DS finding phonics hard- please help

[RayRayGreen]

DS is 6 and he's in P2 in Scotland.

He knows most of his sounds, although he finds ones like oa and ie hard. I think there's an element of panicking or guessing when he tries to read and write, because he just blurts out the first sound he can think of when he sees a word. He hates writing but is slightly better at choosing the right letter.

TBH I had concerns last year but his teacher was quite airy fairy and I did feel dismissed. His new teacher is very on the ball and asked me to come in during the week for a chat. She is very strict and I think he's finding the transition between the two approaches a bit difficult too.

I am going to get his eyes and ears checked, but most of her other suggestions we already do (she suggested board games & Lego sets etc which he really has concentrate on, as well as reading frequently).

Are you happy for him to use a tablet? If so download Usborne's 'Teach Your Monster To Read' game. It costs £5 but is well worth it.

Allowing him to explore this at his own pace will help build his confidence, it's quite repetitive and starts right at the beginning with satp sounds.

Are you saying he knows the sounds, but can't blend?
Or that when given a word he can't break it into the separate sounds?
Or that he just randomly says anything?

Can he read simple words like 'sit' or 'pat' ?

Does the school send home phonics reading books at the level he can do, or books that just encourage guessing?

If you say the sounds, can he blend them? (It turns out my DD2 has aural processing issues and she finds it hard to remember the sounds she has done out loud, but finds it easier if someone else says them.)

(Asking questions as I am thinking that if you can identify where the blocker is you will be more able to help.)