Not to send ds to extra reading before school

[Psipsina]

We've been 'selected' apparently for ds to attend a special reading club before school three times a week, before school. He will be reading to some older children (he is 7).

The club starts at 8.30. We normally struggle to get to school for the usual time (8.40-45) with a short car journey and a car/clothing/breakfast resistant toddler.

Apart from this ds2 is a brilliant reader and well ahead of the stage he 'ought' to be on (apparently). He can read pretty much anything fluently and understand most of it too.

I'm not boasting but I just feel slightly cross that they are suggesting it is really important he attends special extra reading sessions, which would be difficult for me, and now I feel bad that I'm not 'supporting his needs'. Or that I shall be seen as not supporting them.

If we lived within walking distance it wouldn't be so bad but it is a 40 minute walk each way and trying to get everyone out on time is a nightmare.

AIBU to say no, thank you?

You really can' spend 4 x 10 minutes a week with your child OP?

At what point do we 'make it' and not have to do this any more?

When he is older and you have to help him with an hour or so a night homework. It doesn't get easier in terms of time and attention needed to support them at home. Mine are 18 and 15 doing A levels and gcses and it's a lot more input than ten minutes four times a week.

OP, my DC have to keep reading records up to Y6. (which is why I instituted the practice of them writing it up themselves). Reading little and often is generally considered to be "better" than one long session, so I'm not surprised the school has picked up that they feel your DS should read more frequently. If you can show he does, they will stop "bothering" you!

Thanks, Red.

Fairenuff - of course I can. I would just rather not do it over a dull book. I am HEing my 11yo and well aware of the need to spend time with my children and to help with their homework.

Please don't assume that I just don't give a damn about them.

I do see why the morning arrangement is tricky, and I think at the very least you should ask for more info about why it is being suggested and what specific benefits it will bring. But elsewhere, to be honest, you are coming across as someone who just can't be arsed. I am genuinely surprised that ten minutes every night is a big faff but you can put aside 50 minutes for sustained reading one night - does that actually get honoured, or does it turn into actually about 10 mins once you've dealt with interruptions, taken other kids to the toilet and so on? Also, all the reading I've seen you mention sounds less inspiring even than the standard school texts (baby books being read to sibling, Argos catalogue etc.) What does your DS like to sit and read independently that is actually aimed at him?

If it helps we had something similar with a 'Maths Rocket' scheme. ds was invited to join this scheme where they were going to play lots of fun maths games and assist in love of maths. It was on a tuesday after school. There was no way we could manage it as we both work full time and the after school club and childminder we used could not pick him up at that time.
Turns out he has no issues in math. The school just thought it would help him to enjoy math more and do even better. Sigh.
Ds was overjoyed when he found he didn't have to go. He was unconvinced by the rocket.

I think TAs can be a bit ............. Not sure how to put it. Frustrated teachers? Perhaps thats it. Is the TA an older lady? Two of mine are teachers, one has mixed feelings about TAs, some great some not. One is less keen, particularly in the NQT year when an older TA tried to run the show. She found that a 5'3" 8 stone NQT who looked about 18 was well able to look after herself.

I think level 12 is a good standard for a 7 year old, I would just say no thanks.

Fairenuff - of course I can. I would just rather not do it over a dull book.

You might prefer not to but it's better to just get it done. All subjects have their dull aspects but we can't chose not to do maths or science for example, so we should just get on with reading too.

It doesn't even have to be the school book, as long as it's a suitable level. What books does he like that he could read to you for 10 minutes?

Fairenuff I am surprised you need to do so much at GCSE and A level. My kids all did A levels that I would never have chosen, well not quite true there was one that I loved. I wouldn't have been any use in any of the other subjects. I didn't help other than providing food and drinks to keep them going when they were revising. They all got good GCSE and A level results and went to university. At university I did proof read dissertations.

