Why has Year 2 teacher sent DD home with a ridiculously easy reading book?

[pokesandprodsforthelasttime]

Granted it's only the 2nd week of term and the teacher probably hasn't got round to assessing all 30 children yet.

But surely they should know which book band she left Year 1 on?

Is it my job to let them know where she's up to via the reading record?

[simpson]

Well, DD in yr1 came home with a stupidly easy book (that she has already read) and apparently her teacher last year has not said anything to her new teacher about her reading

[WipsGlitter]

Stealth boast.

It's week one. Calm down.

[TeacakeEater]

My child was sent home with a book he'd already read and when he asked the teacher why was told it was for building up his confidence.

We just read our own books at home to be honest.

[XBenedict]

Confidence?

[Guitargirl]

This happened with DD at the start of Year 1 and it took until about Christmas before she was bringing home books which I would say were about 'right'. From overhearing parents at drop-off I think it was about the same for most other children too. The school's response was that at that age the children are still reinforcing and building confidence. I was expecting the same at the start at this year (year 2) but she brought home a chapter book this week.

Maybe make a mention in her reading book?

[PatriciaHolm]

Was she sent home with it or did she pick it herself? Ours pick their own books, and are supposed to get the right band, but it doesn't always work.

[Moonstorm]

We're in the same position. I would expect the teachers to have talked and for ds to at least get a follow on book from where he was the week before.

It's not a stealth boast. Some children read sooner, others later. The more able need support as do the average as do the less able.

[Wellthen]

To piss you off no doubt.

Why are you asking us and not your child's teacher?

[raggedmum]

We do it on purpose just to wind the parents up

Just write a note in your child's reading record book and request a more challenging book.

[HumphreyCobbler]

just ask for a different one, write a note in the book

mostly schools would just carry on from where the reading scheme was left the class before, it is probably a mistake

[mrz]

Perhaps she thinks your child needs to be reading at this level

[holidaybug]

This is quite common at our school. The teacher is probably just easing them in or is assessing them for herself. My DS is a whizz at maths but his first week's homework is taking him back about a year - I think she's just testing the ground with them all.

[teacherwith2kids]

The thing is, reading progress (for many children) isn't linear. After a 6 week break at the age of 6, sometimes it isn't appropriate to 'just give the next book on from where they were at the end of the previous year'.

The most reading bands I have moved a child down to find something they could read with some confidence after a summer holiday? 3 or 4. The most I have moved a child up? Slightly fewer, perhaps 2 or 3 - but still a significant jump.

As you say, there is unlikely to have been the time to accurately assses all children yet, and even if there has, the expectation that they should pick up exactly where they left off is erroneous. Your school may have made a 'blanket' decision to take a step back to break the chiuldren back into reading gradually - and if that is the case, read the book, put a not in the diary to say that she read it fluently and confidently, and get on with reading to and with her at home from whatever you had on the go during the holiday. If on the other hand DD may have 'hidden her light under a bushe;' on an intial read with her new teacher - or even struggled a little if you haven't read much over the holiday - and things will come right in their own good time.

[I am expecting to put about 80% of my 'free readers' back onto banded books this week to help them to make better progress, and am anticipating a lynch mob. Believe you me, I do it because I am a teacher and I want all children to make progress, not because I'm some type of sadist who enjoys humiliating children and parents....]

[burberryqueen]

I am sure they will send her back with War and Peace next week, chill out.

[teacherwith2kids]

Following on from mrz's comment - YOU may have thought the book ridiculusly easy. Did your DD read it fluently? With expression? Can she discuss it, answer questions about it, explain the features, use e.g. index if it's non fiction? Sound out any unknown words accurately using phonic knowledge?

She may in fact need to be reading at this level - as I implied in the last part of my post above, some children do, at some points in their journey to reading, sometimes find themselves with books beyond their current competence, and it is the mark of a good teacher if they say 'hold it right there, we need to go back a bit in order to go forwards' rather than pressing on 'with the next book in the scheme'.

[holidaybug]

Come on ladies, most parents know what their children are capable of.

[burberryqueen]

right so they can be reading more challenging books themselves at home - why put all the onus on the teacher with 30 children to assess/get to know, on like the second day of term?

[teacherwith2kids]

Holiday, you would be genuinely be surprised how many don't - or in how many cases there is a huge gap between what a parent views as 'readiing' and the school regards as 'reading.

I would cite the parent who sent in their child - reading at a level around that opf a Year 1 / 2 child although older - with Lord of the Rings 'because he likes the film and wants to read it. He can read some of the names so it's OK'. Or the one who saw the be-all and end-all of reading as decoding, despite the fact that their child had absolutely no idea what the words they were fluently decoding meant. Or the ones who see their children curled up with a book, and assume that their child is reading it, rather than telling themselves the story from the pictures and not reading it at all. ...

[burberryqueen]

assume that their child is reading it, rather than telling themselves the story from the pictures and not reading it at all
haha my daughter used to do that, guess the words from the pictures, it was even quite convincing!

[teacherwith2kids]

I would also point out that the OP has talked about 'where she was on the reading scheme' rather than 'it's far below where she has been reading with me at home over the holidays'.

Had it been the latter, I would have replied differently. It's the expectation that a child, after a 6 week gap, will keep exactly in line with the scheme like an automaton (to the extent that the teacher is wrong because they have not continued the scheme like an automaton themselves), that I see as erroneous.

[holidaybug]

It's clear from OP's thread that her daughter is reading at a level below that which she left Year 1 reading - not that OP is suddenly expecting her daughter to be reading something way beyond her abilities.

[teacherwith2kids]

Hahaha Burberry - now I assumed that my pre-school DS was doing the 'telling the story from the pictures' thing when he had actually taught himself to read [bad parent emoticon]

[teacherwith2kids]

Holiday, and reading below where she was at the end of Year 1 could be exactly what she is doing, if she has not read regularly during the holidays, as progress is not linear (nor always sufficiently secure to be retained} over a 6 week period of no practice.

[burberryqueen]

wow - that is impressive....

[simpson]

I can certainly assess where I think my child is on the reading scheme.

I did actually expect my child to go back on it (having been free reading since April) but not as low as she is on it.

But in fairness to the teacher I think they have been getting fed up with parents asking when their child is getting reading books so have tried to get them out v quickly before all assessments have been done.

Me personally, would rather wait longer for a correct reading book as it gives DD and I time to read what she wants to read as apposed to school books.