To rebel against reading diary

[Stirling84]

I think I am being unreasonable - but I've cracked.

DS is meant to record pages read. He reads every night but rarely logs more than one session a week. So we have about ten pages of nearly empty grids and 'sad face' comments from teacher.

sigh

"It takes a 7yo much longer than "5 seconds" to write a few sentences, log book name, page numbers, chapter and date.

If I just do it instead of the child, the child loses playtime as a punishment."

That is atrocious. Bollocks to all that. And let's not kid ourselves this is about children's learning and development. This is about schools getting documentation from parents to satisfy Ofsted.

My DS is in year 2 and it's for us to log his reading in the diary after he reads out loud to us, not him. Maybe it's different in year 3/4.

There are many, many parents who stop listening to their children read when they start year three. I suppose the reading diary is a simple way to ensure that they continue to read at home out loud to an adult and for teachers to easily pick up on those who have no support at home at all.

Reading out loud to an adult at home and in school in a group with an adult is still useful, even for quite old and well-read children, as it provides good opportunities for discussion.

I'm not sure about the need for the child to fill in the diary themselves, I can't see it really matters who does it.

Are Ofsted really interested in reading diaries?

Geranium, one of the criteria for Ofsted inspections is 'Pupils read widely and often / Pupils read widely and often across subjects' - reading diaries are amongst the pieces of evidence that a school might use to support their claim that children do this.

TheOriginalMerylStrop I haven't yet found a good way of saying bollocks to all that to the teacher though. Unfortunately many parents seem to like the rigorous approach at our school. I do agree that bollocks would be the best response.

"I'm not sure about the need for the child to fill in the diary themselves, I can't see it really matters who does it."

Geraniumred , totally agree with you. Actually my ds's school ask the children to record themselves from YR2 onwards, but there is no punishments or whatever like other MNetters dc's school if parents done it. They only want to know if they are reading at home or not.

Sometimes I just note that we didn't read today because we run out of time, still get tick from the teacher.

My DS hasn't bought his home for 3rd day in a row...He has now said he has lost it.. So I will write in his homework book what he has told me and leave teacher to sort it out.

He did previously have one teacher who was very anal about it been written in...I would go in and argue the toss if she didn't sign it off...And did regardless after I emailed the head.. His hw been signed off counts towards end of year reward..If he has done it I want the reward for him

Reni, I have written to the teacher at the beginning of each year and explained that the children read every night and that we simply won't be doing the diary.

I would take a dim view of a school that sought fit to punish a child for not reading on occasion, or for a parent not recording that reading. Most teachers think its bollocks too, if you engage them in conversation about it.

It gives me such a warm feeling knowing that I've encouraged this love of all things booky - I hope they always feel this way!

Me too. I am not very learned, there are so many areas I struggle to help with I am even out mathed already but one area I can help with is - reading. I am thrilled too that I have helped foster this love of reading. I think its a gift I really do and its very precious.

I without doubt think there is a place for reading records, and I think when they are starting off, when they get going and for dc who are genuinely behind and struggling or have no home support.

I just think for dc who read, read well, and love reading they are a shackle.