Synthetic Phonics?

NBirdy

Having read some threads recently where people gave great advice about young children learning to read, I'm hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction for synthetic phonics? That's the system my daughter's school use, and I'd like to use the same as the school. She's very keen to learn and I'd love to encourage her, but don't want to cause problems with what she'll be taught at school.

I found a lot of good resources but they were all Jolly Phonics orientated and now I'm getting myself in a muddle with it all. Ideally I'd like a beginner's (myself and my daughter lol!) sort of handbook to start with?

Many thanks in advance :beer:

dizziblonde

Jolly Phonics IS a synthetic phonics scheme. They vary somewhat in the order they introduce sounds in, and what they use to get kids to remember the sounds (and later on in how they approach alternative spellings of phonemes... like ay/ai/a_e) but they're all essentially doing the same thing.

For what it's worth - I like Jolly Phonics - the order it introduces sounds in means kids can start blending and segmenting (C-A-T=cat is blending... breaking cat down into C-A-T to read it, what my mum used to term "sounding out" is segmenting) straight away - which is why it goes in the SATIPN order for the first batch of letters - because those give you so many different words to play with and build.

The one that I really dislike is Letterland because the letter characters can confuse kids as they identify the character rather than the sound... Jolly Phonics doesn't have that - it does have actions that link with the sounds but they don't get in the way as much - they just make reception teachers everywhere look like utter plonkers (ee-or I'm looking at you)!

It could be that the school are just following Letters and Sounds which is the Govt guidance about the order to introduce phonemes (sounds... things like ch, sh as well as a, b, c are all phonemes... written down they're graphemes but that's getting stupidly technical) - but to be honest, there's no harm in using any of the commercial stuff to consolidate what's on offer - or just go to sites like Sparklebox and hammer your printer cartridges to the limit! (when I get my netbook next switched on I'll see what sites I've got bookmarked on there since I'm on my "fun" PC at the moment)

craftdaft

Speaking as a teacher the best thing you can do is just help your daughter with her homework and continue encouraging her. I'm always wary of parents who look for schemes as some try to push their kids too quickly (although I know not everyone does this).

Some things you could do are:
-discuss sounds learnt
-think of words with sound in them (at start/beginning/end)
-when out and about spot sounds/letters
-play any language games (ELC has a selection, we also have a fun junction shop locally which has excellent range)
-sound out words and see if daughter can work out word, eg. d o g makes dog
-spend time looking at different books with your child.
These suggestions are only worthwhile if your daughter is enjoying herself otherwise she'll be put off.

Listening and talking with your child are the most beneficial things you can do for her education.

Try speaking to your child's teacher who will have lots of suggestions that will tie in with what's being taught in class.

I realise most of what I've written you will already know but thought it was worthwhile pointing out - I hope I haven't offended, that wasn't my intention.:o

bylromarha

dizziblonde wrote: »

Jolly Phonics doesn't have that - it does have actions that link with the sounds but they don't get in the way as much - they just make reception teachers everywhere look like utter plonkers (ee-or I'm looking at you)!

Hey, who you calling a plonker?:rotfl:

It's not at all embarrassing in the classroom - more like down the pub and you're talking work alphabets with your policeman mate...

dizziblonde

Hah we had an introduction to phonics staff meeting for those further up the school (those colleagues who get terrified at the prospect of small people etc etc) to get a better idea of how we started off with reading and writing. The LEA advisor made the entire staffroom go fthrough the full repertoire of actions - me and my TA were rolling about the floor laughing at the year 6 team visibly wondering what the heck was going on!

craftdaft

Dizziblonde, that sound's great fun. I'm laughing at the thought of some teachers at my school doing that! Mix with alcohol and it could make interesting staff party entertainment...

NBirdy

Thanks everyone! I asked the school and they said they used to do Jolly Phonics but now they use Synthetic Phonics

Dizziblonde - I was fine with the Jolly Phonics things I looked at, so I'll be happy if I can use them Phonemes and graphemes make more sense to me in fact as that was what I based my dissertation on But that was a million years ago.

My DD will definitely respond to something where she can 'do it herself' early on!

craftdaft - of course no offence taken! We do read a lot, and she is pointing out the letter sounds that she knows, and asking what words say just about everywhere - road signs, supermarket shelves etc. She loves playing alphabet lotto, and also enjoys trying to copy things that I've written - no prompting from me at all, it's not always a good thing as she writes on whatever form I've just filled in etc!

She's the kind of child that if you catch her when she wants to do something, it's all very easy, but you absolutely need to let it be her idea and initiative, and at her pace. She's leading on this one and I just want to equip myself to help. At some point, even if she loses interest now (she is at preschool), I will need to know this stuff to be able to support her with homework etc, and I don't feel like I know the first thing about it.

I taught myself to read at 3 (with the help of watching older brother doing flashcards etc) and don't know much about the formal process so it's as much for me as for her I suppose?

P.S. Regarding website resources, I don't currently have a printer

skintbutsolvent

Gosh it sounds so complicated - dizzyblonde you cant be so dizzy to understand and explain all that! IF and its a HUGE IF I ever have children I really hope they are like me and just take to reading without being taught - by the time I was in nursery I was a fluent reader and used to be given a book to read to stop me answering all the questions in class!!