to write a note in the reading diary saying...

[EvilTwins]

...that my DTDs are not going to read their reading books this holiday.

DTDs are in Yr 2. They each have 4 reading scheme books for the Easter holidays. At home, DTD1 is currently reading the first Harry Potter book, and DTD2 is reading The BFG. I am very very happy to listen to them reading these, and to write which chapters they've read in their reading diaries, but they find their school reading books so dull. WIBU to not make them read their reading books over the holidays but to listen to them reading their own choice of books instead?

[Thewhingingdefective]

When my children bring home several books for the holidays there is no expectation that they read all of them, it is just giving them a selection to have to keep them going. It is no big deal for us as we have plenty of our own books so they won't run out of reading material, but some kids probably go home to houses with no books at all.

I sign my DCs reading records whenever and whatever they read; sometimes it's their school book, sometimes something of their own choosing. School have never had a problem with it. They have certainly never ticked off my DCs for not reading a bunch of reading scheme books in the holiday.

[Molehillmountain]

If its the only issue, I'd be tempted to leave it tbh. I know I've posted that I get dd to read the school books, but within that I a) don't get her to read them every night b) only get her to read two pages out loud and then the rest in her head c) did raise issues when they were clearly not keeping pace with her when she had clicked with reading in reception d) when she was given three books for hols, I write super reading in her record and we hadn't read all three. So I'm not dogged in my plodding through the scheme. I just don't think that, now she's fluent and selecting her own stuff to read at home, the reading scheme is damaging her love of reading. The day she says that she doesn't want to read at bed time then I'll be concerned. Do you think that's likely with your two?

[EvilTwins]

This is the only thing I have ever had issue with at the school. It is an OFSTED outstanding school and their teacher is fabulous. The girls are very happy there abs I have no concerns with their progress. I have no idea why they're so doggedly wedded to the reading scheme, but they are. The only time the girls skipped through levels was at the start of Yr2 where they were re-tested and skipped through three levels. However, since then they've slogged through scheme books. I did write a lengthy note in their link books last holiday, explaining what they'd been reading and there was no problem with that. Perhaps I need to be more overt and ask if it's ok for them to read their own books instead. They both take their books to school and the teacher knows what they're reading as they talk about it- and they talked to me about it at parents' evening last week.

[exoticfruits]

People are making mountains out of mole hills! It is hardly a problem. The teacher would like the DCs to do some reading in the holidays. As a teacher I would far rather they showed some initiative and read for enjoyment than plodded through books they didn't like.
I was like edam-a real bookworm. I have always had a book on the go since I was 6 yrs and found I could read -I have at least one book lined up for when I finish. I remember the sheer boredom of 'group reading' where I was surreptitiously reading ahead.
The last thing a teacher wants to do is put a 6 yr old off reading!

[edam]

Oh good grief, I thought all this plodding along you-must-read-every-book in the scheme nonsense had finished years ago. Used to drive me crackers in primary school - I was bookworm but every school year I had to waste the first week or so reading the next tedious level of the crappy scheme before I was allowed to choose my own books from the library. Grrr. So cross to hear it's still being inflicted on some poor children today!

[harryhausen]

Totally with you Pointythings. This happened with my dd. She didn't finished the levels....just skipped straight to free reading. I never realised what a big 'issue' it obviously is. Our teacher never really made it a big deal so I took my cue from her.

[pointythings]

I'm with the OP, and with Feenie and with all the other teachers on this thread who are talking sense. This school is not a good school. A very able reader should have differentiated reading material sent home, and should be able to skip chunks of the scheme if they have demonstrated ability well above the average.

I have two very able readers, and they were both allowed to leapfrog whole sections of the scheme, bring books in from home and log their progress, and read these books out loud to the teacher/TA and discuss the content to test comprehension. This is how you teach reading well. All this 'you must plod through every single bloody book in the scheme because it will make you a good drone instil good habits' is Govean dystopia.

I wouldn't force my DC to read the school books either, and just log what it was they had actually read. The teacher's reaction will be the acid test of whether the school is doing right by its children.

[cory]

I think a useful skill to teach dc is how to negotiate. By e.g. (if you haven't broken up yet) asking the teacher nicely "would it be ok to read a chapter out of X instead?" Or (if you have broken up) reading some reading books and putting those in and then reading a few bits of other books and putting that in the reading diary.

[storynanny]

Not sure that the op will actually be letting her children think they don't have to do what their teacher tells them will she? Surely there is a way of getting round this reading at home situation without a lot of angst and drama?
" let's have a quick look through the school books to make sure you can read any tricky words"

[Feenie]

i think it is completely unacceptable for you to show your dds that not doing something the teacher has sent home is ok

Not doing it would involve no reading whatsoever.

