Reception levels for maths and reading - am I being paranoid?

[mumrocks2]

I need your help. My DD just starting reception and whilst keen to learn doesn't have the confidence with reading - she's switched on and v aware of what is going on around her. She sees others better than her and it knocks her confidence. I read to her a lot and we read the 2 (very dull) reading books she brings home every day but she won't do them herself. Teacher says to not sit down and read with her but to bring it into every day life - but I only have an hour by time we get home with DS (2.5) to contend with too. Am feeling paranoid that she's being left behind when I know she's bright and can do it. She knows all the phonics, can sound words out but doesn't seem to be clicking with it. That and she hates numbers. I don't know what to do to help the situation apart from making hte weekend like being at school. Help!!!!

If there are no words at all, and I mean no at this level that she struggles with then try the next level until you find a level where she might struggle with say 5 words tops. Or do nothing. The choice is yours..

Thanks, Tgger, we bought a set of ORT home readers from thebookpeople, home readers levels 1-3 they're all too simple. My OH offered to buy the next set up to level 7 I think. I said not to bother. I hate scheme books so much I'd rather do without them and just teach my daughter with real books. I don't know. Maybe I'll try at some point to persuade the teacher to put my daughter on the correct level in the scheme, but my gut is telling me to ignore the scheme, read those pseudo-books quickly, hold my nose and get my daughter to sign the reading diary and move onto real books from the library and ones that I've bought. I don't really want to fight a teacher who's lovely but clearly procedural over a scheme that to be honest I really don't care that much about.

Well that's your bag, but then you have basically decided not to do the reading scheme. So you have decided to teach your daughter to read yourself. Good luck!!
I taught DS quite a lot really but used the scheme and all his phonics teaching.

It's only a means to an ends you know. As a musician I see it as useful exercises/technique that actually speed your progress with the real stuff (music/real books). That's enough from me! Over and out!

Well, I've already taught her myself and she seems to be doing fine. I'm not sure that luck is all that important. But parents are supposed to support their children regardless of what the scheme is. Some might go just that little bit further, (I do.)

Well luck is important in anything that is not methodical . I prefer a more orderly approach myself, and to support the methods they use at school.

Who said my method wasn't methodical. I think you're taking liberties, my dear.

I don't think my approach is particularly methodical

I just let DD read whatever she wants (within reason obv) and if she does not know a word I sound it out (but don't say it) and she would then say the word...

But it is getting to the point that her phonics knowledge is getting better than mine

Not really sure what to do next, just keep doing what we are doing I guess?? Will be asking at parents eve tomorrow...

As a musician I see it as useful exercises/technique that actually speed your progress with the real stuff

This is a brilliant way of putting it. I like that a lot (and it makes perfect sense).

Well, I'm no musician, but I did karate for many years and I know that martial artists have exercises to do. But not all exercises are at the same level. So a black belt doing entry-level white belt exercises is probably not all that helpful.

those are for Haberdashery, I will ignore what came next.

It's interesting that you mention music as our new Y2 teacher, a talented musician, compared phonics to being able to read music.

Yes, I can see similarities mrz. Hooray for a musical teacher!

My friend's son, who is a very talented mathematician and reading maths at Cambridge compared it to maths. You need the basics as a solid foundation and build on them.