Any recs for books ahead of starting primary please?

[Waitrosesaysimessential]

My ds is starting primary in August, we are in Scotland. I am planning to get the jolly phonics cd. Is there anything else I could get to do a bit of gentle prep over the summer? I am not cruel, he is really keen on letters and numbers, and I learned everything in the older system, so need to learn myself :)

Thanks

Recommend The Cat in the Hat and all its accompanying stories. I learnt to read with them X years ago, and taught my DD with them. They're still amongst her favourite books.

I'd say avoid it, and concentrate on other things - he'll be learning to read at school, getting ahead by giving him a large vocabulary or the playground kudos of doing the monkey bars or the physical fitness to survive a day of school without getting tired will help a lot more than getting able to sound out c-a-t.

If they haven't been in a similar environment before then I'd suggest something like 'Topsy and Tim go to school' so she has some idea of what to expect.

Jolly phonics songs are on youtube, you may not need a cd. Though if they use them in school, maybe leave that till he gets there? You'll be fed up to the back teeth of "a-a-ants on your arm" by the end of the first term!

If you want a bit of phonics/number exposure over the summer, how about a bit of alphablocks or numberjacks (also on youtube, or alphablocks on the BBC website) or trying games like teach your monster to read.

If you do now or later want to get some actual reading books, julia donaldson's songbirds books are lovely. The book people often have sets of that and other phonics books. Or for storybooks about going to school, DD loves the Charlie and Lola "I'm too small for school".

For numbers the best prep is really playing games I think - dice games are good but lots of games involve some count of counting or recognising numbers.

My 4 year old loves Orchard Toys 'The Bus Stop Game' which is excellent for basic addition and subtraction and number recognition.

The Julia Donaldson Songbirds books are great for reception children

What other posters have said - lots of letters/books he likes
Biff, Chip and Kipper et al have their day and I'm sure developmentally they are v important but you don't wanna peak too soon with those ime. [[http://www.mumsnet.com/education/primary/starting-primary-school]]

Generally speaking, there is a lovely Haary and his bucket full of dinosaurs story about starting school.

Pocket phonics is a good app, especially if you pre-date the phonics system (like me).

We liked the Julia Donaldson songbirds books for early reading.

Definitely the songbirds collections- the first stage one is called 'Top Cat' and is a good start!