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Original poster

Am I right in thinking a school should have a phonics based reading scheme?

190 replies

Namechangenurseryconcerns · 20/10/2016 09:22

Parents evening last night-ds (reception) doing well. Can blend cvc and read simple sentences. Tentatively asked when we might get a reading book alongside/rather than phonics worksheets /'picture cards' to discuss and was told that they don't really have books that can be phonetically decoded.
They have banded books-dreaded ORT, ginn etc but these aren't decodable to those in the first phases of phonics.
This is poor right? We have the songbirds books at home and will continue reading these ( teacher was happy with this) but what about the rest of the children?
Could someone in the know link me some requirements so I can make a polite fuss /help them with funding if necessary?

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Slightlyperturbedowlagain · 23/10/2016 13:07

Both my DCs brought 'Look' home as their first book. DC2 made me laugh by indignantly saying 'look at what???'
Whatever the scheme (we have a mix in the school my DCs attend as they have been added to gradually) most of the books are, IMHO, boring for the children, especially once they can read the essentials. We do school reading as a chore and then read interesting stuff from the library. Luckily ours is still open, though with much reduced hours and book stock. If I have to hear about that bloody magic key one more time....

CruCru · 23/10/2016 15:03

Not all the words in the Ladybird RIY books are decodable - but lots of them are. I get my son to have a go at some of the word and if he doesn't get it right away, that is okay. Last week he started recognising "the", which is not phonetic but is used very frequently.

mrz · 23/10/2016 15:09

Congratulations TeacherBob that's 15 more laptops and three and a half more TAs than we have in the whole school (only IPads are ones staff have paid for themselves. But we do have books, lots and lots of appropriate books.

mrz · 23/10/2016 16:13

CruCru the is phonetic ...its just he may not recognise the spellings that represent the sounds which is why they need to be taught.

Personally I'd wait until children have the skills before asking them To read independently but that doesn't mean they can't share them with a supportive adult.

ladygracie · 23/10/2016 17:11

Mrz - how do your school deliver computing lessons?
Our school (an independent) has not updated their books for years. We don't have Ginn but we do have new way which are just awful. Very frustrating.

mrz · 23/10/2016 17:20

We have a computer suite

TeacherBob · 23/10/2016 17:24

Congratulations TeacherBob that's 15 more laptops than we have in the whole school

We have a computer suite

DanyellasDonkey · 23/10/2016 17:26

At another school I was at, the PTA raised £1500 and wanted to buy 5 Dell laptops which would have been one per class. The LA said they couldn't as everything had to be sourced through them and they already had a contract with an IT supplier. Their laptops cost £750 each so the school could only buy 2.

So even a PTA that is willing to spend its money on what the school wants, can't get it. Sad

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/10/2016 17:31

I know this isn't a solution to the issue of inappropriate books, but it may help someone (either parent or teacher)

www.speld-sa.org.au/services/phonic-books.html

If nothing else it might top up the texts schools have available to use in phonics lessons or group reading.

mrz · 23/10/2016 17:39

Congratulations TeacherBob that's 15 more laptops than we have in the whole school

We have a computer suite without a single laptop

And we have lots and lots of suitable books

TeacherBob · 23/10/2016 17:48

Our laptops are our computer suite.

I am assuming your computer suite isnt just an empty room and you are infact, just trying to be a smug git?

mrz · 23/10/2016 17:49

I'll leave that up to you as you do it so well

user789653241 · 23/10/2016 17:53

My ds' school's computer suite doesn't have laptops, they have desk top computers.

mrz · 23/10/2016 17:54

As does ours Irvine

TeacherBob · 23/10/2016 18:00

As well we can work out.

Which means you giving it all the 'well you have 15 more laptops than us' is just you trying to look clever, knowing you have a computer suite full of computers.

Laptops and computers are pretty much the same thing.

Can't believe I let you troll me into replying back on this thread.

Feenie · 23/10/2016 18:16

Yep, ours too.

Feenie · 23/10/2016 18:18

Troll? Hmm

I think you might want to check that definition.

mrz · 23/10/2016 18:27

If you investigate you will find that many large companies are happy to donate old hardware to schools ...I also recommend investigating grants from various charities freeing up the budget to buy suitable reading books.

mrz · 23/10/2016 18:29

I think you will find I asked about class sets of laptops not about ICT suites (one essential the other a luxury IMHO).

user789653241 · 23/10/2016 19:43

That reminded me of my native country.
All the books in my primary was stamped with name who donated them.
Class of XX, XYZ co., etc.
School/ PTA always ask for donation of prizes for school fair, competition etc. to the local companies. Maybe they can ask for donation of books instead. It's far better for school than one child winning Ipad for competition.
Also school should ask parents to donate unwanted/ not needed anymore books too. Until I've done it, I wasn't sure if they do appreciate then or not, and seen as a weird parent.

Bluebird23 · 24/10/2016 20:58

I'm surprised to read this.

My children attend a large primary school in a v deprived area. In comparison to the nearby faith school, it does lack classroom and portable IT resources and and the building in general is poor.

Having said that, both my Children (now year 4 & 2) have always brought phonic books home since starting reception. Songbirds, Rigby Star etc. Also, when the school identified some boy's weren't engaging well with reading, they invested in sets of Project X books. The school has an intake of 87 pupils' per year and every child brings home 2 books per week.

Due to the demographic of the school they tend not to fundraise from families as most can't afford to spare even a few pounds.

In your situation, I would feel a little upset about this. I hope your school can manage to invest in new books very soon.

mrz · 24/10/2016 21:04

The spelling can be the sound /z/ as, has, is, his, was, legs, busy, Joseph, absorb, music, nasal, misery, cosy, basil etc etc

mrz · 24/10/2016 21:09

Sorry wrong thread

CruCru · 25/10/2016 08:59

This has been an interesting thread. I've just ordered the ORT Songbirds books, which should be delivered today. I hadn't realised that Julia Donaldson wrote them.

TeacherBob · 26/10/2016 08:58

The national curriculum for English is very clear that every child should be given a book that closely matches their decoding level.

That may be true?
Isn't it true that academies are exempt from the national curriculum?
And isn't it true that the government is keen for schools to all become academies?

And from that, couldn't we infer that the government doesn't want schools to follow the national curriculum?