No one is suggesting that.

[YellowandGreenandRedandBlue]

i think it is completely unacceptable for you to show your dds that not doing something the teacher has sent home is ok

You see, I think it is really bad to teach kids they have to do exactly what they are told even if it has no benefit. I think initiative is a vital skill, as is self-directon.

[Feenie]

Ofgs, the teacher, if she is any good, will not mind and will be v pleased that her prime objective was actually surpassed using real books.

[spottyparrot]

Op, I think it is completely unacceptable for you to show your dds that not doing something the teacher has sent home is ok.

Your dd's are good readers for their age. Their reading will not be harmed by not doing the books the teacher has set. However, their attitude towards the teacher's authority and resect for the teacher may very well be harmed.

I don't allow my dc to bypass anything the school sets. Earlier this term, my dd was reading four ORT levels too low at school. We still whizzed through the school books and then read some of our own. Teacher then put her up those 4 levels so now we mainly read the school stuff with a smaller quantity of home stuff. Point is my dd understands that she must respect the teacher and the homework set.

I am sure that they could whizz through the school books and you should set a good example by asking them to IMO.

On one occasion (having been exposed to some of my bad language, so believe me I am far from a perfect parent!) my dd said of a school book (aged 4 ) - "ugh, this book is completely shit". I said, yes it was but MissX had asked her to read it so we should do that, whilst pmsl. So, she read it. And then I reminded her not to use the word shit!

[exoticfruits]

As a teacher I would ask why? I wouldn't read a 'dire' book-why expect a DC to spend their holiday doing it? It is hardly as if they will do it well-skim over it to get it out of the way, I expect.

[Feenie]

Really? Why should they?

[BarbaraWoodlouse]

My personal opinion on the matter is that they should read at least a substantial chunk of the school books alongside their personal choices. My PFB (Y1 not remotely a stealth boast honest ) is on lime books so I know the level and length and that at least some of them are pretty dire. Some of the non-fiction ones have been a big hit however and are on amusingly random subjects! What they do however, along with a weekly spelling list, is reliably consolidate all of the phonics knowledge and rules she has gained to date and I don't want her to miss out on this important step in her learning.

IMO a truly proficient reader at this level should be able to handle the school choices and still have time and appetite for free reading.

[Pozzled]

As a teacher, I want the children in my class to enjoy reading and be motivated to read. If they're choosing their own books, that is fantastic - my only concern would be whether they were reading at the right level. If I needed them to read a particular book in order to do follow up work, I'd make that clear to the child or parents depending on the age.

As a parent, I have a lot of respect for my child's teacher. I therefore assume that she also wants children to enjoy reading and is likely to be more interested in whether or not my daughter is making progress, than in whether or not she has read book 7f in some monotonous scheme. I have seen on here that there are some teachers (and schools) like that, but the sooner they are challenged, the better.

[Kazooblue]

Actually I should say I was.

Still on a break.

[Kazooblue]

Waves back

[Kazooblue]

Oh and now and again my dc drop books they find dull. Not often but simply won't read for hours with a book they hate.

My 3 read a couple of hours a day.

I do it too.Did it this week in fact,doesn't happen often.

[Feenie]

I am also a Literacy coordinator

[Kazooblue]

Another teacher (literacy co-ordinator)who would go with the non scheme.

One of my dtwins was reading the same in rec(thankfully he had a fab teacher who encouraged him to go off piste). The other two did the same in year 1 autumn.It was pointless as they couldn't fit in both and no way was I going to plough through Biff and Chip instead of Roald Dhal.

All 3 are avid readers now and very able at reading,they devour shedloads.

When they get to the level in the op surely you're flogging a dead horse with scheme books.

[YellowandGreenandRedandBlue]

The reading is not differentiated, it is just 'read through this scheme' usually. That is the whole problem.

[Feenie]

But they are only in Y2, Molehill - they can't have been reading this well for long. It's a really important stage, and I do think that reading something dull could affect their enjoyment. It's the wrong message and the wrong time. The Y2 teacher will want to make sure her children learn to read and to enjoy it. Her work here is done, and she will be delighted about that!

[Molehillmountain]

In fairness, the op's daughters are already reading for fun and the books sent home aren't going to stop that being the case. That's neither here nor there on some ways but with already confident readers I don't think reading something dull is going to undo the enjoyment they derive from other books.
Although this may not be the case for the op's children, geberalky speaking the reading books are the most differentiated piece of "work" they get in school. The maths homework that op was happy about being tailored to the children's needs would be one of four different pieces of work. I never find it to be stretching to dd and I suspect in her class the sane piece of work is given to everyone. Books sent home are at least given on an individual basis, even if it takes a bit to keep up with children.