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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Novice parent reception question

18 replies

TripleRocks · 23/09/2015 14:05

DD has just started reception and has received her first little bit of reading homework yesterday, including 3 words to learn by sight.

I suspect this ought to be straightforward, but what do I actually need to do? School have provided the words on pieces of paper and laminated pictures to go with them. We have sat down and had a play about with them and she seems to be able to identify/read the 3 words. Do I ask for more words now? Keep practicing with them? If so, for how long?

Feeling unsure and not wanting to bother the teacher over something that I expect is self explanatory

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Francoitalialan · 23/09/2015 14:08

It's easy! Hand it all back to the teacher and say that you won't be doing homework as it's ridiculous for reception age children. Job done.

reni2 · 23/09/2015 14:15

No, you're done if she recognises them. Most important thing is not to turn her off learning now and I think laminated word cards might not be such a thrill if overdone . Well done for even doing it.

TeenAndTween · 23/09/2015 14:22

Personally in your situation I would stop for this week, and wait for more words to come home.

But I would take a cereal box, wrap it in wrapping paper, and turn it into a letter box with a flap at the front and a large emptying door at the back.

Then as more words come home you can make it into a game by allowing her to post in words she knows, and at the end count the number.

I used to do this with DD2 and read write inc phonics cards. It made it much more fun. DD2 is now y6, and we have used the letter box over the years from phonics, to reading words, to times tables.

(Why are they sending words home rather than emphasising learning phonics by the way?)

Original poster

TripleRocks · 23/09/2015 14:43

Ha!

So I leave it be now and wait for them to put some new bits and pieces and new words in her bag next week.

In the meantime, just carry on as normal? Excellent

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Pythonesque · 23/09/2015 16:13

5 minutes maximum on specific homework unless she starts to want to do more. Read books with/ to her as much as you can ideally every day - but you're probably doing this already! and if your timetable makes this difficult some days don't worry, especially if she is tired.

Original poster

TripleRocks · 23/09/2015 16:14

Teen, they are starting with some sets of basic words and learning these by sight, but will be starting phonics shortly.

Some of the words they learn by sight are ones tricky for beginners to sound out, like 'the' 'my' 'look'

No idea if this is standard or not, but they seem to know what they're doing

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louisejxxx · 23/09/2015 16:18

I would just write in her reading record or similar what you've done and that she has managed to recall the words. Maybe revisit it in a couple of days time and see if she can remember them still.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/09/2015 19:16

It shouldn't be standard, fewer and fewer schools are doing it. It isn't very good practice though.

If she can read them now, then I would just leave it, personally.

Original poster

TripleRocks · 23/09/2015 19:29

Thanks for the advice.

Why isn't it good practice? Can anyone in the know fill me in?

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reni2 · 23/09/2015 19:33

Ours didn't promote memorising words like this. The emphasis was on decoding using phonics. Maybe these things come and go?

Twolefttoes · 23/09/2015 19:35

Following as ds has just started reception too. No reading yet but writing letters practice is set for every evening. I didn't really expect anything other than the odd book yet.

jazzandh · 23/09/2015 19:38

We have phonic sounds that keep appearing through the week and 2 sight words per week that just have to be learnt - I, the etc. I just keep showing and checking that DS remembers the sight words - he looks through magazines and spots the words and so forth - otherwise he just "forgets" from day to day! Or he knows he has 2 words and he knows which words they are but guesses them without looking at the actual word

glamorousgrandmother · 23/09/2015 20:00

Words like 'the' and 'my' are known as 'tricky words' as they can't be decoded using phonics at this stage. If she can recognize them as whole words and enjoys doing it then she's probably ready for it so carry on but if she hates it don't do it. As a retired Reception teacher I'd say it is a bit early in the term to be doing this but maybe her teacher thinks she's up to it and wants to give her a bit more challenge. Just don't overdo it.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/09/2015 20:06

There's no such thing as sight words that just have to be learned

It's mostly to do with the phonics vs mixed methods deate OP.

But in a nutshell, teaching children to recognise words just by sight in the way the school seems to be doing can really cause a problem with reading in some children. Many will manage regardless, but there's no way of knowing which children will have a problem until it is too late.

Not sending home sight words, and teaching children to blend tricky and other high frequency words, saves a lot of unteaching in the future.

Original poster

TripleRocks · 24/09/2015 08:04

The teacher spent some 1-2-1 time with her and set the work off the back of the time they had spent together, so I'm happy that the level was tailored and relevant to her. She's Autumn born and very ready to get started.

However, having read around it a bit I am now worried about her being set sight words. Although it seems to make logical sense the way they have explained it and it's something she appears to do naturally. Hmm. It's a great school and I have every confidence in everything they have said and done so far, so I guess I will just see what happens

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HarveySchlumpfenburger · 24/09/2015 08:49

Some children with very good visual memories do pick up 'sight' words very quickly, for others it takes more experience of a word before they can read it without having to sound it out each time. That's fine, it's perfectly natural and won't cause a problem.

These children can fall through the gaps though if the teaching of reading isn't quite as good as it could be. Reading scheme books tend to have a limited vocabulary and it's easy for children with good visual memories to move quickly through the levels and look like able readers. This can mask issues with the phonics skills necessary for reading, particularly if the school start saying things like able readers have moved beyond phonics and don't need it. Keep an eye out for that.

I'd also watch for what she does with words she hasn't met before when she gets to that stage. If she does anything other than trying to blend all through a word, I would take that as a red flag and would step back from what the school are encouraging.

puddymuddles · 24/09/2015 10:06

I am also a Reception novice as eldest has just started. She doesn't know any letters and has come home with 3 letters to learn to recognise. I did it a bit with her last night as she was happy to look at it but not sure if she learned anything. I agree homework for 4 year olds is not a great idea!

Original poster

TripleRocks · 24/09/2015 17:20

Thanks RafalsTheKingOfClay for that useful advice. I had got myself in a bit of a spin and now feeling a bit more reassured that I have some background info and things to watch out for.

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