A reading rant

[catkind]

Kids who blatantly can't decode on level 3 reading books. Why?? I do my best as a volunteer but it must be so dispiriting for them, spending a whole session struggling through 1 double page.

[mrz]

Learning words as wholes by memorising isn't an effective strategy (too many words in the English language to memorise them all) which is why having an effective method for reading unfamiliar words when met is very important.

[Thecatisatwat]

God Catkind, I feel exactly the same. I go into dd's school and listen to the YR children whose parents don't listen to them/who are struggling to read and I get so depressed and don't really feel I'm achieving anything. Some children still have picture books only so they're basically interpreting pictures for me (which I'm sure has its place but in the second term of the year? Really?) Others have story books which are in no way decodeable so I end up reading them and getting the children to point out the sounds that they know and asking questions about the story. Most only had their books changed a couple of times last term which I find appalling.

In fact I'm quite pissed off that the only decodeable books that I come across in the book bags are the Jolly Phonic ones that I donated to the school when dd left reception (I bought them myself because I was fed up of dd getting books that she couldn't decode). Even then they struggle because to read JP books they need to know all the initial sounds and the teacher is covering them so bloody slowly that the Y1 teacher is going to have a nightmare next year catching up. I don't blame the kids, it is entirely the teacher's fault. Apparently she was a brilliant KS2 teacher but she doesn't seem to have a clue about EYS. Thank goodness she wasn't the teacher when dd was in reception.

The other day I had a brilliant conversation with one boy about Christmas presents and how he loved dinosaurs, knew the names of them etc. and I would have loved to have done some phonic work with him using dinosaurs but I know I'm not there to teach and I'd be going beyond my remit really (although I know all the JP actions I think).

Reading is really important to me and it pisses me off that the teacher doesn't appear to feel the same. Next year I think I'll ask to go into a different class where I might be of more use.

[catkind]

Sounds like you have a far worse case there thecat :( Poor kids. Are they a state school? When was the last ofsted visit?? Perhaps you could do "can you find something beginning with b" with the picture books at least? Stealth phonics...
I have wondered about donating a bundle of phonics books. I guess it would take a huge amount to make a real difference though.

[Thecatisatwat]

To be fair the rest of the school seems really good - I'm really impressed with DD's Y4 teacher. The YR teacher just seems to believe that the children can learn everything (including phonics) via play. I'd love to know the Y1 phonics test results but I think only the Y1 parents get the results? Actually I feel really sorry for the Y1 teacher, she was really good when DD was in her class and it's a shame if bad results reflect badly on her (I've heard from various sources that she tears her hair out gets quite frustrated over many things when YR move up to her).

If your school doesn't have many phonic books I think they'd bite your hand off if you offered them anything, ours did when I donated them.

I don't know why the parents don't complain but since very few of them appear to listen to their children read (judging by the reading record books) and the number of newsletters etc. left in bookbags which clearly haven't been checked maybe they don't care?

I do do a bit of stealth phonics, get them to point out certain sounds on the back cover of the wordless picture books etc., not sure if it helps or not.

State school BTW.