Phonics flash cards.

As I have posted before, one of my biggest anxieties about J is that he struggles with reading and writing. The writing I feel will come with time but reading is such an important life skill that to see him struggle is a big worry. Without the ability to read so much else will be closed to him so I have always encouraged books and we have many favourites that J loves. These books are read again and again to the point where J knows the story back to front and can "read" the story to me by sheer memory. School books though are a different matter - lots of joy in looking at the picture and telling the story based upon what he sees but when I ask J to try and read the words he loses all interest in the book and wanders off to do something else. After the conversation with J that I posted about in my previous entry I felt desperate.

Some time ago I bought a set of Phonics Flash Cards from my local supermarket - they were inexpensive, bright and colourful - the perfect way of engaging J i felt. Wrong - he showed no more interest in these than in the books and so they went away.

This week I got them out again and to my surprise J showed enthusiasm - we took the cards out and I encouraged him to choose one and he did. He then sounded out the letter and read the simple words on the back by sounding them out. I was so proud and gave him masses of praise. J's Daddy is here for a few days so he was able to give big encouragement too. With the promise of a trip to the bowling alley today if J read another card we were off - J went through several cards. J gets the simple words easily but struggles with the trickier phonic sounds, the cards allow for this though and I feel that if we spend a bit of time each day using the cards we will be well away.

This morning he is at the Bowlng Alley with his Daddy and I will meet them at 1.00pm for a trip to the cinema to see Bolt - the latest Disney adventure about a dog who thinks he is a superhero. Personally I think the only super hero in the cinema will be J who struggles but is getting there anyway. Am a really proud Mummy this week - and I will be taking the phonics cards in when I meet with Mrs F (SENCO) and Mrs N on the 24th March so that they can see how he is doing - might suggest putting them in his book bag each day so that he can use them in school.