When did your reception child started merging words?

[Luna9]

My 5 year old DD started reception without knowing anything about phonics, numbers, etc. She knows all her phonics now; when we reads she decodes the words by the phonics sound but is still not merging them; if I ask her to spell cat, dog, mum, etc she does is correctly but I want her to start reading the words properly without sounding the phonics. How long it took for your child to merge the words?

Mine could do it more or less straight away, he only sounds out ocassionly. I think he is one of the better readers in the class tho

I wouldn't worry about a reception who blends out loud

None of my 3 did until year 1

Anywhere from start of reception to end of year 1 is normal and boho for to worry about.

Thank you; we will keep practicing and hopefully it will click; the teacher said she needs to start merging; I also know that she is behind compared to her peers who are reading higher levels so I am a bit concerned.

If you start reading later, it doesn't mean you're not going to be a good reader. It happens at different times for everyone.

As long as you can see progress against herself, one day she'll be reading fluently and you'll wonder how that happened.

(Or you'll pat yourself on the back and think, well, all that reading we did with and to her really worked )

Don't worry about it - she WILL get there eventually. Meanwhile, you could try my techniques from when I was a TA :

When reading harder books with a child, get him to point to words as he goes along. If he knows the word, or can sound it out, he can say it. If he doesn't know the word, he can hover his finger over it, and YOU say the word for him. Don't stop to analyse or discuss the word at this stage, but try and keep the 'flow' of reading going. Review difficulties at the end, if you wish to. This way, he has the satisfaction of reading more difficult books, without the fear of getting 'stuck' on words.

Thank you for the advice and opinions; we just keep practicing? I do feel she is making progress and learning which is the main thing. I also think that if you have good foundations for reading and maths you will do well in school, university, etc.

I wouldn't worry (easier said than done!). My DD2 (7) started year 2 on blue book band but now in year 3 according to her teacher she is ahead of where they would expect. We just practiced as much as possible at home and in school. I used to say I was worried she would start secondary school still on pink band

I spent all of P1 (Scotland) saying, "He's just learning the books off by heart, he's not blending".

School was relaxed about it as they said that some kids just aren't developmentally ready until they're 6. They gave him a lot of extra support at the beginning of P2 (6 weeks 1:1 with the depute head) before moving him to the middle group to maintain his confidence.

They were right. It was towards the end of P2, when he was over 6.5 before he finally "got" it.

He's now 15 and in the top set for English with a very demanding English teacher and doing well.

So I wouldn't worry in Reception. It's more important to keep him enjoying books and the process of reading or looking at pictures.