can someone enlightenn me, reading in reception class

[myermay]

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I think you need to talk to the teacher to get her to explain the system. Sounds like he has books he is supposed to read to you and books for sharing, which you read to him. Tbh I never bothered with the sharing books as we read DS1's own books at bedtime and he just concentrated on the reading the reading scheme books to me.

With regard to the words, he probably hasn't had them changed because he hasn't been tested on them yet. Wither that or children seem to do well with these things at home and then forget them at school so the teacher doesn't think the child knows them. My DS is still doing that with his spellings. Doesn't need to practice them at all at home as he gets them all right first time. At school he always gets one wrong in the test and the teacher therefore won't accept that he is on the wrong level.

Do speak to the teacher though. Unless you are in there speaking to her every day she won't think you are being pushy at all.

Ours get one book that's supposed to be appropriate for their ability and another of their own choice to share. So the idea is that you read that one to/with them.

I introduced more difficult books to DS1 by reading most of it myself and asking him to have a go at a few sentences that contained some of his keywords or words that were simple to sound out.

Sounds like your DS is doing very well. I believe there are only 16 (could be 24) key words for them to learn in the whole reception year. My DS1 learnt them quickly, but DS2, who also started in Sept can just about remember "a"!

Ours did a parents evening - if you have one coming up could raise issues there otherwise I would speak to the teacher so you know what your supposed to be doing/aiming for.

Didnt have this problem with our as apart from the key words they did diddly squat in reception so we just did our own thing. Think they do pick up a lot from bedtime stories at that age,

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myermay, I don't think it is your job to teach him as such but to allow him to practice what he should have learnt at school. If the school is doing their job they will know when the child is ready to move on and try something harder.

Sometimes, though, schools need reminding. A couple of times, I have had to say to DS1's school that he is ready to move up a level on the reading scheme and they have checked it out and moved him up. If they do their reading with a TA or a helper then it might not happen as quickly as if the teacher would move them up.

Gosh I must be a really pushy parent!! My DD started in September, at first she bought home books without words then came the Kipper books that were clearly not supporting phonics. The teacher who is new was not keen to admit that they wéren't adequate so I wrote the head. A couple of weeks later we got shiny new books that were focused on phonic sounds and much more suitable. It sounds like you are in a similar position - speak to the teacher asap - it is not acceptable for a school to say they are teaching phonics - any scheme - and not have the supporting materials. Well imo that is.

As regards moving on and working up the levels also sounds like we are at the same stage as you although the school for some reason have chosen not to send or tell parents about the key words. I do the words myself with my DD and have lots of different reading books at home.

Gosh I must be a really pushy parent!! My DD started in September, at first she bought home books without words then came the Kipper books that were clearly not supporting phonics. The teacher who is new was not keen to admit that they wéren't adequate so I wrote the head. A couple of weeks later we got shiny new books that were focused on phonic sounds and much more suitable. It sounds like you are in a similar position - speak to the teacher asap - it is not acceptable for a school to say they are teaching phonics - any scheme - and not have the supporting materials. Well imo that is.

As regards moving on and working up the levels also sounds like we are at the same stage as you although the school for some reason have chosen not to send or tell parents about the key words. I do the words myself with my DD and have lots of different reading books at home.

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Don't worry about not teaching him "right" at home. There isn't a right way although if you are reading to him make sure you point to the words as you read them so he can see you doing it.
I have had several DC's through the learning to read stage over the last twenty years - each child was taught to read using different systems including look and say and different types of phonics, plus the Roger red-hat and the ORT. At the time we told that this is the right way - until the next method came along. BTW the look and say was the worst method.
On practical grounds you know the reading levels of one child - the teacher has thirty and even though it is her job to know, the levels for a child can change so quickly it is hard for her to keep up with them all and do everything else.

As a matter of interest we didn't get a full list of the key words until the summer holidays at the end of Yr R and I didn't even know their significance so we just ignored them over the summer hols. DS1 only had 23 key words at the end of YR R as a result.

Once I worked out their significance, at the beginning of Yr 1) we had done all 400 done by the Easter of Yr 1 but that was through practicising them daily. However, it worked well for us - not sure all children could cope with learning that way though as it was very dry but the advantage was he could see what he was aiming at and how he was improving. The teacher pushed him up through the levels of the ORT as we went along. He reads very very well now.

I would be worth asking for a list of the first 45 key words they are supposed to know in YR R (or however many your school has for Yr R - our school had 100 but I think 45 is the minimum). You have to do reading practice with the words in context too but learning those keywords makes all the difference.