Reception/phonics advice

[Bella1905]

I have been told by their teacher that my reception child is behind on their phonics/linking sounds. We do try and practice at home where possible but it doesn't seem to be enough. I was thinking of looking into getting a tutor to come and help perhaps once a week, even just in the short term so they can hopefully catch up a bit as I worry it might lead to them falling even more behind otherwise. Would anyone have any advice or have similar experience? Would a tutor be a good idea? Thanks

Try teach your monster to read app and watching alphablocks.

At this age they work best in 5 to 15 mins blocks so I can’t see how a tutor would work.

Do you have any concerns about her hearing?

You want to practice for 5-10 mins per day. Anything longer and you've lost them, so a tutor for 1 hour a week would be a complete waste of money. A Reception child is far too young to slog over something for an hour.

It's incredibly early days. There's plenty of time for them to 'click'. Keep plugging away and hopefully you notice a difference soon. Please don't be panicking at this early stage. As long as you are practicing daily, you're doing the best you can. Some children just take longer to get it than others.

Which scheme does your school use?

Thanks everyone. I just worry what I'm doing isn't enough. I've bought some writing and phonics puzzle books online etc and games. The school use ELS @BigSilly.

I would follow the teacher's lead on how to help DC, they shouldn't just be telling you they are behind without also giving ways that you/school should help support them to catch up.

Definitely speak to the teacher to get their advice on exactly how to practise at home. I usually advise my parents to start with orally practising sounds and blending e.g asking your child to get their ‘c-oa-t’ or find their ‘b-a-g’ which can really help their hearing of the sounds. Point words out in their favourite books/TV programs to help “see” different sounds in real life rather than as abstract sounds e.g. oh look Paw Patrol, what’s that sound at the start of Paw? If a child is struggling to put sounds together to make a word (blending) it often comes with time, repeated practise and exposure to the sounds. Please try not to worry too much 😊

Phonics Bloom is a great website.

I know people who use tutors at this age successfully. I could certainly engage a child constructively for half an hour through a range of different approaches.

Anything you can make into a game, do it.

It really does depend on what 'a bit behind means'.

DS1 was very very behind on his reading and phonics, however he did have a speech disorder and has since been diagnosed with dyslexia. He still finds reading and phonics exceptionally difficult but has 4 A' levels grade As and A*s and is studying for a maths degree.

DS2 was also 'behind' throughout reception and year 1. At some point in year 2 it just clicked. He went from being in the 'cause for concern' group to reading well above average in a couple of months. He was assessed at secondary school as having a reading age 2 years ahead of his chronological age.

Lots of work on discriminating sounds, hearing initial sounds in words, listening to and identifying rhyming words, working out words when you phonetically break them down for them, listening to you read to them, listening to auditory books, plus activities the school send home will help.

Blending sounds is a really difficult skills lots of exposure to it will help but make sure you are using the pure phonics sound (so 'b' not 'buh', 'mmm' not 'muh')

Some schools subscribe to phonics schemes which have specific resources for home. It might be worth asking.

All of this! If they're struggling with linking (usually called "blending") sounds, then they mostly need oral practice, not worksheets.

Let's get on the "b ... u ... s"
Look at the "d ... o ... g"