So...why am I helping DS not to read?

[balia]

Or at least, to read nonsense words? This is the second holiday homework we've had like this. Some actual words, the rest nonsense words. DS has to read these as if they were real words, not try to make them into real words. How come this is not just a massive waste of our time?

Is he year 1? Sounds like they are trying to prep for thw phonics test. No idea if schools do this though, ours didn't.

It's very good phonics practice.

The nonsense words in toe by toe are very good for getting dyslexics like DD1 to use their phonics and not guess at a vaguely plausible real word.

That said she hated them because there is non of the satisfaction of recognising you've got it right.

(I hated them because I'm dyslexic too and had to practice them when she wasn't listening.)

I'm certain that DD2 who reads as easily as she breaths, would have sailed through them without worrying. I don't think they would have annoyed her. She wants to teach and I think the idea of them would just make sense to her.

The most educated/knowledgable woman I know in the field of literacy believes this is crucial to develop literacy in children for reasons mentioned already and to promote confidence in reading (everyone discovers new words that they haven't seen before at some stage).

With my dcs I had lego blocks with letters on and we would create new words and attempt to pronounce them and think of all the ways to write sounds all the time.

If he is in Yewar 1 it could be preparation for the phonics test.

although if he's being taught well in school they shouldn't need to prepare him ...but that's another discussion altogether.

www.nonweiler.demon.co.uk/Y1_Phonics_Check.pdf

If you fancy something a bit different, I'm told that DD's school use this website with the kids in year 1 and we've been encouraged to use the free games on it at home, too: www.phonicsplay.co.uk/freeIndex.htm

As you get older and come across new and unfamiliar words in texts, the skills developed by reading 'nonsense' words will make huge difference in reading ability! The school is obviously focussing on the phonics blending and interpretation skills of reading with these particular tasks.