Anyone else with a child who scored low in the phonics screening.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Was it expected

What support is being offered

What can we do at home

Was this the first you heard of any problems ?

About what? The fact that the homework is longer than he can concentrate for or the fact he can't write?
She's aware of both of those things... she knows (see my next post) that we are concentrating on reading, and motor skills (they asked us to). If it takes too long I just write that it took too long.

Depressingly we got someone else's homework back as well by accident this week. Beautifully written numbers, in a higher phonics band (well that is OK as in theory the phonics homework was at his level which is what you want) but had written an actual sentence that you could actually read.

I have on occasion just written "this is too hard for minigiles

And nothing was said I do think itsba joke sending home stuff they can't even read the instructions for.

Couple that with the fact the pages in the book aren't even lined and of course it's all going to look like you let Ants walk all over it.

Given the books don't seen to be changed for days at a time and there's little evidence they are heard to read. Maybe once every 10 days or so

That the homework is too long.

That the homework is too long.

Yes we do.
I suspect to be honest that, given that everyone gets the same Talking and Number homework, they are giving it to help us (parents) engage/know what they are doing. As that's the case, it doesn't much matter that it's too long/hard - if we've done what we can, we now know where they are up to.

Giles for us it's the fact he can't write the answers that he knows. We are not at the stage where he has to read the instructions, though I think he'll get there at a reasonable pace - it's the fact that he can tell you the missing numbers but can't write them.

cant the school uses ORT some seem inline with phonics others not so much.

She's not said she's told to look at the pictures but she does do alot of guessing from the first letter.

I also have an older dd at the same school who learnt really quickly to read and the sight words sent home weren't a problem she wasn't confused.

My ds failed his test the first time, passed it the second and within a year was in the top sets for all subjects.
My dd passed the test first time but has recently been marked as below age expected in spelling.
Just shows how pointless these tests are - they are testing one thing at one particular time in that child's education. Within weeks their ability can change. If you or the teachers have concerns anyway, then look into what you can do to help them improve. Otherwise try to ignore these ridiculous tests and keep school fun.

Giles, it does sound as if your older DD was one of the lucky 80% who learned to read even with somewhat mixed methods, but your younger one is one of those who is getting the same mixed messages but isn't getting there - and that the school is teaching mixed methods rather than focusing on excellent phonics teaching.

CAN she sound out all through the word (sound out and blend) if you make her? Are there sounds or ways of writing them that she very obviously 'doesn't know'?

My DS failed them. They gave extra help to the few who did. A year later he is now in front. They told me not to worry as some kids just take longer to grasp them.

She cab sound them ok. She sometimes needs prompting to sound out pairs/groups of letters as opposed to individual ones but she can. But she definateky learns the words better by sight

Some children do not pass as they are good readers and make all the words 'real words'

That's a myth trotted out by schools who don't teach phonics properly. Good readers are exactly that - they can decode words very well. They don't try to turn words they don't know into ones they do.

Good readers don't fail the check but good guessers do

I think that the test is partly there to incentivise schools to take a properly phonics-based approach to reading. There is a difference in results from those schools that do genuinely teach phonics and those that think they do but then actually give mixed messages.

My DD has been given practice assessments from late in the reception year, though I don't know if this is done with all children at that point or just those ready to try them.

The alien words have pictures of aliens next to them, so shouldn't be that confusing. And children at that age should be fairly used to reading words that are new to them as their vocabulary still has a long way to go to reach a complete adult level. If they guess words regularly in reading then acquiring new vocabulary will be problematic.

DS is one of the top readers in his reception class and just been checked with this and his HFWs and did well so it is false that good readers can't pass.

"I'm not willing to join in a culture of panicking about her not succeeding in the test culture we now have in schools." Chipped it's not a test it's a screening check to identify children at risk so that they can receive appropriate support to prevent future failure.

My DD (now year 6) was in the first cohort to take this test, she failed by a big margin and was subsequently found to be dyslexic. The school had been teaching mixed methods, they have really pulled their socks up regarding phonics now. So I'm glad it happened, both in terms of confirming DD really did have problems and the school improving their teaching. I'm awaiting her KS2 SATS results with interest.

My son failed the phonics test. He doesn't have any special needs. The test correlates more strongly with age than it does with reading ability. 81% pass overall in 2016 but an August born is twice as likely to fail as a September born. A third of august born children fail in fact. I'd look at the bigger picture of their reading and how they are learning their sounds before panicing.

My DD passed the phonics screen. They had done a lot of practising. I also think the test was misconducted.

So she received no additional support in phonics. She was diagnosed as dyslexic at the end of year 2 and cannot spell beyond Year R level now, towards the end of year 3.

I suppose my point is...any homework, boosters, extra support that is only to pass the screen is utterly useless and will fail more children like mine.

That's kinda what I'm worried about really. I mean they are they stepping it up because it's an issue now or is it just because if this test. Will they get her through it then back off again despite still needing help?

I think that's a reasonable concern Giles and worth asking if she will receive extra help if she just scrapes through.

She came out with stickers today so they obviously started something

I think I saw new books in her bag so I'll have a proper look tonight when I get home and make sure she's not had them befire as I raised that issue already that she has the books memorized well enough for it to mean she's guessing or speaking from memory rather than decoding.

When I left earlier she was going through some flash cards so I'll run through some myself at the weekend just so I can see for myself where she Is. Not going mad though because if this is all for the test then I don't want her scraping through and not getting the help.

The writing they can deal with

My DD failed the test, she was in the first cohort to do it and is now yr 6 & has sat her SATS this week. She is now a good average in everything and has really progressed in ks2, at end ks1 she was behind across all subjects. I've no idea why she was behind, she had no interest in learning until yr 4, really avoided school work and disliked it. Since yr 4 she has completely altered her attitude & is keen and working hard. Perhaps she's just one of those kids who aren't ready to learn until they are older. She is a summer born if that means anything. Her reading is now fully fluent and she has great comprehension, so kids can alter as they grow up.

Yeah I'm hoping it clicks at some point. When it does she's going to be off she has such an imagination I can't wait to read the stories she writes when she finally can.

Trust her to be awkward though

Look up letters and sounds and phase 3 had lots of online games to help

You can print off the tricky words and look at the printable letters sounds

E.g. OA - boat coat etc and build up

Make them into a game - snap pairs treasure hunt etc

What's her co-hort like? Is she in a difficult class?

I have no idea what her class is like tbh.
They were taught by a series of substitute teachers for a few weeks which couldn't be helped so I guess it's possible there are a few gaps for others but I haven't seen her teacher approach anyone else so...

If your child deferred reception entry should they do the phonics screening in reception ie according to their chronological age rather than class? That's what I have been told by a Sen support teacher who is a friend.