To not really get the point of Reading chest?

[BrittaPerry]

It's just a postal library, right? That you pay or an can't choose what books you get?

[MyNutcrackerSuiteAudrina]

You can choose the level, select which schemes you want or don't want and whether you prefer fiction, non-fiction or both. I think it's a brilliant idea and has been fantastic for DS who devours books. Much cheaper than a trip to the very non-local library or buying them.

Mind you, DS has autism and finds libraries challenging.

Wish I'd thought of it.

[GW297]

I also think it's a brilliant idea and wish I'd thought if it first!

[BrittaPerry]

I suppose if you can't get to a library it would have a point, but otherwise, ordering books on a kids ticket is free and there are no fines, you can have up to twenty books at once and you can return/loan books from any libraries in the same council area. Your children might see something they didn't think they were interested in, they can get an audiobook, which is a brilliant way to extend their reading. They can try books out of level, you can help them establish good research skills and so on.

If you really must stick on one level, just order the books that are on the lists on the backs of the books. Most libraries have plenty of reading schemes in anyway.

Plus it is free and if we don't use the libraries they will close. Which will mean books really will only be available if you have the money.

[parakeet]

I found it useful, as both my children really liked the Oxford Reading Tree scheme (one to the extent she didn't want to read any other reading scheme books at one stage) and my local library didn't have any ORT books at all.

[Sonatensatz]

I have used them and found them fantastic, the books are graded reading books which we can't get in our local library. I joined because my ds2 was flying along at reading and his teacher was sending home books way below his reading level. It also enabled us to continue with their reading during the school holidays when the school collected all the books back. We were able to specify certain schemes and fiction or non fiction. My kids loved getting the books through the post too. I also liked the fact that we got the new versions of the reading scheme books so they never doubled up with books from school.

Using reading chest also didn't stop us using the library we still used that for looking for books on specific topics and for books for me to read to them. Now they are able to read the books in the library themselves we don't use it any more.

[BrittaPerry]

Parakeet,c ould you not just order the ORT from the library?

We got a cheap set fom the book people and for various reasons didn't need any more, but libraries can all get any book in. Now dd2 is starting to learn we might end up ordering some from the library. Tbh I dont really like reading schemes anyway - we use them for practising basic skills but I would rather use 'real life' reading - normal books with varying levels of adult help, newspaper headlines, shopping lists etc, along with things like education city.

If that is what you want to spend your money on, fair enough, it just seems like I'm missing something when people recommend it.

[Shattereddreams]

I wouldn't use reading chest as our local library service is excellent.
Only 12 books though, jealous of your 20 OP.
I reseacrh books at DD level then search the e library online, place holds and have the books delivered to local library free of charge.
Our borough also will allow borrowing from neighbouring borough. All free.

[MyNutcrackerSuiteAudrina]

DS' school focuses on social skills rather than academic ones. He wasn't getting structured books or being heard read in Reception so while his reading was really taking off we had a book a night for just four pounds each week. He astounded everyone with the Yr 1 phonics check and will be being moved from R / Yr 1 to the Year 2 / 3 class after Christmas.

I've surprised myself really because I'm a former teacher and always hated the idea of ploughing through schemes regardless. Got into trouble once for sending home a big information book that a boy was desperately interested in because it wasn't a "reading" book oh, and for telling children that they could dip in and out of non-fiction or anthologies rather than reading them page by page But DS craved the practice and it's become part of his self-imposed strict bedtime routine. We break it up with chapter books read to him and letting him have a go at the books he already owns.

Totally agree that real reading is important. So many different types of literature in the environment. I should make more of an effort to use the library despite the tutters and pointers, if only to support the service.

Doesn't sound like you're missing out in your situation. I do know that Reading Chest offer incentives to get friends to subscribe. Are you being given the hard sell?

[MyNutcrackerSuiteAudrina]

at stealth-boast at the end of my first paragraph. It isn't really. Just that in DS' school they follow the EYFS in R / Yr1 and he needs to be taught and assessed using NC levels as he would be in mainstream.

[PeppermintCreams]

I looked into it and thought it a good idea. We are only getting Biff and Chip books from school.

Our library only lets each child borrow 5 books at a time. (Adults 10) It only splits the reading scheme books up into KS1 books and KS2 books which makes it really hard to find books at the exact level my son was on, at the very beginning. And by the time we reserved something he would have gone up a level.

However I decided to invest the money I would have spent on the Reading Chest on the early levels of Songbird books and some project X books which has kept us going and now he's at a stage where it doesn't matter what books we pick from the KS1 section in the library. He can read most of the words of all of the books, or we take it in turns on each page for the harder ones. The books we've brought can be handed down to younger family members or resold for a good price.

What we did was certainly right for us.