Mumbler Kelly went along to try out Phonics with Robot Reg – see what she thought here…
I’d seen some lovely recommendations and photos of the Robot Reg classes and thought it looked lots of fun but part of me was a little unsure as to whether it would be too advanced for my Max (he is 2.5) or just more than we needed to know about phonics for that age but I wanted to give it a go and I’m so glad I did!
The class we attend is the preschool class which starts at 2.5 up until 4 so Max is one of the younger children in the class but we have both found the class to be so much fun, very interactive and all with a gentle introduction to phonics! I have been really impressed with how Max has picked up the actions to the phonics rhymes already after only a couple of sessions. From seeing the other children in the class too, I can tell how much they enjoy themselves and how well they have picked up the phonics knowledge!
Sam who runs the classes is a qualified teacher and has vast knowledge, she is always waiting to say hello when you walk in and have a chat. Sam sets up the room with vibrant coloured mats for each child and parent to sit on with their own little pack of resources needed for the session. There are displays around the room which give information to parents about the aims of the classes, term dates, contact information and anything you might need. Sam has the letter sound of the day displayed as well as the sounds we have previously learnt during the half term. There is always a basket of lovely books for the children to choose from whilst waiting for everyone to arrive which I think is a great idea!
Sam’s enthusiasm, energy and passion shines through, she keeps the children (and adults) engaged and entertained throughout!
The Preschool class starts with the children being able to select their name from a mat which i think is a brilliant way of getting them used to looking for familiar letters, Sam then comes round and asks each child to post their name in to the letter box (great for fine motor skills) and then asks each child to say their name.
Sam introduces the letter sound of the day and has props to help the children engage. She explains how is the correct way to say the sound (which is very helpful for adults, especially those who aren’t familiar with the phonics programmes) this week we did “l” and had play lolly pops to help us and a fun game of limbo.
Singing and dancing break up the different sections of the class which the children all enjoy and Robot Reg has a different game or activity for the children to help with, once they have woken him up from his snooze!
The class ends with playdoh (what child doesn’t love playdoh!) Sam has an interactive song, encouraging the children to practise different skills such as pinching, rolling and squishing to enhance their fine motor skills. Each child gets to take home a little laminated card with the letter of the day on it (each letter for the half term is also attached to their resources pack!)
Overall we find the class to be fun, interactive and a brilliant start to any child’s phonic journey! We would definitely recommend this class and especially Sam!
There is also a mini’s class available too which is from 12-30 months!
Website and Class information-