Any early years (bilingual?) teachers about?

Lotti1982

The reason the school will be pushing the phonics so much is because with the new national curriculum framework 2014 it has become statuary (law) to teach all reading and writing with a phonic approach, the current government see it as the only approach which should be followed throughout primary.

notanewuser

Lotti1982 wrote: »

The reason the school will be pushing the phonics so much is because with the new national curriculum framework 2014 it has become statuary (law) to teach all reading and writing with a phonic approach, the current government see it as the only approach which should be followed throughout primary.

Education is devolved.

notanewuser

j.e.j. wrote: »

So at school she's learning mainly in a language you're not fluent in? And you're teaching her to read English at home. Sounds like a good idea, as it takes a long time to learn to read English fluently, due to all the silent letters and the regressive spelling system. Fwiw I think she will differentiate between English and Welsh. Bilingial kids tend to know which adult speaks what language, and they adapt quite naturally to it.

I was fluent (2nd language) about 20 years ago but haven't needed to use it since. Never really lost the understanding but just recovering confidence in using it now. DH has started learning Welsh (despite his Yorkshire accent!) too so it's all good. She's been exposed to it from birth, just not consistently at home. But she's lobing it and does differentiate between languages. "Can you get me that red pepper please?" "No mummy, red in Welsh is coch!"

clairec79

My kids go to Welsh medium school, my eldest sounds like your daughter and she got to about 5 or 6 and just started reading English chapter books - we'd never tried getting her to read in English at home so definately no phonics etc it just clicked for her. It was before she had any English lessons in school - she's now 14 and can pick up anything in either language and read it so I don't think it matters (the only thing she doesn't like is if for example she has history homework and she has to write in a different language than the source she read it in - I think that is laziness)

Janepig

clairec79 wrote: »

My kids go to Welsh medium school, my eldest sounds like your daughter and she got to about 5 or 6 and just started reading English chapter books - we'd never tried getting her to read in English at home so definately no phonics etc it just clicked for her. It was before she had any English lessons in school - she's now 14 and can pick up anything in either language and read it so I don't think it matters (the only thing she doesn't like is if for example she has history homework and she has to write in a different language than the source she read it in - I think that is laziness)

Same with my two, I never pushed it but they'd picked up English without my help at all by the time they left infants, I was amazed - they've never had a problem with Welsh because it's DH's first language so our home is fully bi-lingual and they switch from one to the other with ease. DS isn't particularly keen on reading, like alot of boys, but DS has loved reading and was reading English books like Jaqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, etc... from quite young.

Written English has been a little more problematic simply because they've got a tendency to write "Wenglish", it's quite funny, it's like a completely phonetic way of writing.

I managed to confuse DD's welsh teacher at her first parents evening in Secondary school afew weeks ago. DH was away and not able to come with me, and each teacher asks you what language you want to chat to them in, Welsh or English, so I was saying English. When I said this to the Welsh teacher she looked completely baffled and it took me a minute to realise why - turns out DD is one of, if not the best in the class for Welsh, heading for set 1 in year 8 according to the teacher. I explained to the teacher that DH speaks Welsh to her and DS at home and had indeed gone to the same school years ago, which solved the mystery of how DD was so good at Welsh when she thought she didn't get any Welsh at home.

Jx

TAFFYCLAIRE

My daughter is currently in year 2 in a welsh medium school, therefore has only just started to learn English. It is remarkable considering she has been taught only Welsh until now how quickly they pick up the English phonics etc. The programme they use in my daughter school is called 'Read, Write, Inc'. If you wanted to try something with your daughter, have a look at this programme.

Janepig

TAFFYCLAIRE wrote: »

My daughter is currently in year 2 in a welsh medium school, therefore has only just started to learn English. It is remarkable considering she has been taught only Welsh until now how quickly they pick up the English phonics etc. The programme they use in my daughter school is called 'Read, Write, Inc'. If you wanted to try something with your daughter, have a look at this programme.

DD used to do "Read, Write inc". I'm assuming the school still use the same system - DS doesn't tell me anything!

Jx

notanewuser

Phew. Feeling much relief reading of your experiences, ladies. Cymru am Byth!