5 year old (61 months so just 5) and name writing

[Bazingabong]

My 5 year old has a (double barrel) long but phonetically simple name and she is not yet able to write more than 4 of the letters.

She also can't do simple games like I spy or carry on a rhyme. She isn't yet blending simple CVC words and doesn't know all of the phase 2 sounds yet. She can write even less than those she can recognise.

School say not to worry but I can't help but see all the other kids able to do these things? Should I be worried

I wouldn't worry too much, but as a precaution because many of those skills require her to be able to distinguish between sounds, I would ask your gp for a referral to audiology for a hearing test. It is very easy for a small child to develop mild hearing loss due to the ears not being able to drain infections properly (it's a developmental thing, their inner ear canal isn't mature until about 7 is what I was told). Even slight hearing loss can make a difference in a busy classroom.

RE her name I would buy a pack of those magnetic letters (make sure there are enough upper and lower case to spell out her name) then use them to spell out her name. Trace over the letters with her "writing" finger as she sounds them out. . When she can independently spell out her name using the letters then use them to help her to remember the sequence of writing .Encourage her to write her name, starting with the letters she knows then adding on an extra one as she progresses. I would cover the next letter with my hand, ask her if she remembers it, if she does the she can write it, if not she can have a quick peep before you cover it and ask her again.

She probably just needs more time and practice. Yes to getting her hearing tested and play games, watch educational kids programmes (team umizoomi was a fave here).

Possible that you are overthinking it and anxious, to still be using months to count her age seems a bit much at 5 years old

I would say yes it's a bit behind average but not cause for concern at the moment. Does she know her alphabet? Can she identify the first letter in words she hears? Can she break up a word e.g. cat = c-a-t? Those would be good starting points.

I would second the hearing test - mainly because it's really the only thing you can do at this stage. Lots of kids are slower starters with reading and suddenly catch up. Even at the beginning of Y1 there'll be kids who struggle to recognise letters up to those who can read fluently to themselves. It tends to even out over the next few years.

She has had multiple hearing tests because she is under SALT because she has multiple phonological errors when speaking.

She can't orally identify the initial sounds at the start of words or break up the sounds in words

I should add as well that I never usually use months. That stopped at about 1.5 I just know developmentally just 5 is vastly different to nearly 6

You are right that just 5 is very different to nearly 6. Given that she's under SALT already, it's not a complete surprise that she's not taken off in reading yet.

The important word is definitely yet. I know it's hard but try not to wory and not to compare.

Does she recognise her name? Show interest in things with her name on? What about gross motor skills (climbing trees, monkey bars, riding a bike?)

She recognises her name and the letters she writes for her name are written from memory.

She can ride a bike although can't peddle, steer and look where she is going at the same time yet. But then she barely looks where she is going when walking either! She won't do things like climbing trees, she hates her feet not being secure