Reading yet again!

[ihearttc]

Im so sorry for doing this yet again but I could really do with some help especially from some teachers cause I like to know what exactly I can do.

DS is in reception and Ive posted before about some issues Im having with regard to his reading. To cut a very long story short he is reading far above what the school are saying he is capable of...not anything massively brilliant but is far more capable than he is being given credit for. He has a supply teacher at the moment and I don't know if or when his proper teacher(who was amazing) is coming back this year so I really don't know what to do. His proper teacher really he was enthusiastic with reading and really harnessed that and helped him. They have these key words to learn and between september and just after christmas he whizzed through them and did all the ones he needed to by the end of reception so after me asking constantly if he could either have some more or something else they finally gave him some more but he's had these for 2 months and he knows them inside out and backwards way round but they won't change them because he's going too far ahead and apparently shouldn't be doing that.

We had parents evening this week and got told my the supply teacher that all the children had been moved up with their reading except DS because they can't move him any higher. All the reading schemes have been mixed up since september and we've all been picking different books out of the schemes to give a good variety but now we've been told we've all got to work through different schemes...some of the children are on Rigby Star,some on Collins and DS has been given ORT. This in itself is fine but the books they've given us are already ones he has read because they were mixed in with the other ones but he has to now apparently read them all again and in the correct order to comply with some national strategy which I know nothing about.

Just to clarify the level the school have given him which he has already read are Level 2 ORT whereas at home he is reading Level 4 and some level 5 ORT mixed in with library books and all the other books we've got at home...he loves the Ladybird Read it Yourself ones and can do level 3 on those to give you an idea of where he's at.

I could cry I really could. I know reception is play and he has learnt so much socially since being there but I can't help but feeling that they are just ignoring him. The struggling readers are getting lots of one on one attention and are really improving but DS is just standing still in terms of progress because they can't or won't do anything to help. I even offered to bring all the damn books home to get him to read them over the weekend but thats not allowed either...he's got to read 1 a week to see if he can understand the story which he most definitely can. My happy enthusiastic little boy who really wanted to read before christmas has been replaced but someone who can't be bothered and thats really upsetting me.

Any teachers out there-what would you do? Im seriously considering speaking to the Head but I don't want to make things worse but its crazy to carry on like this.

[smee]

I wouldn't worry you know - he's using his reading lots in play at school. I can see why you are worried, but still as you say it's reception and he's doing brilliantly. our school didn't even do a reading scheme in reception - they just let kids choose whatever/ how ever many books they wanted to bring home each night. So fwiw, I'd say go back to the library with him and spend a lovely hour choosing a stack of books, then every night read those to him / with him, rather than the school ones. Just enjoy the fact he's ahead for now and keep him enthused by making sure the books are fun rather than dull.

[MumMeh]

You poor thing, and your poor DS. How frustrating for you both. I am not a teacher so can't give you any teacherly ideas, but I hope a teacher will be able to help you on here. No child should have to stand still. Why on earth can't they pick on an ORT book at, say, level 5 and ask him to read it with them? If he's capable of it, he should just be able to skip levels. And why can't he bring a book home every night if he wants to? My Y1 DD brings home a book every night because she's suddenly become a keen reader. The less keen/weaker readers can take home a book every week: it's all dependent on the individual child's pace. When he started Reception, the teacher sussed that DS was already reading ORT Level 9 easily, so took him off it altogether and gave him Dick King Smith and so on. Why on earth can't all schools do this?

[seeker]

If I were you i would read the required school book on Monday evening, write a comment to that effect in his reading record then read something else with him every night at home and don't touch the school book again. It honestly doesn't matter what level he's on at school so long as he's reading lots at home.

It sounds like a bonkers system they are following (there is no national strategy that says you have to read all the books at a level before you can move on but some schools do thi - why I have no idea)

[nickschick]

School isnt the only place children read.

Let it go and just keep enthusing at home.

Mums that mither about reading books incessantly drive teachers nuts it does piss me off too that they seem to dictate what level your child can read but so long as you support them at home it all comes good in the end.

FWIW my ds was on the books with no words inside and it was only when he read the teachers letter that shed left open on her desk that she realised he was far far beyond those books.

[singersgirl]

Mmm.While I do agree with Smee to a large extent, it is frustrating.

