DD in Reception - I have no idea if she is learning to read or not!

[nikki1978]

I have been locking through some threads on here and noticed talk about reading levels (is it OTR?). I met with DD's teacher last term for parents evening and she gave me the info on how they were learning letters for writing (pictures like round the apple and down the leaf for a) and bouncing or stretching letters for reading (bounce a-a-a for example). We were also told to choose a book to read with them each morning at drop off. But there seems to be no reading scheme as such. At her age I had a little box with word cards to learn which related to a book I was given to read at home.

I think I will have to try and get an appt with her teacher as DD can't read anything at the moment except for words she knows how to write off by heart which are just the names of our family.

As I work several days I tend to drop her and rush off so don't get much opportunity to talk to her teacher. Feel like I am missing out on something but nothing has been mentioned...

Is this normal?

NIkki - ds is in reception. We have a 'reading folder' which has groups of words to practise and also his reading book and a book to write in once he has read it to us. His book gets changed when we have read it. I have also been shown where the 'free reading' books are that I can just go and borrow for him when we've read his book but it hasn't been changed. I don't know whether this is particularly advanced, as most of the children (inc ds) have moved up from the attached nursery where they did most of the letter sounds, and revision of sounds at the beginning of the year was quite quick I think. If you're concerned, perhaps ask the teacher whether you can come in for a quick chat after school?

Lots of schools don't have a reading scheme. Our school bands books in colours - the children start off on one colour and work their way up. The books are graded by the teachers with a colour sticker but they can be all sorts of books - fiction, non-fiction etc.

The most important thing at the moment is for you to read to your child every day if possible. Then start getting them to point out words they recognise.

If your child is younger in the year then it may take them longer to get started than older kids - we have had one at each end of the range but they both started reading at about the same age 5.25 yrs - for one that was in reception year but for the other she was in year 1 before she really got started.

Sounds like the school is using ruth miskin's scheme, do you go over Nobby and doen his net for 'n' and down the pirates plait then round his face for 'p'?

Its a good scheme, dd is doing it at preschool, i have the flashcards at home and she learnt the second half of the alphabet at home with me

She is great at 'decoding' (sounding out) word having learnt all the sounds using the bounce/stretching method.

The books are available on amazon etc. cheaper than the site i nlinked to, but this site gives more info and explanations so you can read through.

Ahh thank you little duck! That is exactly what they are doing

I will definitely speak to the teacher though as DD is 5 years and 5 months now so should really be ahead of where she is IMO - not that I am an expert of course

Possibly....my dd is younger and can read some c-v-c words

HOWEVER this programme especially places alot of emphasis on getting the basics right (i think this is becoming a trend in most primary schools) before moving on to prevent kids leaving schools unable to read.

So i wouldnt necessrily worry because a solid foundation has got to be a good thing.

I would recommend getting the flashcards/wall poster thing or asking the teacher to photocopy one of her resources so that you know the picture for each letter, it makes it much easier for my dd if she has forgotton how to write a letter if i can say Nobby/Maisy mountain/worm/vulture as then she can picture it in her mind. Before that i would try and describe the shape which was confusing for her