Reception Year School Reading Books

[evolucy7]

Hi there, I would like to hear some views on reception year reading books, or I suppose reading books at any stage from school.

Should the book be easy as in the child can pick it up and read and re-tell and answer questions straightaway, with only perhaps 1 word in a book or sometimes no words that they cannot read immediately? These are usually names of people or as an example yesterday 'salamander' which she did not know but when she broke it down phonetically worked it out.

Is this the same for most reception year children, or are the books meant to be more challenging? My DD gets ORT Stage 2 books, which I thought was quite standard for reception year, yet her teacher asked me in September if I was ok with her to doing spelling tests and guided reading with the Year 1s, which she has now done ever since, so I am a little confused, she obviously thinks she reads at a level above her reception year. I have never said anything to her teacher about the books, do you think that she realises that my DD can read straightaway, and reads higher levels at home, and does she just want to 'consolidate' thats the 'in' word isn't it

I am quite happy to talk to the teacher, but just wanted some views and experiences please.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

IMO, and I'm not a teacher, if she is doing guided reading and spelling tests with Yr1 I would expect her reading books to be more challenging.

DS is in Yr2. His books have always been a little challenging, but not too much. His teacher seems to have the right balance between improving his reading and keeping his confidence.

What books does she read with year 1?

[evolucy7]

I've just looked in her Reading Record book, I googled the last 2 they did in guided reading, 'Where is Curly' and 'Josie and the Baby' they are listed as Year 1 Guided Reading books. So I would have thought that she should read her own books at the same level?!
When you say 'a little challenging' what do you mean, several words per book to work out?

[evolucy7]

bump....anyone else's experience please

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Yes, he has to work out a few words but can read the majority.

[poshme]

IME of teaching y3 we tended to give children mire challenging books at school, and suggest easier books for home. Partly as some parents didn't want/ weren't able to give support when reading mire challenging books, and it gave the child confidence to able to read some books easily. In reception it's as much to do with learning that reading is fun as it is to do with learning to decode the words IMO. My reception age son gets books that are generally easier- he says- than the ones he reads with the teacher. Hth

[poshme]

Mire= more. Bloody iPhone!

[amidaiwish]

DD2 is in reception and is on reading stage 2 and has to sound out about 1/3 of the words (much, fuss etc...). I think she is at the right level, certainly not reading "salamander" or having spelling tests

DD1 was an exceptional reader in reception and by now in reception was on about stage 10. She was off the scheme by christmas in Y1. It sounds like your dd is more like my dd1 and i would expect her to be significantly ahead of level 2 from what you say. Do you know what the school's policy is re the levels? Do they have to go through every stage? I would approach it from an "Understanding the system" angle with the teacher rather than tell her they are too easy etc...

[evolucy7]

I spoke to her teacher this morning, she has mover her on to ORT 3. She read the book tonight the only word she had to sound out rather than sight read was 'shout'. I got the impression from her teacher that maybe as she was already working hard in other areas they were letting her enjoy some easy reading?! Anyway problem solved I suspect that now they know I would rather she read more challenging books this will happen.

Thanks for comments agreeing that perhaps she should be reading more challenging books, it's good to here that it is not just me thinking something.

[NicolaMarlow]

DD is in reception and has recently started getting harder books. They use various books that have been banded but she was having no problems with ort 2 and now has some ort 5 books as well as others. There hasn't been any suggestion of her working with year 1, although I know she and another child in reception have been having guided Reading as a pair, given their similar abilities.

DD's harder books were driven by her teacher but when I felt she needed something a bit harder earlier on, I suggested it.

[NicolaMarlow]

How the school organises which book they have next makes a difference too - some like children to read every one whereas some are happy for them to just find books they like to read.

[evolucy7]

Thanks Nicola, I think that is the key sometimes to actually say that you feel that they need something harder. I do find it odd though the reading level, her spellings for test this week are;

drink
think
blink
stink
slink
shrink

She started doing tests/guided reading and other stuff with Yr 1 from September and I have been told that she hasn't ever got a spelling wrong. It is a mixed class so it is easier for her to do stuff with Yr1 the other Reception children then do stuff with more capable Nursery children.

I really don't mean this to sound anything other than just trying to see what other people's experiences may be and how spellings and certainly guided reading I suppose as it is reading, fit in with the level of reading books for home.