First of all, there is absolutely no 'national strategy' that dictates that children have to move through all the levels of one reading scheme. As long as they learn to read, it doesn't matter what they read. Secondly, there is no reason why your school should tell you that they can't move your son any higher. Certainly lots of children at different schools at Reception age are given higher levels of reading scheme books to read - I remember in DS2's class there were a couple of free readers and a few children on at least ORT 8 and 9 by the end of Reception.

While I don't think his reading long term will be harmed by it, as long as you keep finding him interesting stuff to read outside school, I would (nicely) interrogate the school about this 'national strategy' at the least.

[MumMeh]

Don't agree, Smee. Of course the OP's DS is learning loads of things that are just as important as reading. But I really, really dislike what sounds like a deliberate policy to hold back keen readers in order for all the children to be on the same level. Keen readers should be encouraged, and they deserve one-to-one attention just as much as struggling ones!

[ihearttc]

Thank you both-much appreciated.

Smee-Id gladly do that and completely ignore the school books completely but when he started we had to sign a reading agreement about having to read the school books with them so I guess we've got to keep doing it unless I make a huge huge fuss which isn't really in my nature but I might do if I can't sort it out. Its not really so much that he's ahead because he really isn't in the grand scheme of things but having to read the same books over and over again with the same words in which offer no challenge at all is really demoralising.

Mummeh-Thats exactly what I said-try him on a harder book and see what he can do but apprently thats not what they do either. She did say that they'll do a reading assessment at some point before easter (why they didn't do it before parents evening I don't know!) so he may possibly move up then but its extremely rare that they do so.

I think some of the problem is that he is a phonetic reader if that makes sense-he can and will sound out words but he just see's them and reads them so Im wondering if thats got something to do with it.

[ihearttc]

And I really should check my posts lol! I meant he's not a phonetic reader-he doesn't sound any words out at all unless he really doesn't know them...he seems to be able to just look at a word and know what it is.

[MumMeh]

Why can't they move the children up a level individually? Grr.

[MumMeh]

My DS did the whole-word thing too. DD doesn't at all - she sounds everything out. They're all different, and schools should recognise this. Thank goodness ours does.

[ihearttc]

Thanks everyone!

So there really is no "national strategy" regarding this...thought that was rather odd. She produced this huge list of all the ort books at that level and as well as the biff/chip ones there were Songbirds and some other ones as well...it was over a page long and he's apparently got to read all of them.

Nickschick-Id heard that as well lol! Which is why I really don't want to cause a fuss but at the same time I don't see why he cannot be given as much support as the others.

[smee]

mummeh, I agree with you, but I was trying to reassure her that it doesn't matter a huge amount so long as she reads to him at home.
ihearttc, why don't you try a different approach and go back to them saying you worry it's putting him off reading - surely they can't ignore that. you could offer to read books from library and enter them in his reading record instead? I think some schools do let people do this.

[ihearttc]

Thanks smee-its ok I know that it doesn't matter in the long run...its just flipping annoying that they really aren't listening to a word Im saying. Even DS told them that the books were too easy and he was told not to be silly. I have told them that its putting him off reading but they honestly don't seem to care. He got told the other day in his diary that he was rushing through the words...which in fairness he was but only because he's so bored with it and can nearly do it with his eyes closed-with a harder book he concentrates and reads it properly with expression and can understand it.

I just really don't get what I have to do to make them see. I could understand it if he was reading chapter books or Harry Potter but all I want is something with more than 3 or 4 words on a page-surely he cannot be the only child they've ever had that can read that.

[ihearttc]

Oh and I have already tried to do that-I put that he'd read some of the library book that he'd brought home from school because he wanted to instead of his reading book. It was a Topsy and Tim book and obviously he couldn't read all of it but had a really good stab with me helping him...instead of a well done he got please make sure you read the school books the library books are to be read to you.

[seeker]

Read the school book on Monday night. Say in his record that he's finished it, then don't touch it again til it's changed.

[singersgirl]

Sounds like a bonkers approach. The aim of the school is to get children reading, and any 'system' is there to help. Surely they should be pleased that he wanted to have a go at his library book?

[violetbloom]

Presumably there are other strong readers in his class? What do they do?

Dd was a very good reader in YR but her school books were always easier than she could read at home. There were better readers than her though and they got harder books.

