Bloody bloody bloody ORT books and reading homework

[HuwEdwards]

DD1 is on stage 8 ORT - and these mommas have 30-odd pages in.

We're asked to make sure some reading is done ach night and school leave it up to us to change the books as and when we feel.

Thing is they're so bloody long, she reads half one night and half the next, but has absolutely no interest in reading it again as she already knows the story.

So my question to you is, is reading it through once sufficient d'you think.

(yes, I know I should ask the teacher, but it's always so chaotic in the mornings, I forget)

[NoodleStroodle]

Burn ORT
Move to proper books that you both want to read.
Take in ashes to school

[Enid]

dont understand why she has to read it again?

[Ladymuck]

Why should she read it twice? To the best of my knowledge ds1 has never read any of his twice? Well not since the very early days when the book had 6 words or so (and he was getting most of those wrong first time round).

[HuwEdwards]

oooh tempting, but might the teacher not get a tad arsey with me Noodle?

[Enid]

dd1 hsa done NO ort in year 2 [bliss]

[moopymoo]

We only ever read books once. they tend to be quite simple stories that dont need a second go i reckon. we have a chat afterwards to check comprehension then send it back. ds1 (9) is meant to read aloud to me for 20mins every night. in reality he prob does this every other night and reads to himself the other.

[HuwEdwards]

I just thought she ought to practise a couple of times through to make sure she'd really picked up any new words...no?

[Enid]

so she reads a bit one night then finishes it the next night

job done surely

[Enid]

god no

you are mad

[HuwEdwards]

when do they stop anyway - is there Biff and feckin Chip stage 15...?

[NoodleStroodle]

Well if she does not want you to burn the books she should send home decent books.

IMO reading schemes are merely for the benefit of the teacher.

Let DD read what she wants - be it cereal packets, The FT or whatever. Reading schemes are prescriptive and limiting.

Hate 'em

[ahundredtimes]

Drop the repeats, once through is heroic, twice is madness.

[MintyDixCharrington]

don't make the poor sausage read it twice!

thank god my ds 1 finished with ORT in Jan this year (year 1) and is on proper books now.

I now have a whole further year ORT free until ds2 starts in sept 2008 (which will be my third run through them)

[NoodleStroodle]

Minty you need some sort of medal

[Enid]

yes I think they finish completely after year one at dd1s school whatever stage they are on

have seen no evidence of them in year 3 or above

[LIZS]

We have only ever read them once ! We still get them occasionally at Stage 10 but no Magic Key .

[Ladymuck]

I make a note of any tricky new vocab and then show ds1 the same sentence the following morning. I record it in his reading diary so the teacher can check if she wants.

[Enid]

dd2 is LOOKING FORWARD to reading htem

she LIKes BIFF

[MintyDixCharrington]

I certainly will in September...oooooh.... 2010 when I will be starting it for the FOURTH time with dd2

[NoodleStroodle]

Enid get her assessed - there might be something wrong there

[HuwEdwards]

yes, My DD2 loves them. Adores the little floppy fecker.

[ChipButty]

NoodleStroodle - why are you so aggressive towards teachers?!

ORT is fine and it builds up repetition and confidence with keywords. There is no need to read the books over and over as long as your child has understood.

No teacher would expect you to just read ORT in isolation. Most good parents will have a variety of books at home to be shared as well as the school scheme books.

[NoodleStroodle]

Chip - It's not teachers per se but it is their addicition to reading schemes. One size does not fit all - don't the appalling literacy rates in our school leavers point to that (not that that is all Biff 7 Chips fault!). But at a very young age children see reading as a chore, something to be done before more exciting play, a set of something to be worked up but it should not be so.

Why does ORT have no poetry?

[DontAskMeToJudgeCupCakeComps]

we have ort at a higher stage, but they are factual books - dinosaurs/myths/shipwrecks etc, and they are quite good. They are new to school, so possibly a new range. My son is Y but doesn't have biff chip annena etc anymore! I have only ever read each book once, never repeated!

[DontAskMeToJudgeCupCakeComps]

should say year 2!