I am a primary teacher, my DS has just started school and his teacher has a policy of not giving a reading book until children are 'ready'. I can see the reasoning behind this of not wanting to put young children off. However my DS knows all his letter sounds, can decode 2 and 3 letter words independently and is starting to read high frequency 'tricky' words. He is able to read patterned stories from Oxford Reading Tree Stage 2 with me at home. In my experience this indicates reading readiness, I can't see how he could possibly be more ready! Another child in his class knows all his initial phonemes, can blend and read 60 words on sight, and also has no book [hshock].
I feel as though I am being asked to prove he's good enough to receive a reading book. He needs the books to move on and build his skills. Do any early years teachers reading this know what criteria for reading readiness could be responsible for this strange approach? At parents evening the teacher said she 'couldn't see it in DS' without defining what 'it' is. Obviously I am going to pursue this after half term if no book is forthcoming. Anyone with similar experiences?
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Reading readiness in reception - anyone else (esp EY teachers) experienced this?
BeingHumum · 21/10/2011 20:10
Oh dear Shakey, your plight is worse than mine! Don't you have a reading book from school either? Your DS sounds very well ahead of his years. My DS is more of a Mr. Average, but it seems weird teaching him to read so he can have a book, talk about cart before the horse 
No, no books from school :( Just a jolly phonics book where he has to trace the letter, find something beginning with said letter and stick it in the book.
To be fairer (and elaborate) he is the youngest in the class. He was 4 in August and many of them have already turned 5 so socially and physically he is behind you know? His writing skills are not as good as some and he'll never make the football team 
. He is an only child so used to the company of adults. Consequently, his vocabulary/expression is also ahead of his years and I think a lot of the other kids just don't "get" him.
Mine is also an only, but a December birthday and looking more likely to be in the football team than the 'top table' 
We have had books with no words for the last 4 weeks. At parents evening I brought up that DD could read, the reply was yes she read us a book today we needed to see who was ready for books and who wasn't first and it has been hard to assess the other children some even held their books upside down and didn't look like they had ever seen a book before 
. DD came home yesterday with a book with words which is 3 levels harder than the no word book and a note in her reading diary saying try this if it is too easy we will go up a level each book till we get where she is 
. Guess you have to remember that not all children are as far ahead as yours but once they do get a book they will fly up the levels. You could always just go to the library in the mean time
Wow, a huge range of approaches here from different schools! A few of the children have been given books, so if I'm honest most of my grumpiness is down to the competitive mum factor 
and I swore I would never behave like this .
I have word cards and a few ORT books, and plenty of lovely books and a fantastic library, so will keep encouraging him until he is deemed worthy of a book. Sneaks of to plan snooping strategies to assess the reading of the book worthy children
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