4yo going over phonics lessons in his sleep - WWYD?

[muttleydosomething]

My 4.5yo is not ready for reading. I taught him his alphabet sounds and did some simple blending with him before he started in reception because I knew the school had a reputation for being pushy over results and I didn't want him to lose confidence. But I limited this to, say, 5 minutes twice a week because it was really hard for him, even though he's really bright in other respects.

Now they're doing the Oxford Reading Tree phonics books and we have to go over them with our DCs as homework. The most recent teacher comments in his homework book show that DS is not getting it. I was woken up the other night by his talking in his sleep about the letters while tracing letter shapes with his finger in the air over and over again.

These are the sort of anxiety dreams that if I had them over work I would think maybe I should be taking less of it home with me. I would never wish them on a 4yo. Should I be speaking to his teachers? Do any teachers out there think they have an alternative if this is the way the school do things ?

What did the teachers comment say? Surely they've barely started so it's too early to say he's not getting it?

Certainly speak to the teacher if you feel he's getting anxious. Having said that, my DD has been chuntering away with letter sounds and absent mindedly drawing the shapes in the air, admittedly not in her sleep. I just interpreted this as her going over things in her mind rather than an anxiety thing.

Does he seem upset in his dream and does he often talk in his sleep anyway? Does he wake refreshed? Is he otherwise happy? On one hand sleep is the brain's way of consolidatating information. Lack of sleep makes it very hard to learn and remember. If he is prone to talking/ acting out in his sleep anyway and he doesn't seem upset then maybe more is going in than anyone realises.

If he has never talked in his sleep before or if he is getting upset or seems frustrated because he is being told off then I would be more concerned. Two of mine talk in their sleep anyway, I would be much more concerned if dd1 (aka The Log) started talking in her sleep than if the other two did.

Taking my academic hat off, as a parent I have been stunned even within my own children at the range of reading ability and readiness to read. I would say that there was about 3-4 yrs difference in the readiness to read, and the greatest difference is between the two who went to the more academic preschool. Part of the timing is just them.

I would maybe check how long he is doing phonics with them each day, it is usually only 15-20 mins. If they are trying to do a lot of extra work then he might be anxious and maybe you need to go down a level at home. I would also try to keep the home stuff fun and light. Spotting letters at the shop, drawing in flour etc.

Laugh? If it was just the sleep chuntering I'd think it was rather sweet and have a giggle.
If he seems anxious or upset by the dreams or the school it's another thing.
What's worrying you about the phonics? Are his books too hard, and is it that they're too long or using phonics he hasn't covered yet?

One of mine used to sing songs she'd learnt at school in her sleep. She loved singing them, so it's not necessarily a sign of being over-stressed about them.

Personally I'd video him doing it as it sounds very sweet and the sort of thing to produce at his 18th