[evolucy7]

squidgy...I think there are mixed views (certainly on mn) on the age at which children should have spelling tests and how useful they actually are. Personally I think they are good, but then perhaps they are not suitable for all children, not saying that they are not for your DS, just that if a school has this view then perhaps they just don't do them until later.

[evolucy7]

Are you in Scotland then? So is your DS in P1 the equivalent of Reception in England?

So P3 is like Yr2 in England?

As my children are at a school that do spelling tests, then I feel it is useful, but if they weren't I would probably do what you say and check the spelling when they learn to read a word. I guess what I think is good about the spelling tests my DD1 does is that they help learn the beginning sounds e.g. this week dr, th, bl, st, sl, shr, as well as the ending 'ink'. A great concept of how many words are formed and helps in the understanding of other word formats too. Perhaps you could do this if you wanted.

[NicolaMarlow]

My DS is in year 2 and only started having spelling tests this year. Not sure whether they make a difference to his spelling or not - he is getting better though which is good :)

[HouseOfBamboo]

Can't see the point of spelling tests until at least year 2 or 3. Up till then they are just getting to grips with understanding words and enjoying being able to read, and make up their own words and stories on a page.

When I was young [gimmer] we had daily spelling tests from the age of about 7 (10 words to take home and learn every night). I think it was definitely a good thing and only took a few minutes in class in the morning.

[evolucy7]

House...the spelling tests my DD has are helping her to learn to read too and she has got every one right since September, why would this not be encouraged, she is getting to grips with spelling and reading words without a problem, as are many other children at her school.
As I said this weeks are;

drink
think
blink
stink
slink
shrink

They help learn the beginning sounds dr, th, bl, st, sl, shr, as well as the ending 'ink'. A great concept of how many words are formed and helps in the understanding of other word formats too.

[HouseOfBamboo]

I can't imagine spelling tests per se would be good for a lot of Reception or even Y1 children. My DD (in Reception) really loves reading and stories. She takes great pride in being able to read stories by herself and is coming on in leaps and bounds. But it's a delicate balance as she's also very sensitive to 'failure'.

She writes words and stories herself and asks me if they are spelled properly (which they often aren't, but are bloody good tries considering she's only 4 and a half). She gets very upset if I'm truthful and say that there's even one letter wrong. I try to counteract this with lots of praise for writing such a great story etc.

I think she would be very nervous and demotivated by being 'tested' at school at this stage in her learning. Don't get me wrong, I'm as motivated and 'pushy' a parent teacher as anyone when it comes to reading, I just don't think that spelling tests are necessary in Reception. While they might suit some children, they would be counterproductive in others. And that's not even taking into account the Reception children who barely know the alphabet.

If they do enjoy spelling test games then it's probably just as valuable to do it as a one to one game at home.

[amidaiwish]

DD2 in reception are encouraged to write, phonetically. so yacht is yot, sausages are sosijis etc..

this is not corrected until Y1 when spelling tests start. it is thought in our school that the children need to be encouraged to get words onto paper as the initial and critical first step.

[amidaiwish]

oh and DD2 in Y2 has never ever got a spelling wrong in her spelling test.
yet frequently spells words (that have been tested) incorrectly in her writing (eg beautiful, friend etc...) so although i think spelling tests are useful i don't think it always translates into correct spelling in their writing!

[evolucy7]

Thanks vegasmum, my DD did Reception High Frequency Words some of which you have listed last year in the Nursery part of the school, I know she can read and spell those (with the same teacher as she has now actually as they have had a re-jig if classes). Most of the others words like that, the type you have listed she knows to read, I'm not sure if she could spell them all, that is a good idea I will check with her.
She is very interested in reading, but I think easy books are a bit boring for her, when she still got the ORT2 books she kept asking of her own accord at school for 2 books each day, she said 1 book was just too quick. I have noticed that she will look at books we have which I bought to read to the girls when they were younger, and initially say that she can't read them, but in many cases she can. I am hoping that now I have raised this that it will be kept on top of. I would expect to her read a decent amount of books at each level now to be sure that she does know all the variety of new words, but hopefully progress to more challenging books might be a little quicker.
Vegasmum...how challenging are the books to your DD? How many words might she not know on sight? I am still a little confused about this aspect.