Learning to read and write at school

Monkey is loving school at the moment. Loving it. Some days he is tired and doesn’t want to go and there have been comments along the lines of “do I go to school every day?” as realisation sets in that this is every day now. I can’t always get much out of him in terms of what he has done that day but what is apparent is how much he is enjoying learning to read and write. img_20161018_175114

He adores singing all the letters and sounds songs and often pipes up if he hears a relevant word or sound, singing one of the songs and doing the actions he has learnt at school, “under the umbrella, u, u, u” or “munch on your meal, m, m, m” for example.

He constantly wants to write things, letters, lists, notes etc. He asks us how to spell the word and occasionally we have to draw a letter for him to copy but he knows almost all now I would say. Here’s a couple of his examples.photogrid_1479025073441

When spelling out words to him we do try and get him to sound it out and work out what the next letter will be and the school has said that him trying is more important than correct spelling at this stage. But it is hard to say “yes that’s right” when you know that’s not how it is spelt! It isn’t hard to be proud of him when he is trying so hard though and we are doing everything we can to help his learning even if it feels weird.img_20161014_065409

He is doing really well with his reading too. He desperately wants to be able to read any word he sees but obviously he has a way to go there. He was one of the first in his class (3rd or 4th I think though I could be wrong) to get a reading book which I was hugely hugely proud of. He tries really hard though does get muddled sometimes, partly down to a lack of concentration. It is hard to spend quiet time with him reading when LM is also desperate for attention or watching TV. When he can focus though and when he does really try he is doing so well.

Even though it can be tricky getting him to focus on his reading book, he is loving the new ability to read certain words. He is amazed when he can read a word on a leaflet or on a sign and it is wonderful to see this whole new world open up to him. In the car today he suddenly shouted “I can see ‘the'” which he saw on a pub. So sweet and lovely to see,

We had his first parents evening this week and I’m not sure you could get two prouder parents. He sailed through his phonics assessment and is meeting all of their behaviour code. They also commented on how he tries his best, even when doing something new or that he is unsure of.

We got to see his folder with some of his creations in and pictures of him busy at play. Some of the things they’ve noted he has come out with had us in stitches. For example when holding up a sort of number wheel and announced “it looks like I’m holding a steering wheel… Like I’m sailing a boat to South America!” love our boy!

We are massively proud of the way Monkey has taken to school and the way he is loving learning so far. I just hope it continues.

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28 thoughts on “Learning to read and write at school

  1. Aww bless him. What a clever boy. It’s lovely seein the eagerness to learn. Boo loves school too but it’s been a change in year one with less playing. It’s a different world for us too. He is doing great and you have a right to be proud 🙁 #MaternityMondays

  2. Sounds like he is doing really well. My son can’t write any letters yet or read any words but he has additional needs. He is wanting to at least try now though when he had absolutely no interest at all before so for him that’s amazing progress. Isn’t it lovely to see the change in them and how eager they become once they start school? I was so worried about my son starting school especially as we put him in mainstream but it seems that the teachers are doing a fab job with him and it makes it that much easier to send him off every morning. Glad tour little boy is doing so well at school too. It amazes me how quickly they adapt and settle in.
    #Twinklytuesdays

  3. Lovely photos and sounds like Monkey is doing really well at school. It’s so lovely to see that world of reading and writing opening up for them – especially when they start to notice words elsewhere that they can read. I’m so impressed with Monkey’s writing too. Love him holding the number wheel and sailing a boat to South America – isn’t imagination a wonderful thing? Thank you for linking up to #ftmob 🙂

  4. Well done Monkey! It really is amazing how quickly they pick things up isn’t it and how excited they get when they know they can read a particular word. Wishing you lots of fun learning together #bestandworst x

  5. Ah he sounds like he’s doing so well! My little man has just turned 4 and is at pre-school and at his parents evening last week we found out he’s the only kid whos started learning phonics and actually getting it…it makes you so proud doesn’t it! xx #bestandworst

  6. Aww it’s lovely to hear that he is enjoying it so much. SOunds like he is doing brilliantly. My boy doesn’t start school until September and but I can’t wait to start his reading journey with him there. He has just started to read and spell a few three and four letter words. #SSAmazingAchievements

  7. Phonics assessment, eek! Alfie hasn’t had anything like that yet, phew. Isn’t it so lovely to see how they are coming along, Alfie has come on leaps and bounds since September and like you I love watching the developments. Lovely post and thanks for linking up #bestandworst

  8. Oh this is lovely to read. Was he interested in it before he started school? Zach will be starting next year and even though I know that he knows stuff, he isn’t very forthcoming in showing us! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday

    • Thanks lovely and no, really not. He could recognise some letters and like you I knew he knew stuff, but I couldn’t get him interested in trying to read at all to try writing very much either so it is lovely he has really taken to it now! xx

  9. Aww how fantastic, well done Monkey! I loved that stage with T and D (much later for D) and there would be so many letters and numbers for her to see everytime we went out – prices on shelves, letters in her name in signs, bus/house numbers. Lovely and because I was childminding, I’d do it all over again 🙂
    Thanks for linking up with #SSAmazingAchievements

  10. Pingback: Small Steps Amazing Achievements – 23/11/16 « AutismMumma

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