Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that my kids schools should send home reading books that......

65 replies

workshy · 15/09/2011 18:43

they haven't had before?

DD in year 3 and has so far had 5 reading books, all of which have been promptly returned to school as she has read them previously -over a year ago!!!

I have spoken directly to the teacher, and sent 2 letters in and tonight yet another book came home that she read at the end of reception ffs

I could quite happily march up to the teacher and throw the bloody book at her in the morning

it's not like she has changed school or anything -surely they should have a record of what books she has read????

OP posts:
tjacksonpfc · 15/09/2011 20:41

Maybe its an over sight on the teachers part perfectly possible, teachers are after all human.

Or maybe they felt that your dcs reading is good but her understanding of the book and whats being written isn,t so they thought putting her back a bit would help. Its all well and good being able to read but understanding of what you are reading is also important.

The school I work in have been back 2 weeks now and we have been reassesing childrens reading ability and moving there levels if necesary. We moved one child up 4 levels and he may well move up another one next week. What I'm trying to say is give it another week or so to give the teacher time to settle in with the children and sort there levels out. At the end of the day any reading is better than none.

Oggy · 15/09/2011 21:05

My son is on too low a level for him and the teachers actively have a policy of sending books more than once so the children can get more out of it the second time so this is pretty common I would imagine.

I get a bit annoyed that his books are too easy for him, but (big but), he reads lots more challenging stuff at home for pleasure (and subject matter that is more interesting to him than Biff and Chip et al). Also there is something to be said for ploughing through an easy book in terms of confidence gained.

We always make a point of commenting that he reads it word perfect with full comprehension, it's possible he reads more lazilly with his new teacher than he does with us, but I also suspect that he is one of the higher performers in the class in reading so while he is on a higher level than most there is probably no rush on their part to speed him along.

I have just decided to relax about what he brings home, let him read what he wants for pleasure and enjoy his confidence boost he gets when he can speed through his school book perfectly.

Every now and then I will ask for him to be assessed again if it seems necessary but no point getting into an argument with teacher over it.

Can't remember what the actual AIBU question is now after that rant.

NorfolkBroad · 15/09/2011 21:25

workshy, being a teacher is a hard job (lovely though in my opinion) but it's not that difficult to ensure that children are sent home with appropriate reading books. I don't know which exact books my class read last year but I am aware of their reading levels plus if a child or their parent told me they had had the book before I would change it straight away. It's not acceptable for this to keep happening, it's not the end of the world but the teacher ought to sort it. Good Luck!

TheFlyingOnion · 15/09/2011 21:28

"even 1 or 2 weeks wasted can make a difference"

... to what, exactly?

FigsAndWine · 15/09/2011 21:39

I don't think the teachers are paying attention to what level books your DD is reading. It's up to you to make sure that if she's reading aloud, then it is challenging to her. Don't rely on school books and teachers - get her to read something else to you.

teta · 15/09/2011 21:40

Flying onion ,are you spoiling for a fight?.Either that or you are not very bright!.I really do hope that you are not a teacher near me.This is the first time i have ever got riled on mumsnet.

Talker2010 · 15/09/2011 21:45

Whilst I understand your frustration ... I would also agree that you could give her another book from home or library to read

You say she needs t write a book review and that to me means that the actual book and its level could be considered second place to this activity ... if she is just starting to write reports perhaps easier books will enable this

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 21:50

ahhhhh

I hadn't thought of that -with the written work being the focus rather than the reading -thank you for being the voice of reason :-)

(and I do read with her, she reads recipies out when we cook, she reads her book at bedtime -we take it i turns to do funny voices etc, and she reads by herself for fun, I have no concerns about her reading ability, but about the fact she is being turned off schoolwork by the lack of challenge)

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 15/09/2011 21:51

It can be hugely frustrating for you if your child brings home a book that they read last year because you feel that the teacher is not aware of your child's reading abilities. In my school, the ORT book sent home are not used at all in class. Teachers will hear children read, decode and comprehend a variety of texts every day and be well aware of their abilities. The home books are for sharing, general enjoyment, to build confidence and fluency and are therefore often a lower level than the parent would like. Some parents enjoy them because their child can read easily and learns to 'sight read' words instead of sounding them all out.

I change the books in my class (Year 1) twice a week and I keep a record. If the parent says the book is too hard/easy, I will hear the child read and move them onto a different level or style of book. Children sometimes skip whole levels, it's a very individual approach.

If your DD is reading fluently, provide extra books from libraries and charity shops to read as well as the book from school. Give it a couple more weeks and if you are still receiving books she has read previously, just remind the teacher or teaching assistant of what level she was last on, or where you think she should be.

If all else fails, offer to volunteer to help in class and suggest you change her own book for her to save the others a job Wink

TheFlyingOnion · 15/09/2011 21:57

I fail to see how two weeks extra on a lower reading stage at aged 6 makes the blindest bit of difference to (for example) A level results.... or did I miss the point of the post?

Fairenuff · 15/09/2011 22:02

To be fair, Onion, I do think that if a Year 3 child is receiving reading books that she had already read in Reception, the parent has a point. The OP has said the 'throwing book' was not intended to be taken literally.

dolphin79 · 15/09/2011 22:11

However, if the books are too easy just get child to read something else.

