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Primary education

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Original poster

Reading; in reception, can't blend

65 replies

superzero · 28/10/2015 19:04

DS2 started reception in September. He can correctly sound out most of the letters and enjoys writing them but when it comes to blending has no idea.Seems not to be able to work out that man ends with "N", map ends with "P" etc etc. His vocabulary is good but his speech and pronunciation is slightly babyish for a 4 year old. I have an older child who had no such problems and just "got " reading and phonics straight away so I suppose my expectations were high. Can anyone reassure me whether this is normal and whether there is anything fun that I can do to help him without making it an issue?

OP posts:
Passthecake30 · 05/11/2015 06:41

My son couldn't blend until around February in reception when he had a "lighbulb moment", the teacher said that that is the way for some, it was very frustrating at the time as he knew all the sounds, but hang in there. ..

beela · 05/11/2015 06:46

He's only just started! Why don't you talk to the teacher if you are worried?

eleven59 · 05/11/2015 07:06

mrz I think you're being a little pedantic. I gave a reply to the OP's post relevant to the age of her DS now.

TeenAndTween · 05/11/2015 09:35

T-h-a-n-k y-o-u

Shouldn't that be th-a-nk y-ou ? Wink

ChipInTheSugar · 05/11/2015 09:46

I second just 'fun'-practice with AlphaBlocks and the Hairy Letters ap. Comparing your DCs' abilities is a waste of time.

My DS(7) has only just 'clicked' with reading in Yr 2 - he knew letter sounds etc previously but it's only just become fluent and can pretty much read anything he sees now.

mrz · 05/11/2015 16:53

No eleven I'm the parent of a child who was constantly told "he's only young, he's a boy, he's a summer birthday ....etc etc etc they are empty platitudes and IMHO dangerous!

eleven59 · 05/11/2015 19:15

Mrz, were you told all that during the first 8 weeks of school? Or did it, by any chance, go on longer than that?

I answered the OP based on the age of her child. If she was asking about a year 2 or 3 child my reply would have been different.

mrz · 05/11/2015 19:18

I was told it in the first week of reception when he was still on half days

mrz · 05/11/2015 19:19

And I was still being told it in year 3 and in year 5 ...

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 05/11/2015 19:29

Sorry to be hazy but at the start of term during a curriculum meeting a teacher did mention that problems with hearing letters could be due to glue ear - but I had a wriggly baby on my lap so didn't quite catch what everyone said!

mrz · 05/11/2015 19:32

Glue ear is a very common problem for children around this age. It's definitely worth investigating.

eleven59 · 05/11/2015 19:34

That's my point. I was talking about a reception child, eight weeks at school and for him it will probably click. If the op was talking about a year 2 or upwards child, I would've answered differently.

Sorry to hear your child struggled, but for most it does click. And at this stage its not helpful to the OP to worry her with what might happen when most probably won't.

mrz · 05/11/2015 19:55

And I was talking about a reception child one week into school ... The problem was there but people kept saying it's too early to worry he's young he's a summer born boy ...

d270r0 · 05/11/2015 19:57

There are some great free apps you can get (Android, at least, don't know about apple) if you just search phonics etc. There awas a nice one where a turtle walked across letters sounding it out as he went. Sorry, I don't remember what it was called.

eleven59 · 05/11/2015 20:02

And in reception he was too young to worry about it...

Djelibeyb · 05/11/2015 20:13

My DS is in year 1 and still struggles blending. He can sound etc but it's not "clicked" yet. Teacher said if it doesn't click by Christmas we will look into it further.

eleven59 · 05/11/2015 20:19

And that djeli sounds like good advice

PagesOfABook · 05/11/2015 23:39

The jolly phonics app was great for my DS

mrz · 06/11/2015 06:10

No he wasn't too young to worry about ...listening to platitudes just delayed his problems being identified.

OP I am in no way suggesting you should worry only that people should stop saying "it's too early"

dragonknight · 06/11/2015 11:14

I've a thread running on reception reading at the moment too. It is a minefield! DD seemed to just 'click' with phonics and finds it fun. Older sibling less so, although we seemed to go from very haphazard sounding out of words to being able to just 'do' it. No idea why, but some gentle blending activities might have helped by sounding out carefully labels on jars (j-a-m), signs (st-o-p) etc. Made it seem more fun and less like work perhaps?

Do reception children still get their hearing tested at school? I seem to remember it happening a few years back, but it might be reassuring to know that all is well (or good to know if it isn't)

eleven59 · 06/11/2015 17:11

If you were certain that your child had a problem other than not being ready, then by all means fight, in reception, in year 3 or 5. For the OP its too early to start worrying.

mrz · 06/11/2015 17:14

But there were irresponsible people like you telling me not to worry because he was just four!

mrz · 06/11/2015 17:17

Dragon knight yes they get a very basic hearing test personally I would ask for referral if you have concerns. Our audiologist says with changes she's now passing children who would have failed significantly in the past.

eleven59 · 06/11/2015 17:23

I am not irresponsible. At four, its a fair assumption. If you listened to and accepted those platitudes in Year 3 or 5 then that is a different matter entirely.

What exactly would your advice to the OP be?

mrz · 06/11/2015 17:55

extrenely irresponsible