Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

Only-just-4-year old and tackling to reading practice

19 replies

Purplelooby · 19/09/2016 23:09

So my summer born (end of August in fact) boy has started reception - last week was his first week of full time.

On Friday the kids were sent one of those picture-only books and he had great fun with it. He also got a sort of practicing phonic sounds book and he enjoyed this too, all nice easy fun.

Today he got sent a 'proper' reading book and the teacher has definitely judged his level exactly right in terms of comprehension and reading skill, but he is so exhausted after coming home from school that the last thing he wants to do is read to me. Although he loves books and playing phonics games, he isn't desperate to learn to read and neither am I arsed about him moving up levels unless he wants to. I do, however, want him to keep loving books and to be a 'reader' when he's older (his Dad and I are both bookworms).

How should I handle his (very tired) daily reading practice? I want him to enjoy it and I know he really hates pushing himself, if that helps? Should I ask for a lower level, for example?

OP posts:

Report

HalfATankini · 19/09/2016 23:13

Could you do it in the morning?
Or only read two pages each day? Most teachers have said to me the most important thing at this age is that they enjoy it. So if it takes 3 days to read one book that's better than tears and arguments to get through it in one day.

Idliketobeabutterfly · 20/09/2016 00:13

I'd do try it in the morning too. Will do that when my son gets books soon.

ReallyTired · 20/09/2016 09:31

If he is too tired, then he is too tired. Just write a note in the reading diary that your child is too tired after a hard day at school. Read to him on school days and get him to practice his reading book at the week end when he is rested.

TeenAndTween · 20/09/2016 09:47

Read in the morning.
Shove your whole schedule forwards by 5-10 minutes and do it then.
We did this for the whole of primary and it worked well.

Woodacorn · 20/09/2016 15:50

We aimed for 3 times a week. Otherwise it turned into a chore and put them off. With mine it was better to do it when they would actually enjoy and benefit from it.

GraciesMansion · 20/09/2016 15:54

We moved out reading practise to the morning, it's was a revelation, like having a different child reading to me!

madamginger · 20/09/2016 15:56

We do it at bedtime. Two pages of a book from them and then I read them a story.

Purplelooby · 21/09/2016 00:29

Thanks all. I'm not sure whether I'm brave enough to try morning - he's a funny little bugger and I just get the feeling he would hate it. Maybe I'll try when he's more settled though.

I tried tonight by saying that it was special time for him (rather than his sister) and that he could then choose a book to be read by me (normally his sister gets her choice in first). He actually really enjoyed it but I think it helped that his new book was an easier one.

OP posts:

CrepeDeChineWag · 21/09/2016 00:37

Morning. That's what we did. Ten minutes a day is all you need at this stage

waterrat · 21/09/2016 18:03

I'd personally tell them to bog off. If he is too tired he is too tired.

1tsonlyme · 21/09/2016 21:43

When mine where little I just used to write in the reading record book. J recognised some words in his bed time story book. I also sometimes showed him a word in his book and said do you know this word if he didn't I told him. I have also been known to read the book to him if he was tired.

Wait4nothing · 21/09/2016 21:48

As a teacher (to kids a little older) I just say do a few pages - little and often is far better than a ton at the weekend. In our school we would continue to read wherever you got up to so he would still change books but maybe a little less regularly (which is fine at this age). This half term is the hardest for tiredness (and the grey weather won't help)

TooTweeOrNotTooTwee · 21/09/2016 22:01

My end of August DD has started reception too. We haven't had any books sent home yet, but when we do I plan to read with her only if she wants to.

She's so little, really tired after school, and I'd hate to start her relationship with books off with a daily battle. I love reading and with the right support, I'm sure she will too, in her own time.

Good luck!

aliphil · 23/09/2016 11:11

My DD loved her first reading book and sounding out the words but won't do the phonics exercises at the beginning "because they're not part of the story, mummy!" Any tips or should I just not worry about it?

Also I am curious - DD got a book with words but some of the other children had ones with just pictures. What's the thinking behind using the wordless ones? I am probably being thick but I don't get the idea of "reading" books that can't be read!

Witchend · 23/09/2016 14:13

I found when mine were beginning readers that it was tiring for them although they wanted to do it.
What I did was:
Let them read one page. Sometimes they'd choose to continue. Other times they didn't. Fine either way.
Sometimes if they were tiring and wanted to finish the book I'd read every other page.
I'd have the books in places like the car/buggy bag so we had them to look at if we were waiting round without anything else to do.

Express huge amazement at what they could do.
Say things like "When you've finished that book we can "
Let them read to their teddy (bedtime story)
If they don't enjoy that book find one they do.

Chilver · 23/09/2016 14:22

My DC has also just started reception. She can read (basic CVC and CVVC. CVCC sentences so far) but only when she is in the mood. She reads a few pages to me at night before bed but if she is too tired I don't push it and just read to her instead. We have also just started two mornings a week of 5-10 mins of 'homework' (just to get used to structured stuff really like 10 min on her tablet of a reading game or 5 mins writing)

Chilver · 23/09/2016 14:24

oh, and we have a pack of sight cards/ tricky words and play a game with them before bed sometimes which she LOVES. (Game is really just her asking me to say the words and then its her turn e.g. she is playing teacher with me)

Ditsy4 · 23/09/2016 19:52

We used to do it after tea and bath. Snuggled up in bed with bedtime books chosen. A short story then reading book then another story or two. Picking out occasional words they recognised if they wanted to do so.
Games at the weekend and a bit more reading then.
Write words on card and show blank side. Turn over to reveal the word and keep all the ones read.

Purplelooby · 23/09/2016 20:05

aliphil our kids get the picture-only books as well as their reading books and I'm guessing that it's about comprehension. It's also great for imagination because it's amazing what a 4 year old can make up about a bloody teddy being left on a bus!

So I'm currently sticking with after-tea and it's going well. When he's not in the mood for reading (like after swimming) I use the picture-only book which he currently loves. Tonight there was homework so I gave him the choice and he chose that over reading. Fingers crossed it works out!

OP posts:

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.