Is it worth putting reception age DD into explorer learning for reading?

[Yearofme]

My DD is 5.5 and since starting school in September has made no progress with reading.

Her teacher tells me she is behind and will speak to Senco but doesn't say what she thinks problem is or how I can help. I work full time shifts so have limited time to read with her, although either my mum or myself rea her a bedtime story every night. School is in special measures and the HT has suddenly left. The class is 32 children. I don't want to make to much of a fuss as they are under a lot of pressure at the moment. It is a lovely school and she is happy there.

There is a explorer learning near me, it's £109 per month for membership, I have a free trial on Friday. Has anyone ever used these? Would it be worth it? I don't want it to escalate into a bigger problem as she loves school, especially maths and writing is no problem. She is also fine with phonics, it's just the blending that she seems to be struggling with. I have spoke to her and he says she is scared of getting it wrong.

What would you do? TIA

What do you mean by "behind"? Does she know her sounds? Is it just blending that is a problem?

Reception is very early to be deciding that there is a problem - she may just be a small starter (my DS was "behind" in Reception, he couldn't blend at all, but was way ahead of average by the end of Y1 - something having just clicked).

I personally think that spending a few minutes a day practising sounds and blending would be better than spending lots of money. (do it while you're preparing breakfast or she's in the bath if there is really no other time).

Also, if she does have a genuine learning difficulty (as opposed to just being slower to catch on) - I'm not sure places like Explore Learning are really set up to deal with this.

Surely if you have time to take her to a centre like this you have time to read with her more. I am not a fan of tuition at this age, esp centres which are marketed to make money. There are plenty of games you cn play at home to encourage reading. Some children dont take off with reading untill year 2 and then very quickly catch up. i wouldnt be spending such a large amount of money on what is essentially a marketing ploy.

Could you stick paper letters on things in the house like b-e-d, f-l-o-o-r, d-o-o-r

c-a-t

read those for a while (a few weeks) and then make up a story using the words she's now familiar with: the cat got off the bed and on the floor

and maybe a few months later a slightly longer story introducing five or six words which have been practiced more recently. (That's a variation of the method I used with my daughter.)

And no, girls, I'm not suggesting cruelty to animals in the name of learning to read!

if she knows her phonics and it is a blending issue then I would have letters written on bits of paper and play games making them up into words. you can also do it the other way round and break words down the same way, write a word like cat on a bit of paper and then cut it into c a t to show her how to take the word apart.

Do you have weekends? Is she with your mum after and perhaps before school? It doesn't have to be you who plays the words games. Your mum can do it just as well. I'd imagine gran or mum doing it is better than Explore Learning doing anything.

We got a lot out of our foam bath letters. DD knew her sounds and managed to get along but wasn't really keen and everything apart from the school book was a nightmare.

Playing around with letters made a huge impact as she could do what she wanted instead of what the book said.

If you have an ipad there is an app called Word Wizard, you can either write a word the tablet told you or just write around and the tablet will tell you what you wrote. Great to play around but you lean a lot.

For 109 pounds a month I'd get a tutor for half an hour a week and have change left over.

Tbh though in reception I'd recommend you do phonics work with her yourself. Have you thought about a subscription to reading eggs and getting books at her level through reading chest?

I think the problem you need to solve is your "limited time to read with her". A lot of being a good reader is down to practising regularly. I think learning to read is not something you can just expect school to do - although neither do I think an unqualified teenager (from my experience with explore learning) is going to help.

If you can't read with her everyday for 5 minutes then maybe ask a grandparent etc to do it. My dd2 (Aug born Yr 1) will happily do her reading at bedtime, but if yours is too tired then breakfast time could be good. You need to find a regular slot for it somewhere but I don't think explore learning is the answer.

I think it's too early for tutoring. In your shoes, I would start with you/ your mum making bedtime reading a little longer (so it starts earlier) and her doing half of it with the part where you read to her coming afterwards. So she reads her book for five minutes each night (this is plenty for Reception) and you read her a story after that. Or get her to read to you while you make tea or get her to play something that involves blending while you hang the washing out or whatever. And be encouraging. Even if she can't do any of it, keep praising her for making the effort etc. If she is too tired for reading at night, do it in the morning over breakfast or first thing in bed.

I don't think a tutor is appriopiate at her age. At five years old she needs ten minutes a day of practice SEVEN days a week. Explore is a waste of money for teaching reading as all they do is sit the child in front of a computer.

Reading is one of those things that suddenly clicks.I don't think you should make her do her reading practice at the same time as her bedtime story as she will be tired and may develop a negative association with books. Bedtime stories are a snuggley time rather than a literacy lessson.

" She is also fine with phonics, it's just the blending that she seems to be struggling with. I have spoke to her and he says she is scared of getting it wrong. "

I don't understand what you have written. There are 44 letter sounds. Does she know the letter sounds? (Including diagraphs) If a child cannot blend then her phonics knowledge is poor.

jollylearning.co.uk/2010/11/01/learning-the-letter-sounds/

I suggest that you play robot speak games (ie blend orally) with her. Ie. say where is your ar-m or where is your s-o-ck. Say the first sound slightly louder than the others. Once she understand robot speak then move on to simple cvc (constanant- vowel- constanant ie cat, dog, pen, peg, log) words. She cannot blend the words say the letter sounds for her pointing at each letter.

Hello- sounds like you are taking a lovely approach to trying to help your DD, but like others I'm not totally convinced it's the only approach. My DD1, also in reception, learns much more with the little and often approach. I don't think tutoring would help her TBH. She likes playing phonics games on the computer and we try to read to her everyday- even 5 minutes from some adult- yes I know it's hard to fit in! We read and play around with bath letters, signs on the bus and in shops, notes from friends etc. and I also write her little notes and sentences about her day which she wants to read! Summer is just round the corner- who will be looking after her then, can they take her to the library and read with her etc.? Might be a great opportunity there.
TBH since you ask I think that sending her to a tutor outsources the problem and that it is much better if you can possibly be a good role model to show that reading and writing are fun. Plus think of the oodles of cash you will save!
Can you ask the teacher what she thinks you should be doing?

If a child cannot blend then her phonics knowledge is poor.

Not necessarily; it is perfectly possible to reel off the letter sounds and not be able to do anything with them. OP's DD is very young so, hopefully, blending will click in shortly. (And an Explore Learning tutor isn't going to make it click). Until it does click, she can't really practice reading, but she can practice trying to blend as per ReallyTired's suggestions. I would also agree with doing this earlier in the day and keeping it entirely separate from reading her bedtime story to her.

Reading to her and trips to the library are lovely things, but it doesn't sound like she lacks motivation to try and read, but rather that she is finding it difficult, or perhaps it is a confidence issue, so I really would try to speak to the teacher again.

If a child cannot blend then her phonics knowledge is poor.

That one's a circle; it depends on how phonics knowledge is defined. If it's defined as being able to say the sounds and blend, then by definition not being able to do that is poor......

Realistic expectations is important. Very few children in reception are competant with phonics because they are so little and haven't been in school very long. My son took six months to learn to blend and segment inspite of me doing five to ten minutes a day of practice everyday.

This series activity books is really good fun. It has lots of games and activites to make practicing letter sounds and blending less boring.

www.amazon.co.uk/Jolly-Phonics-Activity-Book-1/dp/1844141535/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370970312&sr=1-1&keywords=jolly+phonics+activity+books

The jolly songs CD is good for playing in the car

or any of the BBCs fun with Phonics series

or www.starfall.com