Marion

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

I know this is an old thread but it popped up on google.

Last year I did the Sounds-Write training and as a result my school has adopted the programme and are in the process of training all staff and are hosting the training next month (open to other schools booking through the S-W site).

For anyone interested this is the recent Ofsted report on the training http://www.sounds-wr...te Feb 2013.pdf

General comments:

This is outstandingly thorough training. Those participating are given a full grounding in all aspects of phonic knowledge, including the alphabetic code and the processes of blending and segmenting. To this is added a detailed and conscientious introduction to the rigorous and systematic ‘Sounds-Write' programme, covering both theoretical background and effective implementation. All this is backed up by an invaluable handbook and is presented with all the skill and expertise that comes from extensive, effective experience of both teaching and training.

The training visited fully met all of the agreed criteria.

We are finding the programme very effective

It's intended for nursery reception and Y1

lots of fun ideas to develop number concepts

writing numbers

using story

songs for counting up

In autumn 2012, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), an executive agency of the Department for Education, will publish the EYFS Profile Handbook, which is designed to support teachers and other professionals to undertake EYFS Profile assessments.

The Handbook will be supported by exemplification material, which offers a point of reference to help teachers and other professionals to make accurate judgements about each child's level of attainment.

http://www.foundationyears.org.uk/early-years-foundation-stage-2012/

in the autumn

The whole programme is much slower than how we work.

We teach a new sound every day (so 5 a week)and phase 4 and 6 aren't separately so we can cover most of L&S in reception.

We do 15 min carpet inputs every day revisiting previously taught GPCs

We no longer follow L&S (trialled it for a year) as we find it too slow.

My OH bought me a Kindle last year because my mountain of books drive him mad and it's still in it's box. I tried to give it to my son but he says he prefers books ... how long before I can ebay a gift?

Read the last few posts about these and they both sound good. What are they?

http://abcdoes.typepad.com/abc-does-a-blog...laboritory.html

There is dough gym book in the offing and some talk of a video

and yes I've seen his dough gym in actions two or three times now but definitely worth seeing again

I do follow his blog but I am in the far west of Cornwall and he hasn't done anything down this way yet.

 

I looked at the link on his website for the dough gym but couldn't find anything about it.

 

I love the idea of Jedi writing but need to get hold of some light sabres but none in the local shops at the moment.

 

Have either of you seen his dough gym in action?

Sainsburys have Halloween versions for a couple of pounds at the moment but you can probably buy them from the pound shop. I've just replaced mine.

I use it for an intervention group of 6 in Y2 (combined with Jedi Writing) lots of improvising as we go

http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/produ...ving/index.html

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/part...MONKS+BENCH.htm

http://www.sandbox-learning.com/RunScript....CFYob4Qod8G_1lA

http://www.adders.org/socialstories8.htm

http://kidscandream.webs.com/page12.htm

http://www.speakingofspeech.com/uploads/HandsMyself2.pdf

I use a book called I can't do that it comes with a CD so you can personalise the stories to the child

http://ayearinpicturesatbarleycorn.blogspo...r-hedgehog.html

many years ago the nursery children had made clay hedgehogs which my reception children were admiring when one boy turned to me and said "hedgehogs?" with a questioning look. I confirmed they were hedgehogs to which he replied "I didn't even know it was Easter!"

They look great Marion, never seen them before, but definitely something to remember if there's ever any money to buy books!

I bought them from Amazon (a few each month when I got paid) because the school budget was tight

We have

Sounds and Letters Floppy's Phonics

Project X phonics

Songbirds

All Stars

Project X (up to grey level in KS1)

Tree Tops

Phonic Bugs

Bug Club

Rigby Star Phonics

(also Phonic bug and Bug Club e books)

Big Cat Phonics

Rag Tag Rhymes

Have you looked at the free Oxford Owl e books?

I bought complete sets of Songbirds from the Book People for £15 instead of £128.82 ... http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/...roductId=218821

We also subscribe to the on line version of Bug Club and Phonics Bugs to support the books. We find it very popular especially with families who rarely return books.

We start Jolly Phonics day 1

I discovered the OUP All Star Stories for this particular group - age appropriate content for reception with a strong comprehension focus but at the right level for reading ability

The Sounds and Letters Floppy's Phonics written by Debbie Hepplewhite are very good and I would highly recommend them for reception.

I must have been having a dizzy moment what I meant was that I had 1 child on yellow and approx half on red and the rest on pinks. The problem we have is that not many of our books are phonic based as someone has mentioned above and therefore our old books were slotted in with them as well (can't afford to replace perfectly good books all in one go) Quite a few in the red band have a lot of words that need to be read by sight and so I hold back until I feel they have the confidence to cope with this.

Deb

All our books are phonic based in reception and the children in my last reception class left reading purple and Gold level (NC level 2C) and learnt through play with lots of CIL.

http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Spreads/I_Can_Hop_p06-07.jpg

red level

So often overlooked --Regio in Italy teaches children to read!

I think in our envy of other systems we forget that our introduction to education is very gentle compared to out neighbours