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?

[TwllBach]

I'm a teacher, although KS2. Firstly, I don't really cout reading as homework. If a child didn't do homework I set because they didn't enjoy it, I would be a bit miffed.

If a child is reading Harry potter I would guess that their comprehension of texts is fine.

I would also not have a problem with children in my class reading their own books, unless they were struggling/below where they should be, in which case I would do the belt and braces method, as mentioned up thread.

Yes, children need to know that homework is compulsory, but they are six. as long as they can read, I, as a teacher, don't care what they read as long as they enjoy it.

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

TheFallenMadonna - nope, I've done a lot of science in my time which has entailed a lot of associated maths, and I have never found the maths to be anything but boring and frustrating. But I plough through as a means to an end.

Now, one of my best mates is such a nerd that she will curl up on the sofa of an evening pondering a thorny problem in our field, and I am sure there are maths lovers who do similar. However, I suspect it's unlikely to ever reach the popularity of fiction reading as a hobby...!

[TheFallenMadonna]

Maths worksheets - dull homework.

But then spellings list - dull homework.

Maths problem or investigation - we rather like them.

Sadly, it all seems to depend on what the school's homework policy is. At 6, homework should be for capturing interest and sharing enthusiasm for learning with parents I think.

[Stixswhichtwizzle]

I actively encourage this in my class OP they are reading for fun which is important. I'd much rather see BFG in the reading record being read to mum than nothing! I' ve even encouraged patents if reluctant readers to buy comics. I can't imagine any teacher I know finding fault with this.

YANBU!

[ByTheWay1]

Reading for fun is great - and should be encouraged...but reading for the sake of it should be encouraged too -

when you get to Y6 SATs a lot of kids do really badly in the reading/comprehension test BECAUSE THE TEXT IS DULL AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BOTHER READING IT PROPERLY ...... so if you get them over that hurdle from an early age, things like reading/comprehension tests got through a lot less stressfully!

[Feenie]

Couldn't disagree more - I have never seen a child who loves reading mess up a Y6 reading comprehension because it's dull (but I do agree they are dull as ditchwater). Children who love reading are invariably very good at it.

No - the children who struggle are the ones who don't read, can't read well and never read for pleasure. The way to avoid this is NOT to teach them that reading boring texts is something you have to do from the word go.

[YellowandGreenandRedandBlue]

Maths homework has a point, reading a boring book when you could be reading an interesting one instead is just a poor use of one's life.

I didn't mean all books were boring or all reading is boring, in case that is what you inferred from my post.

[Roseformeplease]

My experience of 6 year olds is a bit out of date (my youngest is 11) but FWIW I think you do still need to do some of the school's reading scheme. Much of what we read is mechanical and for absorbing information, not just because it is a great read. Just as with everything, effort brings rewards. My own children were reading far, far ahead of their peers. We live in a remote area and their peer group is very small so they were working with those one or two years ahead. However, I encouraged them to do what they had to do at school and then we supplemented it with home readers. That way, the school had ticked their boxes and knew what level they had achieved but they also loved reading.

I have just finished reading "How Children Succeed" and it talks about "Grit" as an important part of character that will see children through to having successful lives. I think that teaching them to do what they have been asked to do and then go on and do more is a better life lesson than, "We will just read things that interest us."

I am a Secondary English teacher and we run three separate schemes. In one, pupils choose any book they want from home or the library and report on progress (allowing totally free choice). In the second, they choose a book in a group of 3 from a series of books (to allow them to work with others). The third strand is class texts which we discuss and analyse in greater depth. In that way they are learning both to read what they are given and to read what they choose.

To be honest, OP, I think you have made up your mind, however, and nothing we can say will change it.

If it was another subject (say PE) would you be saying to the school, "My child doesn't like badminton, she will just be playing tennis instead?" Or "Sorry, we don't really rate the Tudors in this household, we will be studying the Victorians."

If they are good readers, they will gallop through the books quickly enough.

[piprabbit]

My DD has to write about the scheme book she has just finished, before she is allowed to move on to the next one. If she hates the book, I encourage to write saying what it was she didn't like, how she would have written the story differently etc.
If the book is so dire that she can't complete it (and there are very few books that she isn't prepared to have a very good crack at) then that is what she writes about "I couldn't read beyond chapter 4 because I found the characters to be unbelievable and unlikeable. The author had not written the story in a way that I found interesting or engaging. I would not recommend this book to other children unless they are very big football fans"

Read the books your DTDs enjoy, encourage them to attempt the other books and talk about what makes them less enjoyable than the books they love.

[Feenie]

If you introduce the notion that some books are boring before you've got them hooked on books and into a daily habit of reading for fun, you've lost them.

^
This.

Much of what we read is mechanical and for absorbing information, not just because it is a great read. Just as with everything, effort brings rewards

Yes, but when everything has just clicked for that child, we need a love of reading and a desire to read to click to at that moment. And that moment is crucual. Everything else can come later.

[Feenie]

crucial!

[katrinefonsmark]

OP- why do you need to make anything pof this? If they start the books and get bored just say they're done or read them to your dcs instead. No need for passive aggressive notes.

[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.

[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!

[YellowandGreenandRedandBlue]

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

[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.

[Feenie]

I am also a Literacy coordinator

[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.

[Kazooblue]

Waves back

[Kazooblue]

Actually I should say I was.

Still on a break.

[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.

[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.