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Original poster

Old style Biff Kipper and Chip

71 replies

CharisInAlexandria · 23/10/2017 22:03

I have just been sent home the first reading book for my reception age child.

It’s old school Biff, Kipper and Chip and has sentences in it like

Chip wanted some sugar

My kid is just starting to blend cvc words.

Not sure how to deal with it really. Should I just ignore these books and dig out the phonics ones I used to teach my older children?

Or should I say something? I did try a few years ago the last time this happened with one of my older children but was brushed off.

Are there any articles that show that schools should be only using phonics based reading schemes? Or are they free to do as they wish?

OP posts:
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littlemisscomper · 23/10/2017 22:08

Is there sugar in the picture? Encourage your little one to use the picture to have a guess what a tricky word might be.

cupcake007 · 23/10/2017 22:12

Is it The Pancake? I hate that book. Ask them to change it.

Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 23/10/2017 22:20

Littlemiss he would need to guess every word in the sentence given that he doesn’t know Ch yet.

Or I could read the book to him and he could memorise it.

I don’t really think it’s the right way to teach him to read.

OP posts:
Valeriemalorie · 23/10/2017 22:23

If we got books like that I would just write in the reading record that we read it together and there were lots of tricky words like "sugar".

bearstrikesback · 23/10/2017 22:26

If a state school, then they should be using phonics and should not be encouraging the guessing of words from the illustrations.

Talk to the teacher and if you have access to a phonics scheme at home, then I would use that.

Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 23/10/2017 22:31

Does anyone know where it says they should use phonics books in state schools?

Perhaps I could print it out and put it in the reading journal.

On the other hand if I do that the teacher probably won’t like me very much.

OP posts:
Norestformrz · 24/10/2017 07:17

“Is there sugar in the picture? Encourage your little one to use the picture to have a guess what a tricky word might be.” Please don’t!

MiaowTheCat · 24/10/2017 07:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsKCastle · 24/10/2017 10:17

Don't encourage your child to guess! Read the book to him or just put it to one side and get the phonics books out. Talk to the teacher and express your surprise that he wasn't sent a phonics book and see what their reaction is.

SayNoToCarrots · 24/10/2017 10:20

My son had this in reception and now year one. We told his teacher he couldn't read the words if we covered the pictures and she said "Oh no, that's what the pictures are for , to help him guess" .

I don't want him to guess, I want him to read!

Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 24/10/2017 12:11

I will use my phonics books instead and leave a comment in the reading journal.

I think it is important.
It’s a shame though when you feel you have to do something different from the school.

They are teaching phonics just are still using these old reading books.

OP posts:
Feenie · 24/10/2017 12:58

They're teaching mixed methods.

It's not only a shame, it's likely to fail 20% of their children.

At least you can make sure your dc isn't one of them, OP. Sad

Milkandtwosugars · 24/10/2017 13:04

My DD has just started reception.
Her book is about pushing and pulling.
She can’t read it, but she tries and I read the words that she can’t (which is most of them).

When she had the Lilac books (Oxford tree), they wouldn’t have any words and she would need to explain what was happening in the book.

My DS is in year 1, so I know from him that they let them pick their own books from that colour band. Does your school do that?

Norestformrz · 24/10/2017 13:09

If they are doing that only decodable books should be available. The National Curriculum states home reading books should match the child’s current phonics ability.

Milkandtwosugars · 24/10/2017 13:11

Also my school says that any reading is good. So to read as often as we can, wherever we can.

So DS5 reads one bedtime story, me or DH read another and we ask DD4 to help with the one we’re reading - so the easier words like “and” “Mum” “dad”.

We read the school books together when we get home from school. Which is when we do all the homework.

Doing it like that has helped DS massively, he really enjoys reading. He is now starting the year 2 work because he can do everything they’d teach in year 1. (He has the same teacher as last year, so knows what he can do).
I’m hoping it helps DD in the same way.

Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 24/10/2017 13:13

I know, I had to do the same with my older two. I was hoping in might have changed.

They don’t teach spelling using phonics either just send home lists of unconnected words to memorise and phonics teaching seems to tail after year 1.

My oldest learnt to spell ok using the school’s method. But my middle son finished year 2 unable to spell at all. I have ended up with a tutor who works with dyslexic children coming once a week to teach him to spell using her own phonics based program. It’s working but it’s expensive and it’s not anything he couldn’t have done at school.

Does any one know how I should teach my youngest to spell to avoid the same problem?

I did songbirds, floppy phonics and traditional tales with my middle son and he learned to read just fine but not to spell.

OP posts:
Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 24/10/2017 13:18

Norestformrz do you know where it is actually written down that they should use books that the child can decode?

Then maybe I could print it out as they aren’t an academy so should follow the national curriculum.

OP posts:
Norestformrz · 24/10/2017 13:26

It’s in the English programme of study statutory requirements

Old style Biff Kipper and Chip
Original poster
CharisInAlexandria · 24/10/2017 13:31

Thanks I will look that up

OP posts:
bearstrikesback · 24/10/2017 13:36

The jolly phonics app is also really good and has spelling games that follow the phonics phases - so starts off with satnip and progresses from there.

CoffeeBreakIn5 · 24/10/2017 21:04

My DS has just started reception and his class are being taught phonics and are using the Biff, Kipper and Chip books. He's learning the tricky words, once he's learned 20 he'll get a book to bring home which has no words, then when he's done more he'll start the books with words. These books can be and are used for phonics. He still brings a book home every day for us to read to him. He's doing fine and can already do most of the tricky words.

Feenie · 24/10/2017 21:57

These books can be and are used for phonics

It very much depends which strand, actually.

Floppy's Phonics - fine.
Decode and Develop - only 60% decodable, so only suitable for mixed methods.
'Core' ORT - designed for Look and Say.

He's learning the tricky words,

That's the core books. Your school is using mixed methods to teach reading and is not adhering to the statutory curriculum.

www.thereadingcentre.com/2014/08/19/should-key-words-be-taught-as-sight-words/

Feenie · 24/10/2017 22:00

Does any one know how I should teach my youngest to spell to avoid the same problem?

I think you answered your own question when you said your school tails off phonics teaching in Year 1! In schools where spelling is expicitly taught, the balance in Y2 changes slightly in favour of spelling using phonics and continues until the end of Y6.