My DD1 started school this year. She is begin sent home with sight word homework which she either flat out refuses to do or will be unable to recognise them and end up getting upset. She does not recognise many letters and those she does know don't connect with a sound. Is it a bit much to be asking her to learn sight words when she doesn't have the basic phonics/letter recognition? When DS started school they the whole first term doing phonics but at her school they seem to have completely skipped it.

We have been doing Reading Eggs at home and she loves it and is improving but is still a long way from having a firm grasp on letters and what they mean.

Is this a normal way for schools to teach reading? Will the letters just fall into place later?