely on dd's inability to read well now. A good grasp of phonics, from the very beginning, I believe is so important for them as they move up school.

My dt's have just started reception. I am paranoid about how they are going to be taught in their (different) school.

If I were you, I think going over the fundamental steps is a very good idea, before it is too late.

Surely one can't blame a school for everything, can one? Don't parents have any responsibilities for their children's educations?

Thanks Kerryblue.

I feel like there is something to fix. I will look at the learning section here to see how he goes.