I don't really understand why you would be resistant to this. Getting up half an hour earlier just means everyone goes to bed half an hour earlier, no? And although you might be right that the TA has mis-assessed his reading level deliberately because she doesn't like you, it seems, shall we say, more likely that they want him to go because the school genuinely thinks he's not reading as well as he might. And whatever the reading level, children are likely to benefit from reading with an adult. It seems perverse and obstructionist to oppose this to me.

And level is 12 is below where he should be at 7 right?

Even 15 is not right for a 7 year old actually.

Get him to record his reading so you can listen to it in the car and ask him questions? Might be fun. You could fill in the reading diary at your leisure afterwards.

That's the sort of thing I'm talking about granny, I helped make revision timetables, listen to them practice their MFL speaking ca's, test them when asked, help find maths answers when stuck, all that sort of thing. Just keeping them on task and checking that they are doing what they say they are going to do. But it's not so much the revision now, it's all through the year, checking that they are on top of their workload and helping where needed. Certainly more than when they were 7/8 years old and only needed ten minutes a night.

Don't think so They. If you're talking about scheme books the 'levels' can vary between branded schemes....

Also I'm a bit :O at reading recipes, the argos catalogue and books to younger sibling only... take him to the library and get him something challenging and fun!

Get a rubber stamp made in your handwriting saying,

'Read well.' + your initials.

Here:

www.stampsdirect.co.uk/

Most 6/7 year olds in Year 2 would be expected to be 'free readers' by now (sn aside) and the books would be about Stage 12/13. Roald Dahl would be a typicalappropriate book and I'm sure the school would be happy if OP wrote in the diary 'DS read Chapters 1 & 2 of Fantastic Mr Fox' for example.

Theycallmemellowjello, does it vary with different schemes. I help with reading at a local primary, according to the chart at the school level 12 is for 8 to 9 year olds. I can't remember what level 15 is, none of the 7 year olds I hear are that high.

Fairenuff, I help with a year 2 class in an outstanding school, none of them are free readers.

Fairenuff, I don't think you should need to be doing so much at A level, they could be at university in a few months. They could make their own revision timetables and keep on track. I was a mother at that age. 17 and 18 year olds don't need as much help as 7 year olds, at least none of the ones I know.

It's fine granny, when they are adults at uni they will have all the tools to do it themselves

I work in a Year 2 class in a good school and all of them are free readers (sn excepted).

OP, can your DS write well enough to write 'Title of book' followed by pages read, followed by 'to self' or 'to mum'?

When I taught Y3, most children wrote the above in their diaries, then parent signed it at the end of the week.

But you do need to talk to the school to see if it is the lack of recording that is the basis of the issue, or whether there is another reason why your child has been selected for this activity. They may, however clumsily, have observed that you are struggling to find time for 1:1 reading, and be doing this to help you...

Oh GOD the Argos thing was a joke. Does no one else's child present the damned thing to them on a regular basis asking for stuff? No? Then I have failed in that regard too.

He has just sat on a chair next to me, quite unsolicited and read the whole of his 62 page stage 14 (oh yes, he's been promoted again) book to himself in under an hour.

He is also reading Mr Stink, I can't remember all the others but the point remains that his reading is fine and it would be difficult for us to manage this club so we're not going to do it.

I can be arsed but not when something doesn't seem necessary. The stage scheme we have is ORT; I don't know what is usual at his age, but his teacher said he was exceeding expectations and that was 3 weeks ago so I'll take her word for it.

One of my children teaches A level, they tell me the most important thing at A level is to make sure they are independent learners or they will struggle at uni. Worked for mine, all got firsts at highly rated unis.

Fairenuff, maybe you have small reading scheme, I have just looked up reading levels and level 12 is at the top end of year 2.

Psipsina it sounds like he is doing fine. When mine were little they loved the Arogs catalogue so it sounds perfectly normal to me. The thing with AIBU is that some people just like to have a go whatever you say and obviously whatever you do they do with bells on. Level 14 sounds good to me, in the school I volunteer in I think the best reader in year 2 is on Level 13, and little boys love Mr Stink.