Key Stage 1 Phonics schemes

[starmum2000]

I wonder if the new scheme you're referring to is "Read, Write, Inc"? If so, it was new a few years ago and has worked really well in some schools - its particularly good for picking up older children who have gaps in their phonic knowledge.
It can be frustrating, I had a child who flew through KS1 without me really doing anything, and now I have one who's really struggling & I find I am picking up the pieces at home because school just isn't doing it for him.

[mystery]

Could be Read Write Inc - but sounds a bit different from Look, Say, Read ......... never heard of such a scheme. It might be another name for Janet and John or Peter and Jane?!!

Yep RWI is pretty good if carried out per the scheme instructions. But if it was being carried out via the scheme instructions you would know quite a bit about it as it should involve parents.

[yoyo123]

all I can find is "Look and Say" which is quite an old method. Covered in Letters and Sounds by the irregular spellingsor "tricky words" eg was, Mrs etc.. the children look at the words and decide why they are tricky. They learn them along side the other regular ones.

I hope you get some joy today with the Head


edited to add

realised that last sentence could be misconstrued!

[mystery]

Never had any joy with our head!

[ourmaminhavana]

Rather intimidatingly got the Head and the Deputy for a meeting this morning!! I think they must have felt a really big complaint coming on and in fact I just felt sad. I explained that I felt the school prides itself on its good relationship with parents and keeping them informed and I- a parent governor - didn't know anything!
In particular re the phonics, but also we always send out a curriculum sheet with the half term's work which we haven't this time and I don't even know what clubs we're running!
Sorry, it is Read, Write Inc. and parents will be invited to an information evening after half term. They are also changing the spellings to lower case
Most importantly for me, they are going to try and boost my DD's confidence with plenty of praise and work on helping her to feel happier at school.
Thanks to everyone for listening to me moan.

[fatbananas]

That is a brilliant outcome. And you're not just helping your DC but many others: the ideal parent governor.

[mystery]

Brilliant. It obviously pays being a parent governor. Last time I asked for some info on how to best support my child at home I got a meeting with the three senior people force upon me, but it was to tell me off for asking anything and try and convince me my child was a bit average.

I am about to go through a re-run with the next child I fear.

[mystery]

Forgot to say I have a lot of Read Write Inc materials at home and there are also some clues to it on the OUP website. My school uses bits of it. I bought bits for home use that would be useful as nothing came home and one child was in a phonics group that was a mile behind her reading for no particular reason.
Hope you continue to have better luck than me!!

One of my children did RWI for nearly a year before I knew she was doing it ....... really weird.

[ourmaminhavana]

That is a brilliant outcome. And you're not just helping your DC but many others: the ideal parent governor.

Aw thanks fatbananas ( I hate calling you that ), so why do I still feel stressed about having said it all? I hate to come across as a real grumbly and I'm sure that's how the Had sees me, especially as he had to draft in reinforcements!
Mystery I think there are advantages, but disadvantaged too in being a parent governor. It's very much emphasised, and quite understandably, that you mustn't base things on your own child's experience which on other occasions has stopped me speaking out, but inevitably usually that's mainly what you have to go on...
Will check out the website for this phonics scheme.

[mystery]

Yeah, I'd like to be a parent governor, but at a different school from my children!!

This tack is probably designed to keep you nice and quiet - after all what do you know, you only have one child or more going through the school but so what.

I would not want to be on the Governors as if I need to complain it would be so dreadfully embarrassing - but maybe if you are on the Governors things never get to the point where you do have to complain? Maybe they treat your concerns preferentially and leave you to feel like everyone else is being treated the same way?

Sorry feeling a bit negative again at the moment!! Hope the Read Write Inc is fun? As your daughter is in year 1 she should start part way through the scheme. There is a test in the phonics handbook which they should carry out every 6 weeks or so to see where in the scheme your child should be. It is all very prescriptive. It's designed to be done for 1 hour per day every day, and it looks fun.