To not expect my almost 6 year old DD to read over summer hols

[Whisperingwinds]

So DD is almost 6 - Sept child and will be moving into year 1. she finfished reception in tne top reading group and her teacher recommended that we ensure she reads atleast a bit everyday so she doesn't forget everything when school restarts.

DH and I both work full time so she is summer camps most week days from 9 to 6 - by the time she is home, she is shattered and just wants to watch TV and sleep. She is in bed by 7:30.

It has been a complete struggle getting her to read and has on,y lead to frustration. So AIBU to just let it go over summer and just let her be? We are off on hols for two weeks in a weeks time and am thinking of taking books and trying then when we are all relaxed and don't have any time constraints like we would on a working day. I want her to love reading and am worried me making a chore might push her the other way.

disclaimer we HE but...
YANBU

Comic books
A poem printed out to read at the table
Write her a message in code to decipher (a note book to send messsges back & forth is fun)
Treasure hunt clues
Read the signs at a castle/museum

I firmly believe that children need to be read TO more than anything else.

Library Summer Reading Challenge is great for this. They choose 6 books, which can be any books. Read them, chat to the librarian, get stickers and a medal.

At Reception/Year 1 age, they can definitely read the picture books with you.

The idea is to stop the summer "dip" but it doesn't have to be the same as school work.

Ugh! Everyone needs a break from Biff and Kipper! X

I'm a teacher and even 1 minute a day will be noticable. Could she read in the car on the way to camp?

Waitingon what basis are you saying 1 minute a day will be noticeable?

I'm a Year 6 teacher and it's the children that read every day that have done best on their SATs. I'd be making sure it happened for my children. It doesn't matter what she's reading, it's about making her faster and decoding unknown words, trying to work out what they could be and coming up with strategies for understanding.

Oh please don't make her read those awful ORT things. If she is a good reader get her some good picture books and let her have a go at those (with your help for anything tricky).

justoneday the child is not six yet, should the parent really be thinking about SATs now?

Just off to bed so not RTFT but CBeebies magazines are good for being full of fun activities but requiring to read without even thinking about it!

I think sometimes teachers forget that there are other things you want to do as a family. What sounds like a small portion of your day can dominate if your child isn't a keen reader and not all moments of the day are equal. For example reading practice is easier when dd1 is in bed but that 45 mins of 1:1 time is precious and I don't always want to spend it battling. There's also outdoor play, imaginative games, unstructured play, days out, listening to what is important to my dd and giving her a my total focus, getting her to pitch in with family chores etc.. all of which can take a backseat during term time and it can end up feeling like holiday and weekend time are unfairly directed by school too - and like as parents we are not trusted to provide an enriching environment for our children without this direction. As I said, it's easier now my dd is over the hump and is a happy and confident reader but I found it a proper slog last year.

Would a trip to a bookshop help? If she could go and choose some books which really appeal to her she might be encouraged. Or magazines? There are lots of good children's magazines. Even looking at some children's websites can involve reading, I think the CBeebies or CBBC ones have stories which are audio but with writing too.

I have a 6 year old (y1 into y2). He finds reading hard going (may be dyslexic).

Trying to vary books helps. We've got a box set of Star Wars large print easy readers that are a very refreshing change from Kipper, Biff and Chip. We took some on holiday. Some times he's happy to look at them himself. Sometimes we read aloud together alternating sentences and selecting the easier ones for him to read and accepting when he gets tired.

I gave him a break in the last couple of weeks of term. He'd got his certificate for 200 reads in the school year and a couple of extra weeks were going to make little difference by then; he was completely exhausted. He's got more time to enjoy it now he's had a break and a change.

To the teachers saying that little children simply must read, even for one minute, have you any practical tips for how to make that happen? My kid hated it and refused point blank. Forcing him would have led to tantrums and crying and I'm sure would have been counter productive. Bribery with stickers and treats didn't work. (we both hated the sodding picture books so that didn't happen either). I always read to him though. Now he's a few years older he's an avid reader. I can't see that not forcing a 6 year old to read has had any major repercussions.

