Learning Phonics in Reception

[whenevilgotstuckupthechimney]

DD (YR) has a "phonics" book in which all the jolly phonics symbols are stuck (one letter per page). She is expected to learn 2 phonics per week; this is the action, the sound and be able to read and write the letter. While we try and do phonics work every day after school, she really has no idea and thinks it is all some sort of game!! She has now (in theory!)gone through the whole alphabet and is doing sounds with 2 letters together,like "ai" for example. I think it is a bit much to expect her to learn 2 letters together when she's yet to grasp the concept of 1 at a time! What stage are other reception children at?! And how do you go about learning phonics with your child?
Btw, her lack of progress doesn't worry me at all, I think 4 is much too young to be worrying about recognising the whole alphabet. She can read and write her name and that's good enough for me at the mo!!! I'm just wondering what other people think of the whole phonics caboodle!!!

I was wary of phonics to be honest but it does work and at the end of the day they all go into primary 2 with the ability to read and write. Thats all I can tell you though

yes dd1 also in reception does phonics...but I don't have a bloomin clue...its all welsh here!
I wouldn't worry too much, they all get there in their own way/time.

thanks guys - i was worried that i wasn't worried iyswim!! how anyone learns to read is beyond me....!!!

I started doing Jolly Phonics with dd when she was 3 although it didn't start to click until she was 4. She is now in reception class and I am convinced it has given her a head start.

It doesn;t matter if she thinks the sounds and actions are a game, that is the whole point to aid memory and connection between the written symbol and the sound.

I bought the DVD (well video I am behind the times) and I feel this really helped her to grasp it. School don't do JP so I also do the workbooks with her.

if she thinks it's all a game then that's good i'd have thought

DD has done jolly phonics this term. Single letters are fine, but the blends are still confusing her a little. On the other hand, she can read, and if she gets stuck on a word, can use the phonics to sound them out easily.

Everyday for 5 minutes go thorugh all the sounds and actions. You could also play I-spy and look for the sounds when reading to her. The key is little and often and try not to do it when she is tired (as I do!)

Does she actually understand why she is learning the sounds? Application is essential for full understanding - do you do blending games with her and read simple words / books too?

My ds taught himself at 2 / 3 but the concept of blending did take a little time to stick.

ds1 is 5 and just finishing his first term in reception and is nowhere near coping with two letters together! I don't think his school uses the jolly phonics method, but I was really pleased when just this week he finally saw the light with the letter table - each week they have to bring in something which begins with a different letter. This week it's a T and something just clicked and he started naming lots of things beginning with a T - previously it wouldn't matter what the letter was, he just didn't get that things had to start with that sound.

So, I suppose it takes different children different lengths of time - I doubt whether ds1 will be reading much by the end of this school year, but I might be wrong - it might all start falling into place!

thanks all - when i say she thinks it is a game tho, unfortunately i mean that she thinks that we are just "playing" schools ie
"now what is that sound dd?"
"(does completely different sound)it is that sound and i know because i am the teacher!!"
Christmas - she has no idea that she is learning aynthing at all iyswim! she has been read to from a very early age and loves to play at "reading and writing" but isn't at all interested in doing it "properly!"

ds1 started on the jolly phonics at nursery, and has been doing something similar to your dd since Sept. I really struggle with them, especially as he's now putting words together. At home I'll try and ask him to read a simple word when we're reading his bedtime story, but he says he can't do it, so I leave it. However, I have found out that he can do it. He was in the special assembly at school for reading words, and I went in a couple of weeks ago to watch him working and he was putting words together, and spelling out words by listening. Now I've seen what he does at school, and it is so much more than he does at home, although, I still leave him to it at home as he doesn't want to and I don' want to make him not like doing it. Your dd may be the same, so I'd stick with the not worrying for now, at the end of the day, as you say, she is only 4.

We have a similar system where words are sent back to be learned, and when the child can recognise them three days on the trot they can be put back in the envelope and sent back to school, and they send the next lot of words.

My ds is not there yet at all with recognising the alphabet, does recognise some but not all letters; what I do is go over it for three days on the trot then send it back to school whether he recognises them or not. I think it's more important at this stage to have him interested, rather than bored and stuck with the same old stuff for days and days on end. I don't want to switch him off from school before he's even really settled in!

I would say don't worry, do it but basically don't worry whether she's taking it in or not; it's just about readiness.

thanks for that everyone - very reassuring!

I have found that my dcs are too tired for homework after school. We do it at breakfast time when they are fresh and can concentrate. Oh and one more thing - repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition (boring to Mummy, but strangely less so to small people) so if you have a quick recap on the ones they do know then they feel successful and can try a new one.