Abbie – CVC Words

You may remember a few weeks ago Abbie announced she was ready to read.

I had the ‘chat’ with her pre-school to come up with  a plan.  I told them I was carrying on with the fun stuff at home.  They told me they would start CVC words with Abbie at school and send them home so that we could do them too.

I said OK.

Then I went home and looked up what CVC meant!  I know I should know given that Abbie is a second child but I couldn’t remember.  Turns out it’s consonant vowel consonant, like on Countdown.  For those of you who weren’t students and my US readers (hi there – there’s quite a few of you now – love having you along) this is countdown.

 

We are now the proud owners of 6 CVC words and a bright yellow book so we can keep track of how she’s doing.  The teachers do the words with her which is good because I suspect that might be the only way she’s going to learn!

DAY 1 – The Beginning

I sat down with her to sound out the words.  Abbie has to say the sound of each individual letter and then try to put the sounds all together to form the word.  For example….

Mummy         t   a   p

Abbie               tap

Mummy          Hooray!

 I suspect she’s memorised it but we cheered regardless.

Next word.

Mummy        p   a   t

Abbie             tank

Mummy        It begins with a p sound.  p   a   t

Abbie              p    p     tank

Mummy        pat

Abbie             pat

Mummy        Hooray!

Next word

Mummy        a   t

Abbie             Tank

Tank is clearly her go to word in times of crisis.  We got through it by mega fast blending.  I was blending those letter so fast it almost sounded like I was simply saying the words!

DAY 2- Six year old sister Rachel took over (without being asked!)

Rachel         Abbie.  Come and sit at the table.  I’m going to teach you how to read your                         words.  What does     a   t       spell?

        Abbie            Tank

Rachel           No Abbie.  Let me help you.  What do I do AT gymnastics?

 Abbie            Vault

 Rachel          No Abbie.  Really listen to the clue this time.  There were animal AT the                               zoo.

Abbie              Lions

Rachel           Nooooooooooooooo Abbie.  Stop it and listen.

At this point I brought the learning to a close.  Far from learning to blend, Abbie had simply learnt a new way to wind her sister up!

 

DAY 3 – The Father Jack Phase

Abbie has now realised that she will be asked to guess what words are written on the pieces of paper.  Instead of looking at the paper, analysing the letters, putting it together and forming a word she looks up into your eyes and shouts random words.  The overall effect is not unlike Father Jack….

 

…although of course she shouts tap, vault, lion, tank!

 

So the academic learning isn’t going so well at home, funnily enough.  I’m not even remotely worried because my status as Crazy Lady i.e. Story Storks teacher tells me that children will do amazing things for everyone bar their own parents.  I have no doubt that when she’s at school she is nothing like Father Jack!  We’ll find out at parents evening in a few weeks time.  What fabulous feedback that would be

“Mrs Lewis your child has been shouting Drink, Feck, Arse, Girls across the top playground!”

“She’s just like her father” I would lie.

So we’re mostly carrying on having fun at home and relying on nursery to do the hard stuff.  Every now and then we give it a go but I’m having a bit more success blending her words when we spot them in one of her story books at home.  After all, the reason she asked to be taught to read so young is so that she can read these very books for herself.