Not all teachers think you should be reading (more than you want to) in the holidays.

Excellent post longestlurkerever. I do worry that reading is presented with such vigorous, yet what are kids reading, those Biff and Chip books are so bloody dull. I've never met a girl in real life called Biff!

crunchermuncher "Bribery with stickers and treats didn't work. (we both hated the sodding picture books so that didn't happen either). I always read to him though. Now he's a few years older he's an avid reader. I can't see that not forcing a 6 year old to read has had any major repercussions." So you found out what did work somehow? Or maybe your child just decided he liked reading at a later stage. As someone with dyslexia I now have a long time dislike of books, yet can read for ages on the internet!

And as an adult I much prefer reading fact to fiction, something not always presented to children.

DS is same (sept birthday, going into year 1) and a reluctant reader (but best reader in his year. We are doing summer reading challenge and he's reading picture books to us from the library or a book that school gave him as a gift at end of year (thankfully not biff and chip), either before I read to him or after I have read to him.
He's also been reading signs when out as well as lots of Booklets, information signs and warning signs.
A lot of the reason we are doing it is because he had levelled out of biff and chip and the idea we might do them again due to summer slide doesn't appeal.

A lot of children aren't ready to read at the young age they are expected to in this country. I think reading to them, talking to them, giving them concrete experiences to enhance their vocabulary is far more valuable than making reluctant children read some dull early reader.

Achhh she'll be fine! Reading is not a pleasure at this stage. It's hard work and you don't want to make it a chore and turn them off.
Keep on reading to her. Keep on making books part of a nice time. Think long term- do you want her to be the best in the class in September ( so what!!!!) ? Or to love reading for life?

I would leave here be. Keep reading to her, but allow her decide when she's ready herself. In our school system they do not even start teaching until Group 3 - so already turned six.

Here's some useful research; essentially reading through the summer leads to a reading gain of +1 month which is significant over a child's school life. However, I would agree with many of the comments about how this is done and what is read. It should always be fun and engaging if you want to engender a true love of reading :).

'It’s no secret that kids often don’t keep up their reading skills over the summer. Can you comment on the extent of that loss and why it’s especially damaging for kids in low-income neighborhoods and schools?
What we know is that any child who fails to read during the summer break will lose some reading proficiency. We also know that children from low-income families routinely lose two to three months of reading proficiency every summer while middle-class children gain about a month. This creates a three to four month gap every summer. From grade one to nine children from low-income families lose two or more years of reading proficiency, during the summers when school is not in session. According to Alexander and Entwisle this means that more than 80 percent of the rich/poor reading gap accumulates during the summers. They also note that children from low-income families gain as much reading growth during the school year, when schools are open, as middle-class children.'

‪ www.slj.com/2013/06/standards/summer-reading-and-the-richpoor-achievement-gap-an-educator-responds-to-questions/#_‬

Can't you read to her at night? Maybe a page each night whilst she's tucked up in bed. To say you haven't got 10 mins spare to spend time with your child is an issue you need to address.
She may be top at reading now, but if she doesn't do ANY she is likely to fall behind.
Try reading books together at the weekend? Or making a fun activity. So get her to draw some pictures and make a book together?

I wouldn't be too fussed about daily reading (what is she doing at summer camp - maybe there is reading there?) but 10 mins reading aloud to you before storytime wouldn't hurt, and at the weekend she could do some Reading Eggs and DoodleMaths. My 6yo LOVES both.

I was bribed at that age. If I wanted a story, I had to read one to DM first. It helped me a lot over the summer hols. Is that bribe likely to work?

Haven't had time to rtft, apologies

I definitely wouldn't force to read. My daughter is about to go into year 2 but she wasn't very keen on reading in reception. Year 1 she got a lot more interested especially as the books were a bit more challenging. She has joined the reading challenge at the library so has to read 6 books over the summer. As long as you are reading to her this will help.

Lizfree, is that American research? In my part of the UK they are off school for 6 weeks, not months. So I doubt the impact is as much.