P1 Reading

[ReadingHelp]

DD is in P1 (Scotland and towards younger end of year) and they use Read Write Inc. She picked up the speed sounds very well however oral blending seems to be trickier. We’ve focused on red words and memorising words. She’ll try blending but gets frustrated and “guesses” the words. I know she knows the individual sounds as if I cover parts of the words she’ll say the letters but then won’t sound out the full word even though she can say all component parts. Her teacher at parents evening said she was progressing well though needed to work on blending. However I’ve just read she suppose to be about 3 colours ahead of the Red ditty books she’s on. Is she massively behind?! The page I saw also said to not tell the parents!!! It wasn’t from our school but from a RWI fb group. Why would they say not to tell the parents? Surely if the parent was aware they could offer more home support?

What other books can I get her? I’ve seen Song Bird Phonics, Biff Chip series, and other sets for sale but unsure how they’d fit in with her learning via RWI.

What would anyone recommend and is she really that behind?

I'd try teach your monster to read tbh

Oh now is that a game app? I think I have that and she’s played a few times. I didn’t think it would be “enough”. Thanks

I teach reception in England. If she's able to recognise all the speed sounds I'd work on much more oral blending and segmenting, so building things into your everyday activities eg telling her it's time to get her c-oa-t and find her sh-oo-s etc. Use simple 3 sound words that she will be able to hear and blend the sounds. If she's struggling to orally blend, say the first sound louder and break the word into 2 sounds eg c-at, m-an. This will help her to internalise the sounds and once she can blend ask her to say the sounds.

Thank you. That seems a good way to get the blending up everyday life with c-oa-t etc as she does get upset (she’s a perfectionist!) when we sit to so and she doesn’t manage.

Reading is bloody hard with kids who can't read!! My 6 year old struggled until this year when it's just clicked.

Thanks grumpypug I’m hoping it clicks for dd too. I worry it’s going to hold her back in other ways eg she can’t read simple instructions on say maths work so can’t complete even though she’s capable of doing the actual work (worksheets given out during unsupervised time).

Is there a colour they should be on or is red still okay? I know they progress at own level really but just curious as well if performing lower than expected (so can help her).

I honestly wouldn't worry about book band colour. Get the blending sorted and recognising the tricky words.

When I give reading books out I explain to the parents I often jump between red / yellow book bands and not to focus on what level they are reading at.

Okay thanks she a bright kid I’m sure it will come together. I’ll focus on the red words and blending in everyday life as you suggested.

I remember my son struggling with blending at first; my mother gave him some help on a holiday visit. Once he'd got that things did indeed click and his reading was off like a rocket - so don't worry about her current level being a long-term issue, just work where she is at now and things will come.

What sort of help did your mother give your son? I will just work at where she is now and not worry too much.

To be honest I can't really remember, sorry - he's a teenager now :)

I'm sorry for your daughter, oral blending can be really difficult, but you've been given some really good ideas, like the practising in everyday life.

There are some 'very small steps' ways of getting blending going so if you don't get results from what you're doing you'd be welcome to pm me and I could talk you through it.

The other thing I'd be doing would be reading lots of the usual children's books with her - i.e. books not focused on phonics. You start reading, she just joins in and takes over when she can read a bit, if she starts slowing up, you just start reading again etc. etc. You don't comment on her reading, you just enjoy reading together.

Children love re-reading the same favourite books, and if she decides she wants to do that it would be great and she'd just end up reading them by herself.

Ds spent all of P1 not blending - he got away with it because the little tyke darling was learning the books off by heart Despite 6 weeks 1:1 with the depute head in P2, we mutually agreed he just wasn't yet developmentally ready. It finally "clicked" about Easter of P2, when he was 6.5.

He was in the top set for English at secondary and is now doing a reading heavy degree course at Uni

My advice (which is what the school gave us) is to not make too big a thing of it so that your child isn't put off reading, and to find things that your dd is interested in.

In ds' case, it was wanting to read for himself the results of the football team he supported. And he also enjoyed "Captain Underpants" and "Super Daiper Baby" books, progressing on to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid".