Sight Words and Reading

[IcelandicWarriors]

DD is in reception. She brings books home from the Ginn 360 scheme and sight words. They do phonics in class. DD doesn't always have her book changed each week or appears to read to the teacher every week. In addition she has been on the same sight word cards for six weeks apart from the addition of two new words.

DD can read the few sight words at home within a few days of receiving them.

Other children in her class appear to be on a higher level while she seems to be making not very much progress at school but is fine at home. It's like she has almost been missed out, or I'm not understanding their scheme.

We do have parents evening in two weeks so I will bring it up. I have been using Songbirds at home too and I'm wondering whether I'm confusing her? But she isn't showing any confusion at home.

Would you be worried?

Keeping a book for too long is totally pointless. For a start you want to slash your wrists out of boredom, but more importantly, my eldest when she was smaller could recite the book after a couple of reads, so dispensing with the actual reading. At the time, the avarice with which my school was dispensing books was driving me nuts (and I asked more then once to have it changed more often and not just every 1-2 weeks, but nothing).
Then we discovered the public library and everything changed ;) (why we didn't go before, who knows!!!)

Our reception children return their reading book to a box each morning and either the nursery nurse or the class teacher hear the child read and change the book. Obviously not every child reads every night but there is the opportunity to change books five times a week.

No word lists or Look and Say books however

Same here.

This thread is v depressing. So many schools completely ignoring best - or even good - practice.

It sounds like our school is doing the bare minimum.

I'll continue with Songbirds but feel disheartened.