To think schools should send reading books home over the holidays?

[DeepaBeesKit]

My kids school hasnt sent any reading book or library book home at all for the holidays. AIBU to think this is daft because
a) it sends the message that reading is hard/not enjoyable and one needs a "break" from it
b) its likely to widen the gaps between children with engaged parents who'll ensure their kids keep reading/enjoying books any way, and the kids for whom the reading book from school was the only book in the house.
c) it's a shame for a keen reader who'd happily get stuck into a book over the winter holidays when the weather is crap outside.

They should definitely send them home with school library books, yes.

That's what libraries are for.

It's been a hell of a term in education - the worst so far - & that's saying something, considering the past 2yrs!! 💗 Hope you feel less awful very soon! why has this one been harder than the previous last two years @gingerbiscuits? Genuine qn from a parent

@SleepingStandingUp
No measures to stop covid spread in schools so much higher staff absence. DfE online learning rules for isolating students are much stricter. Behaviour is appalling.

[quote Hercisback]@SleepingStandingUp
No measures to stop covid spread in schools so much higher staff absence. DfE online learning rules for isolating students are much stricter. Behaviour is appalling.[/quote]
Most of us appreciate what you're doing x

@DeepaBeesKit

It's a school policy. No books/homework over the holiday. They make a bit of a thing of what a lovely break it is.

Sounds a great policy, holidays are holidays and should be a lovely break.

@SleepingStandingUp

It's been a hell of a term in education - the worst so far - & that's saying something, considering the past 2yrs!! 💗 Hope you feel less awful very soon! why has this one been harder than the previous last two years *@gingerbiscuits*? Genuine qn from a parent

Horrific levels of Covid within the school - staff & kids - we've been on our knees for weeks, just trying to get by. Stress & sickness levels are through the roof. All the usual responsibilities plus desperately trying to do what we can to catch the kids up. Nowhere near enough measures in place to keep us safe. Pressure upon pressure. Plus we all have our OWN children to worry about. It's been the hardest term I've taught in 8yrs!!

Most of up appreciate what you're doing @gingerbiscuits

Thank you! 💗 Understanding, appreciative parents make up for the utter cockwomblery of the Dept for Education & the Government who have thrown us under the bus for the past 2yrs!!

It's a wasted opportunity in terms of developing a love of reading or even to use as a point of discussion after the holidays.
Despite technological advances I think so many children are disadvantaged by a lack of reading.

Despite technological advances I think so many children are disadvantaged by a lack of reading.

This.

And how lovely, when you're stuck at home over Christmas with brothers fighting, dad drunk, and mother having a meltdown over the Christmas meal in the kitchen, to have a book to escape into.

Many of the avid readers I know became so over the course of a particular childhood holiday trapped with family, or a particular convalescence, bored out of their skull. The point is that there were books available at the right time when they were more needed.

My class went home with 2 reading scheme books and a library book.

Don’t generalise with your negative judgements please!

I’m a teacher and I managed to sort out books for everyone on the last day but only by whacking a film on while I managed sorting out letters / cards / presents / schoolwork for everyone while my TA facilitated book swapping. It was a bit of a nightmare and they were swapping books right up to hometime. I can totally understand why other classes (esp if they don’t have a TA) didn’t manage to get round to it.

Solidarity with @Randallthecat though.
It’s been horrendous!

Surprised by the votes on here, as a teacher and a parent! Yes I’d have been really annoyed if my 5 year old hadn’t brought home a reading book for the almost 3 week break, as the momentum we’ve built up since September would have been lost. We’ve got loads of books at home but she’s on a certain scheme so is working through that. They bring home 2 scheme books each time.
My 8 year old would have been fine without one as he mainly reads his own books anyway, but he has one so we’ll have a look at some point!

I don't agree OP. There are a couple of things being conflated here imo -

Reading as "homework" v reading as pleasure and how to encourage it. I think this is a combined task for schools and parents to model and develop, and just sending books home (during the holidays or otherwise) won't do it.

The family/home environment and widening attainment gaps - it's what we all saw during lockdown, surely? Some kids raced ahead with the benefit of parental attention and/or resources, others lagged badly behind. Again, sending books home won't do much, imo, unless the issue you're trying to address is "families who'd like to encourage reading but have neither the time nor money to encourage reading themselves".

General availability of books for children that want them - libraries, innit. Though the ones near me haven't reopened post-covid, if we can even say that we are post-covid. I expect however that if a child asked their teacher to borrow books during the holiday they'd be allowed to do so.