Letters and sounds phonics scheme

[scoobysnacktime]

My DD is starting reception in September and at the intro meeting for parents we were told that they use the Letters and Sounds scheme.

DD is currently at preschool and has been taught sounds and some blending, and is starting to write her own sentences (but spelling in a strange way, eg. Ihopikanseyoo = I hope I can see you!)

I have two questions: firstly, should I try (gently) correct her writing, or just get on with it and enjoy practising?; secondly, what books could/should I buy for her to read over the summer, to keep up her interest in sounds, eg. Jolly Phonics? Is this in keeping with Letters and Sounds? Or should I not bother and just continue reading her the stories she loves?

DD also sometimes forms letters incorrectly. I think she knows how to write them all correctly, as taught by preschool, but doesn't always follow. I mention this to her, but she doesn't like being corrected at all! Should I leave it?

Sorry, that's three questions!

It wouldn't do any harm to teach her to use a finger space between words. She'll have to do that soon anyway.

Does she draw her own lines on plain paper (or write ever increasingly in a downward slope?)

I have no idea of 'correct' thinking, but DS3 starts school in September.
If he is trying to write using phonemes he hasn't learnt yet e.g. a...e or i...e then I leave him to just write 'a' e.g 'cak' or 'i' e.g. 'lik'. But if it is a phoneme he does know e.g sh or th, If he writes it wrong I ask him what sound he was trying to make, and then when he tells me I'd ask him which letters he should use. He would then correct it.
If he looks like he is going to forget a space and I happen to be watching him I would remind him, but certainly wouldn't make him rewrite a whole load of writing because it had mistakes/no finger spaces in.
When he is free - writing I leave him to form his own letters, but on the odd occasions he is writing with me I remind him how to form the letter before he writes it. Now when I hear him writing he is saying to himself e.g. "down the stick, up and over" for h, so it is slowly going in.

I am a fan of just getting them to just make marks on paper. So I would just let her write as she likes to.
Over the summer I would just continue reading stories.
But then I am a very low key Mum and DD could only read and write her name at the start of reception.
It hasn't held her back though year 4 now and flying away.

Letters and Sounds is guidance from the Government on how to teach phonics. It is broken down into phases.

Hopefully this link will work so you can see...
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf

oh and you might want to check which letter formation the school teaches. Some teach cursive from day one.
HTH

The early NC level assessments that I've seen don't require children to use cursive writing. So if a child is having trouble forming print letters it could help if mum supported that and let the school do as it pleases. Our school teaches cursive from the very start but it doesn't expect the children to write in cursive at the moment (simply to practise individual letters.) They write in print.

I think it is entirely up to you whether you want to help her learn to read over the holidays or not. Definitely go with a phonics based programme if you want to buy some books but there are a few out there. We liked songbirds phonics as they are quite fun. Thebookpeople often have them cheaper than elsewhere but you would then have to factor in postage so would have to look into it. My eldest learnt with a mix of Oxford Reading Tree read at home books, songbirds phonics, usborne phonics, collins big cat and Peter and Jane. She was reading very well when she started school and at the end of reception is at Yr3ish level. My youngest is just starting to read now (starts reception in september) and is using the same books as her sister did. The songbirds phonics ones are her preferred ones at the moment.

with regards to writing I would just gently remind her of finger spaces. I wouldn't worry about it unduly but just show her that with finger spaces it is easier to read. You could do this just by writing out a simple sentence yourself without spaces and the same sentence with spaces and show her but then I would just leave her to it.

Spelling is fine - she is doing very well, they will encourage them to write phonetically first as it is important they have the confidence to get their thoughts on paper and then they move on to spelling correctly.

not sure re letter forming, if she doesn't like being corrected I would just leave it to be honest as they will show them at school but if she was open to practicing then you could get one of those write on wipe off boards with the letters on and dotted lines for her to draw over.

My daughter found actually doing the finger spaces a bit fiddly at first and needed a bit of help/practise. But then she was off doing it.

Thanks everyone - all very helpful. I've just had a chance to read all your replies, but won't be able to reply fully until later. But I should have mentioned in my OP that DD has only just started to write anything other than her name, and I really don't know which sounds she knows (neither the school nor she tell me what they're doing each week!)

More later after bedtime!

Hi - retired TA (male) here :

I worked in KS1 for twenty years, during which time, obviously, methods and styles changed. I would agree with the previous replies; if she is happy to let you 'teach' her, carry on, but make it fun and never stressful.

Even up to Yr2 or Yr3 the 'finger space' is something many children almost ignore. I guess, they just 'think' what they want to write, and in one's head it is a continuous string. You could try cutting up bits of paper, and she could write one word on each, then lay them out to make the sentence, but that could be labouring the point too much. Just let her enjoy what she wants to do.

Thanks ferguson.

DD is very, ahem, strong-willed, and also a bit of a perfectionist. When I explain that she'll start to learn to read and write once she starts reception, that teachers will be better at teaching than me etc etc, but that I'm happy to help her start on the basics of reading/writing before that if she wants, her reaction is that 'I can read already (using my tag pen!)'.

Before that, though, her attitude was that she just didn't want me to help her at all. She just wanted to listen to me read (and we always read at least two books a day, if not more). It's because of this attitude that I've just tried to keep it all relaxed; I love books (degree in literature) and i'd hate to make reading a chore.

So, taking into account all the advice above, i think i'll continue with what I'm doing: get (genuinely) excited when she does write (learnandsay, she seems to be able to write in fairly straight lines); gently mention spacing and reversed letters, but don't push it; but in addition, perhaps get some books with one word/sentence per page and offer them.

DD is very into blending ATM, and does get excited when we can decipher her sentences (and v cross when we can't!) and it is exciting to watch her develop, so I will enjoy!