To think that their teachers are being unfair?

[AquaBlue79]

Primary age DC need to read 4 times a week at home as part of their homework, We have done this since the beginning and never missed a day.

This week we read Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and we were busy Thursday so I told the DC we will do the other read Friday after school.

They both came home upset and said that they have to stay in at lunchtime on Monday to read because they've only read 3 times.

This was written down in their reading book that they will be staying in from the teacher.

AIBU to say something? Once we had completed reading on Friday that would have been 4 times that they have read this week or am I missing something here?

Yes, I think it is mean

That does seem unfair. I am a teacher but I know we’d never be able to enforce that. I have children who haven’t read once since the start of term. It’s not their fault is it?! Can you write a note asking for clarification as you have read 4 times this week?

Yanbu and i am really against compulsory homework at primary school for exactly this reason. Some children will never be read to. Ever. Is it their fault? No. Should they be punished every week? Of course not. Upsetting children over something they have no control over is shit.

FFS. Way ott for primary school.

The Teacher is being a twat.
I would go in and speak to them and say you don’t want them kept in at lunch.
Next time just write in the book saying it’s done if you know the teacher is a tyrant.

Oh I should have just waited a minute. Madame Butterface put it much better than I did.

DD has a "reading week" which runs Friday to Friday. She can't read twice in one day and Friday am entries don't count. Did you miss the cut off point?

I'm a primary school teacher. I think it's outrageous to keep a child in at the best of times never mind for something like this that is not their fault. It's hardly instilling a love of reading either.

Fill it out for Friday reading and put a note next to hers saying you'll be raising an official complaint if she punishes your child for a decision you made about when to do the reading.

Depends when the reading records are collected in. Guessing it's Friday to Friday so the teacher should make it's clear 4 x reads before next Friday? Then you could start on the weekend.
Really don't see the point in punishing chn over it. Does nothing to promote reading and just makes it the dreaded 'homework'. Ridiculous!

Thank you for your replies, I appreciate your thoughts.

There was no other instruction than to read 4 times a week, no specified day or anything.

I'll write a note in their reading books.

Unfortunately you are bearing the brunt of the rule that the school probably feels it has to enforce because of the parents that never read with their children at home. There can’t be one rule for your children because you’re usually good about reading, and one rule for the others.

It does seem harsh, but the fact is that children have to read at home to improve, especially now they can’t have volunteer readers in to help. The school have to encourage this somehow, otherwise they’d be failing their children. You could have done it before school or on the Saturday or Sunday. Or, you could have just signed the book anyway

Send teacher a note thanking her for upsetting your kids over the weekend. Ask for clarification where it states all reading must be done before school starts on a Friday morning. Then end note with your kids will being getting out in the fresh air to enjoy social and emotional development time with their peers and they have infact completed all requested reafing but even if they hadn't you would not be allowing this over reaction.
I hate teachers/schools who do this. Most of my kids don't do homework due to needs and i will always remember 1 p3 who handed in homework done by his brother from 3 years previously because he didn't want to feel left out. It hit me then that so many kids have no support with homework, for numerous reasons and I will never humiluate or punish a primary school child for no homework. (sorry for rant)

That is extremely mean. I would complain bitterly.

Our junior school does this. Kept in to read if not reading at home or not done homework. Manage to enforce it fine.

I think its wrong.

It is school policy though so same for all 12 classes.

Are they keeping in children over lunch to catch up on reading 1:1?

@CandyflossKing

YANBU but watch out, teachers can do no wrong on Mumsnet!

Don't be ridiculous.

It does seem unfair OP. I'd be clarifying that with the teacher.

Yanbu at all.

That's ridiculous! I work in a school and there are several children that never read at home, despite regular encouragement to both children and parents. We deal with it by making sure those children get read with multiple times throughout the week. It's not fair to punish the children for the failure of the parents. Not that you're a failure, 3 times a week is still more than the average parent does at our school!

I’m a primary teacher. That’s ridiculous. I struggle to read every night with my own children, because I work full time, I’m a bloody human, and sometimes I forget!

@NailsNeedDoing

Unfortunately you are bearing the brunt of the rule that the school probably feels it has to enforce because of the parents that never read with their children at home. There can’t be one rule for your children because you’re usually good about reading, and one rule for the others.

It does seem harsh, but the fact is that children have to read at home to improve, especially now they can’t have volunteer readers in to help. The school have to encourage this somehow, otherwise they’d be failing their children. You could have done it before school or on the Saturday or Sunday. Or, you could have just signed the book anyway

This.

We had this last year... Did my head in especially as sometimes it wasn't he hadn't read but we hadn't marked it down. Also not his fault.. We would often run out of time or have time but not have the book with us.

We sign the homework diary anyway.....