Reading in Yr 1 - muddling sounds

[Anna85]

My DS is in year 1 and has HFA and ADHD.

He is a little behind with his reading and currently on Stage 1+ of Oxford Tree Reading Books.

He continues to get some sounds mixed up like b,p,q etc.

Is this still quite common at this stage?

Is it sounds he's muddling up or just getting the very similar shaped letters muddled up? b, d and p, q are very commonly mixed up by NT children in Y1 and even older. Not to say that you wouldn't want to improve it! I have used 'bed' to help with b and d, think of 'bed' as a picture of a bed, the stick of the b is the head of the bed and the stick of the d is the foot. Or bat before the ball for b.

He is still on single sounds...so when sounding THE out...he would go T H E instead of TH E...if that makes sense!

Just wondering when you get to a stage you would be concerned?

Dyslexia is another thing that is often co-morbid with HFA and ADHD.

Whether or not to be concerned depends on why you think he's struggling.

Has he been taught all the sounds lots and lots and can't get them? Is this because he isn't concentrating? Or because he can't get them?

Mixing up b, d etc is very common. But why is he still on single letters after a whole year at school? Is it because school struggle with him?

It's really hard at this age to say what's 'normal' and what isn't. And his HFA and ADHD will make it harder for him to learn in the classroom environment.

But basically, no matter why he struggles to learn to read, the school answer is the same. Lots and lots of phonics.

They have sent a note home today saying that he is still getting some of the sounds mixed up etc and we can discuss it at Parents Evening Next week.

He will sit there and do reading occasionally (he could do more) but he still doesn't recognise simple words like it, the, as etc!

I would have expected him to be learning all the phonemes, including digraphs like ch, sh, th etc and ee, ea, ie, etc by Y1, but quite possibly still getting some wrong. If you are concerned, (and you must be to post here) I'd discuss it with his teacher and see where he should be and what you can practise at home.

We do lots of practice at home!! :-)

Sorry, cross posted! If he knows the phonemes i and t, does he try blending them i t, i t, it?

No when he sounds out that he would actually saying the letter i....then the sound t...if that makes sense?

So he's saying 'aye' instead of 'i'?

yes actually saying the letter instead of the sound!

That's a shame. He doesn't need to know the letter name at this point, that would be confusing. Though for I it's a word as well, I suppose. Can he blend any other simple phonemes? (Phoneme is just a posh name for the letter and digraph sounds.)

For the past 2 years I have helped out with reading at ds1's school (reception and now Y1). Based on that experience I would say that it is very common to muddle up sounds - a few of the weaker readers in Y1 still have half a dozen or so they mix up.

As an aside, I started learning Russian in September so am coming to terms with the Russian alphabet. And I am still mixing up various letters, as are the other adults in my class. Don't underestimate how difficult it is (learning to attach a sound to a letter), in any language.

Sorry, misread - I thought he was in reception . So for a Y1 child it is by no means unheard of (esp. mixing up letter sound with letter name) but yes maybe mention it to the teacher, who hopefully will be able to reassure you.

Going to shut up now.