Am I making too big a deal of this? Re: son's school reading

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

My son is 6. He reads every day with me and we log it in to his reading diary which goes in to school each day. He also reads in school with teachers and parent helpers (me being one of them).
He is inly on the red books as he finds reading hard work.
He read a book this morning which was too hard. I pointed out in his diary that it was yellow band and too hard and that he needs a new book.
It's after school now and I have just read his reading diary from today and there is a comment saying that the book is too hard and that he needs to read at home too. It doesn't say who put the comment but it's not his teacher's writing.
I feel like this is a dig at my parenting!
I've writen below it in large letters that he does read at home every day and that the book was too hard.
I'm cross! And tempted to say something to his teacher tomorrow.
Am I making too much of a big deal of this?

[JumpRope]

Speak to the teacher, but its not a big deal is it? You need to work together to get the right level of book, but without accusations/paranoia, in person would be easier.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

It's the fact that if whoever wrote it just flicked through his diary they would see that he reads at home every morning!

[JumpRope]

Were they not just referring to that book? eg. read it again at home?

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

No it's not a big deal. It's just fruatrating that I try hard every day to get him to read. He hates it but we do it and it's draining but we do it. Then someone write this! Like it's my fault he's not reading well

[mouldycheesefan]

If the reading levels colours are the reading chest ones, Yellow is the minimum target for the end of reception. If he is still on red I think you need to be speaking to the senco about extra support for your son for reading. What anyone wrote in the diary is a red herring it's not the key issue.

[kippersyllabub]

Tbh yellow isn't hugely harder than red so it's a reasonable thing for the school to send home, just as it's reasonable for you to ask for an easier book

[Pigeonpost]

Eh? How can it be a dig at your parenting if it is clearly logged every day in the diary that you have read with him at home? It was probably a time strapped volunteer who made the note, don't take it personally.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Nope, it's meant in general. It says
"Needs to read at home too. Does not find it easy."
The last 5 comment boxes are me commenting that he has read that particular book at home.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

I don't know mouldy but what could senco do that I'm not doing?

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Probably pigeon but I'm working hard to help him at home and then I get a throw away comment saying he's not reading enough at home

[Toocold]

I understand how you feel, it feels patronising. My da was like yours at six, he is very nearly eight now, but he resisted reading school books and it was so hard to get him to read, then he discovered the Beano, he loved it, still does. A friend also suggested I read a page and he reads a page, that helped and doing it in funny voices. You might already do all of this so apologies if you do. But I do understand the feeling, he will get there, my da can finally read and went from being behind to be a bit ahead, it was so hard though, and comments like that don't help when you are already worrying about it!

[mouldycheesefan]

Test for dyslexia when he is 7? Springs to mind. You won't know until ypu speak to the senco but current strategies aren't working

[AMouseLivedinaWindMill]

op, as poster said re reading level book, perhaps see if you can get more support with his reading.

re the actual comment..well...I find these bloody reading records to be shite really....

I dont think teachers or TA's read them, they just want to note if the book level has been read to give a new one.

I really loathe them, and I dont blame you for being angry because your being conscientious and noting in the book duly but its been ignored.

I would find other reading material at home that may engage him more, like comics, or fun books.

[Hissy]

The parent helper is there to hear them read. ONLY.

Not their job to comment. Go and talk to the teacher.

[Toocold]

Da was meant to be ds! And I meant the comments in the book, not what anybody else had said!

[AMouseLivedinaWindMill]

agree with too cold, find other reading matter, football anual or stuff he likes. then you read word, or sentance hten he does.

[AlmaMartyr]

YANBU. Someone made this comment in my DD's reading journal, even though she reads every day. It did irritate, when I've always made the effort to read with both DCs every day. I doubt anything was meant by it though, just a time-strapped TA who didn't flick through the journal, but I understand your frustration.

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Thanks.
mouldy One of the reason's he is dehind is because he started wearing glasses a few months ago, so we're playing catch up.
Will look in to dyslexia but I think it's just he doesn't want to, he finds alot of the stories boring.
He flicks through enyclopedias and comics, I read a higher level book which interests him, to him before bed.
I don't think they should be commenting either!

[BarbarianMum]

Actually, that would really annoy me and I'd probably mention it to the teacher.

I was a parent helper at dc's school for years. I was only ever allowed to note that I'd read with a child in their reading record - not my place to make "official" comments on their reading. Any observations I made went on a different sheet for the teacher's eyes only and even these were along the lines of "doing well with tricky words" or "talked about magic e" or "not yet confident with silent k" - certainly not my place to judge what parents should or shouldn't be doing.

[RB68]

Personally at 6 I wouldn't worry about it yet keep plodding through the school ones and as others have said find things to enthuse him about reading generally - games, comics, and so on. Boys at that age tend to like slightly naught books that talk about poo, underpants, snot and so on and frankly who cares if it is slightly rude if he has READ it!!

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

Yes babarian that is what I do when they read to me. I would never dream of trying to make assessments of child's reading!

[mouldycheesefan]

If he is playing catch up then school should be helping with that. You seem very reluctant to ask the snap for help but your child is way behind. I would be banging on the door!

[GigiB]

You are making too big a deal of it if you get cross with the teacher. You should definitely just ask for 5 mins. Show the teacher the comment and see how she responds. Don't get angry, just say, I do read with him every night as you can see from the log. Sure she knows this anyway. leave it there, as you are doing everything right for your son..

[ShamefulPlaceMarker]

He's not way behind mouldy He does extra reading in school, and reads with me every day. I read with each child in his class, and although there are many better readers there are also quite a few at his level.

[Hissy]

Honestly don't worry about how he reads, just keep trying a bit, little and often, ask him what he would like To know about and read with him.

Main influence on how well a child performs is YOU (or anyone) reading to him. That allows their vocabulary to develop and they will want to learn to read for themselves eventually. Don't forget there are all ages in the class and 6 months or more makes a huge difference.

He'll get it in the end. Kids in Sweden don't even go to school until 7...