Sounding out, whole word and phonics question

[Shattereddreams]

My dd is doing well with her reading. Y1.
At home we read more extensively than school books so I am aware there is an element of pushing her above her school ability so to speak. But her school books are not particularly challenging ORT Level 7.

When she approaches a long unknown word, she basically panics. Small words if unknown don't cause problems, just long ones.

If phonetic, I ask her to sound out. But she can't. I think she reads in a whole word way, and she tries to make a word that she does know without really looking at the word.
Eg
Tethered she wanted to read as teacher.

She has a lazy supply teacher this year so hasn't made much progress in school, plenty at home though.

Is this fear normal progression?

I wondered about the phonics test because if she can't sound out unknown words then this could be a problem.

alan it is that simple and most children could be reading and spelling well the problems seems there are too many people like you who think it's more complicated than it really is just because they don't understand and can't be bothered to learn.

Surely, if it's that simple every child would be reading fluently by the age of seven or eight!

They are - in lots of schools.

Except the ones who are not.

Indeed - in schools where teachers agree that it isn't that simple.

I loathe phonics.DS can read very well...phonics confuses and panics him.

dooby, how old is your son?

Hello.He is 6 in April.

I also have a ds who is 13...do not recall the phonics thing then.We read to him and he read from young age...find it all rather odd.

I do feel that Maths is poorly taught also.Both my sons were enthusiastic about Maths before school.Ds1 in particular.He had been mainly home edded and started secondary in year 7,He is now year 9 and I feel Maths has been over complicated for both sons...who now feel rather confused at times and have lost initial enthusiasm for it.

Also do not understand why my ds2 is having to do phonics when he can read and spell pretty well...just makes him unhappy tbh...and doubt himself

Also do not understand why my ds2 is having to do phonics when he can read and spell pretty well how well is pretty well?

He brings home spellings on Monday.We ask him to write them down on tues,weds,thurs evening(once).He has test on Friday he gets full marks.

Reading should be fun...so should Maths....school system seems to over complicate and make it a chore...this is our experience.

It's pretty normal for most children to get 10/10 for spelling tests but also normal for the same children not to retain the knowledge the knowledge which is why many schools no longer send home spelling lists.

Am not hugely bothered re spellings.I am bothered about the fact that reading does not become a chore.He can read very well and enjoys it...the books are fairly uninspirational(the ones from school) and phonics has made him doubt himself and become anxious

What books does he get from school?

Biff and Chip

So look and say books not phonics

He has phonics lessons at school!

Off for a bit...bed time

Yes I'm sure he does have phonic lessons at school and I'm sure he will have other lessons in the future that he may find difficult and he may not find fun. Unfortunately in life not everything is fun (especially Biff & Chip).

Dooby, what happens when your son comes across a new word like boatswain or galliard?

Dooby, what happens when your son comes across a new word like boatswain or galliard?

As so frequently happens with reading material for 5y olds. or ?

...he sounds it out...i think!...or sometimes just says the word...sorry I am not as clear as I should be.Think it is because we didn't have this phonics frenzy when ds1 was ds2's age and just got on with it.

Maybe part of it is that he worries about not being able to do things straight away.

I think part of the problem and the phonics frenzy that you're talking about is what confuses people. As far as I can tell you do need phonics to teach a whole class to read (if you're really trying to teach everyone). And you do need some phonic elements (maybe not the whole mad theory) but you definitely need some sounding out.

But to me the problem is that some children seem to get on better without it and some children aren't ready for it. They may well switch to sounding out when it suits them, (and why not?) I've seen it said in a few places that when many children start to read they prefer whole words. (I guess it depends on the child.) My daughter used to read fine until she came to a new word and then would say I don't know that word. Even if it had been the cat on the mat sat on the mats. Because mats now had an s on it she would refuse to read it. And then one day she just switched to sounding out. I don't know why.