Reading book in Reception

[HHH3]

Hoping someone can help as I'm confused...

DS2 started Reception 4 weeks ago. He's struggled from the beginning with his reading books and word cards. Partly because he can't blend and partly because there are always words with sounds in he hasn't learnt yet.

His latest book has things in it like 'The bulldozer comes on the big truck'. There are only 2 words in that that he can attempt to sound out and every page is the same. So I end up telling him the other words. I did put a note in his reading record but the same book came home with a comment in his reading record saying 'good effort'.

Is this normal? And if it is could someone explain the thinking behind it please? Because I'm struggling to understand how it helps DS.

If that’s what they want why use ancient reading scheme books rather than a high quality picture book?

My son's prep school used books like this. Bloody awful.

We've just moved him to a state school and guess what they have assessed that t he has large gaps in his phonics knowledge!!

I and beyond furious ms feel like they have caused him all sorts of problems.

He's in year 3 now.

I remember going in and querying the books on the basis they were decodeable. I was told to trust them.

My advice is don't be fobbed off and if they won't give you a phonics based book get your own.

Not an early years teacher but my DS has just started reception so for comparison: we've not had any books home yet and if we got one I'd just read it to him. He's only just starting to read letter sounds and do a tiny bit of blending. At a meeting this week the teachers said they don't start sending books home until the child is ready. He gets jolly phonics sounds sent home on a fan and we practise those. For reference he's very articulate and has no SNs but isn't reading yet at all, I've been letting him go at his own pace with his learning.

My dd has just started reception. The staff held a phonics workshop to explain their approach and teach the parents basic phonics. They are starting from the beginning and have done about half of the first 'set' of sounds so far. They will send reading books when the child is ready but may send books without words first - this is useful for comprehension as some children may be able to read but have no understanding of what's actually happening which is more important than being able to decode the words. I don't think they have started blending yet so won't be any time soon for an actual book!

“books without words first - this is useful for comprehension a” not as useful as reading a book to your child and talking about it with them, but it does make the publishers richer.

We've been getting proper story books sent home, I assume that they want parents to read them to their children. Dd can read basic words like cat and dog (since before she started), so I get her to read any words that I think she could work out