Does freereading end reading competitiveness

[wigglywoowoo]

DD has finally become a free reader. Would it be fair to say that the element of competition decreases now as there is no way for other parents (or children) to gauge what other children achieving?

I haven't noticed any kind of competition in relation to numeracy or literacy.

[MadeOfStarDust]

NOpe - it will be the battle between "mine is reading Treasure Island" , or mine is reading "rainbow magic"

or "mine is on page 245 of Harry Potter 4" or "mine is reading the first Harry Potter"

We just listen in to the playground chatter...the best thing to do is just make up an author in the family - makes any book "they" write V.V. worthy......

[RaisinBoys]

What MadeOfStarDust said.

Ignore it all and be happy that you have a child that can and does read.

[AMumInScotland]

I'm afraid MadeOfStarDust is right - the competitiveness just shifts subtly, into questions about what books they have read, how much they read a night, how 'keen' they are on reading beyond the school requirements. And they will attach 'moral worth' to the choice of books, so 'childrens classics' rate more highly than modern books.

But just nod and smile. They are only giving away their own worries, which may or may not have a genuine cause.

[wigglywoowoo]

I'm clearly quite naive as thought that this would be the end of it.

[Startail]

No the DCs themselves start boasting and talking about books they know their friends couldn't cope with.

How my dyslexic DD1 resisted thumping a certain child is beyond me.

[ShowOfHands]

Nope. 6yo dd is reading Jeremy Strong (because she likes the silly humour). Her friend is reading something far more worthy. I know this because her Mum sneered at the JS book clutched in dd's hand. Killer Tomatoes ARE funny though. Who's Who in the nativity will come round again soon...

[CaptainSweatPants]

I must live in a different world
Ds 9 has been a free reader for ages & no parents has ever asked me what he's reading

[ImaHexGirl]

Ah bugger, I've had this the past few weeks with DS and I was hoping that it would pass once we are into free reading. A couple of children have been teasing DS about his reading level. He is actually completely middle of the road in his reading level so I'm told but this did upset him so I went into have a word with his teacher who said it wasn't uncommon and they do have to have regular chats with the children about not passing comment. And this is in reception! I haven't come across it with the parents though but then I'm not known for hanging around at the school gates .

I think we have got over this hiccup though and I'll continue to praise the progress he is making. It actually amazes me watching the process of learning to read and how they piece it all together so I'm in awe of what he has achieved so far, it seems so much for such a small person.

I love reading and I really want to pass that on to DS and I was a free reader at a pretty young age. I don't think DS will be early, again, probably completely middle of the road but I'm looking forward to introducing him to some of the books that I loved as a child (although he might baulk at Mallory Towers !) but at the right time so he's not put off reading for life.

I'm really looking forward to the holidays though when we can make progress at our our own pace and continue to ensure that reading is fun because isn't that what it's meant to be????

[simpson]

It depend when they are a free reader I think...

If its KS1 then no the competitiveness does not finish but in my experience by juniors (yr3 onwards) no one really cares what other DC are reading.

[redskyatnight]

Once again I am in the twilight zone that is MN.
No one has ever expressed an interest in my DC's reading levels or indeed their free reading standard.

Perhaps they go to the wrong sort of schools?

[insanityscratching]

No competitiveness at dd's school as no reading scheme as such. All books in the library are banded and read at home. Guided reading is done in school and reading intervention 1 to 1 for those who need it. Reading of reading scheme books to a teacher or TA doesn't happen as a matter of course. For children like dd who haven't struggled to read they are assessed termly and allocated a book band. They then choose books from that band to read at home and change them when they choose. Parents are expected to listen or sign the diary at least 4 times weekly.

[culturemulcher]

Nope, sorry OP. I was naive and innocent like you and thought it would all be over. Wrong.

It's now moved onto 'what shelf in the library are they reading?' At DC's school the KS2 children are given a certain reading band corresponding to specific library shelves to read from

[Periwinkle007]

I agree it probably just changes to what type of chapter book they are reading but whilst I was a very good reader I always preferred to read easier books, after all reading is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If my daughter is happy with her rainbow fairies then thats fine by me

[curlew]

I know a child who took The Origin of Species in as his year 4 reading book.......

[curlew]

" If my daughter is happy with her rainbow fairies then thats fine by me"

Oh, don't say that! That's code for "but obviously she isn't -she's half way through Jane Eyre and loving every single page because I feed her chocolate to keep her reading it"

[Periwinkle007]

really? no seriously she is enjoying rainbow fairies.

[Elibean]

Competitiveness over reading seems to stop in KS1 (but admittedly, there isn't that much in the first place at dds' school - not sure why!).

It really is weird, isn't it - I wonder why those who compete in the first place seem to focus on reading rather than other skills?

No one ever, ever asks me what dd1 is reading (Y4). Or writing, or doing in maths. They just ask me what secondary school she'll be going to

[AbbyR1973]

DS1 is in reception. Nobody has ever asked me what he is reading, other than somebody who said "Your DS is doing very well, isn't he?" and I replied "He does enjoy school." Nobody has ever told me what level their child is on and I haven't asked. There doesn't seem to be a lot of this parental competitiveness here, which is lovely.

[MaisyMoo123]

My experience is similar to yours Abby - no chat about reading levels at the school gate and no unhealthy comparing and I have to admit that looking at some of the posts about competitiveness over reading etc I feel relieved!! Dd is a free-reader (y2) but I don't know how many others are (other than her best friend). I don't really see why it's important to know how others are doing as long as you know your dc are on track and happy? Competing isn't going to make them learn faster or get better results, and they're all individuals learning at different rates and in different ways.

[Pyrrah]

LOL, I'm thinking my plan of continuing to send DD to the nursery 'after-school club' till she's 11 is going to deprive me of all the school gate angst!

So depressing how competitive people get - most children grow up to read big books eventually, in the meantime there are so many fun books at every level available there's no need to push them.

I remember having to read Jane Eyre at prep school - totally lost interest after Helen died and Jane grew up - wasn't till I reread the book as an adult that I even got half the adult bits. I was an avid reader, but worthy books put me off English lessons for life.

[Periwinkle007]

Jane Eyre in prep school? I found it peculiar enough and we were Yr9ish I think. I used to feel embarrassed at school because when I was in yr7 my friends were tending to move to read adult books and I still liked the Chalet School and Dick King Smith etc. I remember in my English book review book in Yr7 I only wrote in 1 book one half term and the teacher said that wasn't good enough but I was too embarrassed to write in the numerous Enid Blyton and Chalet School books I had read. silly really because did it matter if for fun I read childrens books when I was still a child rather than Agatha Christie?

[Pyrrah]

Yup - Y5 if I remember correctly. Certainly when I left at the end of Y8, we were reading Evelyn Waugh's 'Decline & Fall'...

I was also secretly reading The Chalet School and keeping v quiet - have been known to creep back for a sneaky read nowadays for pure nostalgia. I bought the whole Susan Cooper 'Dark Is Rising' series on Kindle at xmas.

[2468Motorway]

I loved the 'The dark is rising series'

My kids must go to a weird school as no one has yet asked me about their reading levels.

[sittinginthesun]

No discussion in our school either, particularly in key stage 2. I help with the books, and the more able readers switch between authors without any comment at all.

Oh, and Jeremy Strong remains a firm favourite right through the school.

[Periwinkle007]

oooh really - someone else who liked the Chalet School. oh I feel much better now. I would have been teased mercilessly if my friends had known. I can't wait for them to all come out of the loft again for my daughters.

I never read Dark is Rising, never even heard of it. might have to look into that.