I thought that schools were going out of their way to cater for the top and bottom ends of ability in each class? It wouldn't make sense to limit reading books if a child could be doing better. In YR dd and her table used to get 'extended' reading projects in a separate room. She still gets this in Y2 so I don't know what the policy is that you're talking about.

Is there any way your ds isn't reading as well at school as he does at home?

[ihearttc]

Violet-He has been in the "top" group since christmas with about 5 other children who are about the same level. I assume they have been given specific schemes to read as well so the others would have similar level books but on different schemes such as Rigby Star,Ginn etc but it seems to me (and obviously Im not a teacher) that the ORT level 2 are easier than the same level in other schemes if that makes sense? So maybe the parents haven't realised or aren't bothered (maybe I shouldn't care either but I do because I hate seeing so fed up).

I did wonder about how he reads at school but tbh I would think if anything he'd read better there because he likes to do things well. I would say that all of the comments in his reading diary are "excellent reading","read very well with no problems" etc so I assume that all has been ok.

It doesn't make sense to me either-I honestly don't know what more he needs to do. Was just thinking that actually he was getting harder books in September than he is now cause(from a diffferent scheme) which really doesn't make any sense does it?

[violetbloom]

No, to be honest ORT level 2 was actually quite low for dd's YR class at this stage. The average was about level 3 or 4 and dd's table was reading 6 or 7.

But I do think you have to accept what the school is doing and you can certainly get your ds to read all kinds of other things so he needn't be fed up. Dd's school books were never that important to her really, we read them once and that was it.

There are lots of things that teachers do that you have to 'put up with' and there may be good intentions behind them. For instance, in Year 2, dd, who is now a free reader, will often bring home a book which is very easy for her but which the teacher has given to her table to practise their expression and fluency while reading.

So long as you keep your ds's interest in reading going at home there shouldn't be anything to worry about in the long term especially if all the kids on his table are in the same boat. This will all seem very minor to you when you get to the first SATs and the poor kids are all put under such unnecessary pressure. But that's another story!

[ihearttc]

Thats pretty much what I thought violet but most of his class for whatever reason seem to be on either pink books with no words or red books with very few words in so I suppose in relation to them he is "top" but given the right books he could easily read more.

I know deep down it doesn't really matter but I know with boys especially that you have to harness the enthusiasm and run with it if not they lost interest so just feel really disappointed that they almost can't be bothered. Will keep plodding on as we are and see what happens I think-thanks so much everyone for all your input.

[Southwestwhippet]

Poor you, how very frustrating. I showed my DM this (my four siblings and I were largely home educated at primary level, but did have some ins and outs with schools). She suggested that you should regard the school's input into your son's reading as largely irrelevant. It is generally parents who teach the children to read anyway, the schools just supply the materials. Make sure he has lots of lively, interesting books to read with you. If he can't read a word, you read it, to keep the flow of the story. He'll love the attention, as well as the reading, and the school can do stuff at a lower level with him if that's what floats their boat!. Eventually they'll get the message that he's operating at a higher level - if you're lucky. God, I absolutely dread this, that's why I want to HE my DD but I have yet to convince DP.

[violetbloom]

But why do you see it as 'plodding on' etc? you can give him great books to read yourself. You don't need to rely on the school books. Dd would have given up reading if I'd done that!

[Builde]

to the OP

We have some local schools that insist children read every reading book. The poor children were given six books a week in reception and the best readers are now only on book band turquoise in year 1.

Luckily our school doesn't do this; I couldn't have coped with the boredom. However, long term I don't think it harm the child, just bores the parents senseless!

Either find a local school that has a more intelligent approach. (our school isn't a popular choice and yet seems to take an intelligent approach to things like this, providing appropriate books and not restricting reading levels)

or, go with the flow and provide more interesting books at home.

By the way, I don't think that children get taught to read by parents or school; my dd just seems to pick it up whether we do lots of little. She is not a phonetic read either.

[Marne]

Like builde said- dd1 is now in her 2nd year, in reception she was getting a book each week, now she's on white books (close to becoming a free reader) and they only let her change her book once a week and rarely listen to her read.

On the other hand we read every day at home so i'm not overly bothered how much she reads at school.

[mymumsweats]

Our class is mostly at a similar stage - almost all are on pink or red.

It is amazing how different schools progress at such different rates and the most 'advanced' children and the average ones in one school might be on a very different stage to those in another.

Do they all end up at the same stage by year 2 /3?