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:18

the original point of the post is that I was blowing off steam about the fact that my daughter's teacher is ignoring my requests to give her a book that she hasn't had before

she has been doing accellerated reading since reception and has therefore read pretty much every reading scheme book below the level that she finished last year on -normally at our school they read a selection at each level but because they didn't want her to progress onto books that weren't age appropriate, she has been reading every book

I was straight in from work and anoyed that despite my very nice note sent in this morning, she was given another book that she has read, and wasn't listened to when she tried to tell the teacher that she had read the book
so I was ranting and didn't word appropriately -apologies

she was reading ORT turquoise level (storem castel, litter queen etc) in reception which is why she considers them baby books, and as a result I'm having a battle as she has been given them again

was just looking for a bit of sympathy really cause I have asked for the jeffing books to be jeffing changed ;-)

OP posts:
Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:21

and please excuse my terrible in my last post -fingers work faster than brain

OP posts:
ballstoit · 15/09/2011 22:23

I don't think that being a bit frustrated is U, but being as cross as you are is over the top IMO. Read something else, do the book review on that something else and then explain why you've done that, repeat as necessary.

And teta, DS will be screwed already, he had 2 weeks off when he had his tonsils out, another week when he had chicken pox and Shock shoot me now, I took him out for a weeks holiday too (after I'd been so ill I nearly died if that makes it less horrific!). So with 4 weeks off in Year 1, I might as well accept now that he's never going to get into university...or perhaps you need to relax a bit?

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:27

I give up

OP posts:
choccyp1g · 15/09/2011 22:32

tjacksonpfcThu 15-Sep-11 20:41:43

^The school I work in have been back 2 weeks now and we have been reassesing childrens reading ability and moving there levels if necesary. We moved one child up 4 levels and he may well move up another one next week. What I'm trying to say is give it another week or so to give the teacher time to settle in with the children and sort there levels out. ^

But why does that happen tjacsonpfc? Do you think the child has improved that much over the holidays, or was he not on the right level before? Will you (or the teacher if you are TA) be having a word with his previous teacher?

I do think it is quite possible for a DC to zoom forward over the summer, but it seems less likely that one could drop back more than one or two levels, or even be overassessed by that much... unless the previous teacher just moved them up for a quiet life. Not suggesting that happened with OPs DD, as she obviously can read well at the higher level.

AbigailS · 15/09/2011 22:32

Sympathy on AIBU? Shock You're hopeful!

Curious - what do you mean by accelerated reading? Maybe the teacher was worried your DC had raced through the books without really being ready to move on?

AbigailS · 15/09/2011 22:37

Yes choccyp1g some teachers do move them up "for a quiet life" - you can't imagine the regular ear bashing I sometimes get from parents determined to have their DC on X level. Luckily I've been teaching long enough and am now thickskinned enough to stand up to the abuse (yes, at times that is what it is Sad), but many teachers aren't!

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:38

she took part in guided reading with her peers but also went up to the year above and took part in their guided reading as well, and was also given 1-2-1 sessions once a week

I have never pushed for this but I wasn't going to say no -it isn't just one teacher that has been assessing her but 3

now she has gone up to key stage 2 though it all seems to have gone a bit wrong?

they did the same with my older one who is now in year 5 and a free reader, no problems at all

OP posts:
AbigailS · 15/09/2011 22:40

Is she on the G&T register? Reading with the year above makes me wonder?

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:42

school has a policy of not telling parents so don't know?

older one is (head told me but advised me not to discuss??????)

OP posts:
AbigailS · 15/09/2011 22:47

At my school everyone gets guided reading with their peers and 1-2-1 sessions every week. So I was just wondering what was "accelerating" about it. Visiting the year above? Are you a smallish school? We are a very large infants so we can differentitate Guided Reading without the need to move year groups (9 children with 11+ reading ages so they make two nice GR groups).
G&T is a minefield and I hate the labelling aspect, then competitive parent aspects, so maybe that's why the head asked for some discretion.

Original poster
workshy · 15/09/2011 22:54

its a large school with 2 form entry from reception upwards -they also have a nursery

they mix the two classes for both literacy and numeracy from January in reception but the school felt that they could not challenge her within her year group so moved her into the year above

all children do guided reading 4 days a week, and children get listened to individually as and when but there is no structure for this -DD got half an hour every week 1-2-1

OP posts:
AbigailS · 15/09/2011 23:02

Thanks, as a teacher that's interesting to know. Goodnight! Must actually prepare my maths for tomorrow now ... MN is to addictive and timewasting!

PS I've been back 7 school days and I still haven't fully assessed all my class and can hand on heart say I'm happy with the book band level they are on. Some have moved backwards, some have really jumped forwards, some have "read" their way to the level they are on without actually gaining the reading skills to be on that level (so I need to find alternatives to the scheme books as they read had them before but are not ready to move up). If you value your relationship with the school and the teacher ... chill. It seems they did a godd job with your older child so give them time to sort themselves out. It's still early in the term