This summer, I’m so excited because I’ve officially created Zachariah’s Reception Summer Plan!
Those of you who have followed my parenting journey for a while will know that I did something very similar with Oliver before he started Reception, and honestly, it worked so well. Watching him become an independent reader has been one of my proudest parenting moments.
So this year, we’re doing it all again.
Welcome to Teaching Zachariah: Our Reception Summer Series.
Why We’re Focusing on English
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I often say something that surprises parents:
At the beginning, I believe English is even more important than maths.
Now don’t get me wrong. I absolutely want Zachariah to continue practising maths over the summer. He’ll still be using his IXL Reception Maths.
But my biggest focus will be English.
More specifically…
Phonics.
Here’s why.
If a child develops strong English and reading skills, everything else becomes easier.
Maths eventually becomes word problems.
Science requires reading.
History requires comprehension.
Instructions in every subject depend on understanding language.
A child who can confidently read, understand instructions and communicate clearly already has a huge advantage.
For me, English lays the foundation for everything else.
How We Taught Oliver
One thing I did with Oliver was print out the alphabet, it can be found here.
Every day we learnt one letter using a very simple routine.
For each letter we practised three things:
* Saying the letter.
* Saying the sound.
* Writing the letter.
That’s it.
Simple.
Consistent.
Repeated every day.
Children don’t need hours of work.
They need consistency.
The Resources We’re Using
When Oliver started Reception, I bought quite a few phonics resources.
Here’s where I confess something…
I’m one of those mums!
I kept every single workbook, flashcard and activity because I knew one day Zachariah would use them too.
And now that day has finally arrived.
Once Zachariah has finished with them, I’ll happily pass them on to another family because they’ve certainly had plenty of use.
One thing I won’t encourage parents to do is rush out and buy every phonics book available.
Schools usually provide many of the same resources once Reception starts.
Instead, throughout this series I’ll share exactly what we’re learning each week, including the sounds, letters and words we’re practising, so you can follow along without spending money.
You Don’t Have to Copy Everything
I also want to say something that’s really important.
You don’t have to do everything we’re doing.
Every family’s circumstances are different.
I’m fortunate enough to have extra help during the summer, which gives me more time to work with Zachariah.
That may not be your reality and that’s perfectly okay.
If all you manage is:
* one letter,
* one sound,
* or even just practising writing one letter,
that’s still progress.
And if you don’t manage anything at all?
Please don’t panic.
Reception teachers start from the beginning and will guide your child every step of the way.
My Biggest Piece of Advice
If there’s one thing I’d encourage every Reception parent to do, it’s this:
Follow your child’s teacher’s guidance.
Teachers know exactly how phonics is being taught in school, and reinforcing those same methods at home makes a huge difference.
Consistency between home and school helps children progress much faster.
Our Summer Goal
This summer is all about:
Phonics.Phonics.Phonics
We’ll still be doing maths through IXL, but our biggest priority is building a strong reading and writing foundation before Reception begins.
Come and Join Us!
If you’d like to follow along with our Teaching Zachariah Summer Series, I’d love to have you.
I’ll be sharing:
* our weekly phonics focus,
* printable resources,
* books we’re using,
* activities we’re trying,
* and everything that’s working for us.
If you have questions or you’d like me to recommend the resources we’ve found helpful over the years, let me know.
Let’s build a little community where we can encourage one another while preparing our little ones for Reception.
Who’s joining us this summer?
With Love,
Ayo
⸻
If this post resonated with you, share it with one person stepping into something new this month. We have a 10k goal. Let’s make it happen.
Comments
Post a Comment