School providing e-books and no paper books for Reception

[Mummyoply]

My DS is in reception year and the school provide his reading books via an app and ask that children read them on an electronic device, iPad, phone or e-reader.

I have been purchasing the books, if the library don't have them (which they usually don't). This is too costly and also causes a delay, as by the time we get the book my DS has been moved on to another.

I guess my AIBU is, AIBU to refuse to allow him to read on a device and just provide books of the same level (from the library) so he can read a real book? I have emailed the school and message his teacher directly but had no response from either. I've even drawn a blank from the PTA.

@redlabeltea

I would hate it. Mine already have screen time with her Nintendo switch and tablet for watching Netflix/Disney/Cbeebies etc and games. As if I want her having even more screen time. For me, reading is a screen-free activity and usually about getting kids to spend less time looking at screens.

Our story-reading time is usually before bed, and we cuddle up and read together. She does her school books and then I read some from a chapter-book to her. I wouldn't want that time to be screen-time in bed.

I hate it to, we read together daily and it's a lovely snuggly time, my DS loves books and even just the simple process of turning a page or popping in a bookmark is enjoyable for him. I don't want to loose that. I also object to technology which compounds my feelings towards the schools approach.

Always interesting to see what pta spends funds on / is allowed to spend funds on.

I'm a reception teacher and think it's terrible. My class have 2 or 3 actual books a week. Surely the school have some old scheme reading books they could give you? Your next contact would be the chair of governors. Their email should be on the website. Or do you know who the literacy or reading lead is?

School books will not provide that connection. Just do the homework as quickly as possible and stick to "real" reading as before.

In what way do you object to technology? Technology is going to play a huge part in your DC’s education

How many of them are likely to have kindles that can access the school app though? I have a kindle but I don’t think I could access a school scheme on it. In reality children will be reading on tablets or phones. Awful.

This is to ensure that children are reading the exactly correct books op. 'fidelity to the scheme' is the new buzzphrase in phonics pedagogy right now. We've had to bin loads of books that can no longer be sent home since they are older and therefore do not represent 'fidelity to the scheme'.
I teach reception and, honestly, the new phonics scheme has been the absolute bane of our lives this year and this issue is one of the massive reasons why. I'm sorry that you haven't heard back from your school but you can bet your bottom dollar they will agree with you. Reading an e-book is not right.
Could you ask for a supplementary sharing book instead? One that is just for sharing with a grown up for pleasure?

@FairyCakeWings

It has nothing to do with the PTA, so no surprise you’ve had no luck there.

I would email the head as something like this is a change that will have been implemented by someone higher than the class teacher and it’s them that should defend the decision. Most likely, it will be to do with money.

Its fair that you would prefer you child to read real books and not use a device, I would feel the same, but if you enforce this you run the risk of making things harder for your your ds. It’s likely that whatever you are being asked to read on a device is part of a scheme, and if your ds doesn’t take part in it, it will hold him back. That’s a lot of books you’d have to find a hard copy of between now and him being a free reader, you will never keep up.

Ha ha love your "know it all reply" thank you for taking the time

The schools Headteacher attends the PTA meetings and my role is to apply for funding via grants/corporate funding and so I took my idea of funding to purchase real books to the Headteacher via this platform as I wasn't getting a reply any other way. Perfectly acceptable to use the PTA platform in this capacity

With remote provision I am assuming they will already have checked what technology DC have access to

Yanbu. Screens are addictive. Even e-readers are often emitting some blue light that has the potential to mess with sleep patterns etc.

Not to mention with an e reader you take an appealing colour illustrated book that a 5 year will enjoy, and make it a dull black and white.

Talk to your PTA. Suggest a specific fundraiser to purchase physical books.

@MaizeAmaze

Can you afford a subscription to reading chest? Then you can read books at the right level. I'd read the school books as requested, but read paper books to supplement that. My kids still prefer paper books. I'm wedded to my kindle, but I will borrow and buy paper books until they decide to move onto a device based system.

Yes money isn't an issue in this regard.

I haven't heard of the reading chest, thank you for the recommendation, I'll have a look.

I agree OP.
There's also evidence that reading and study from physical books is more effective than from screens.
I would be doing all I could to preserve real books and minimise screen time.

What if you don't have any tech that you can use the ebooks on? Way for the school to make poorer students feel even worse about themselves.

YABU

To can get him a million print books at home

Do you know how much a set of class reading books would cost?

Do the school have a phonics scheme?

@Nix32

The phonics scheme we use specifies that the book should be read 3 times in school and then sent home. The idea is that the child will be reading it fluently by the time it comes home. If you give him an alternative, he won't be benefiting from the reading he's already done at school. It's worth asking why they've chosen to do it this way. I know I'm gutted by the number of books that have come back to school damaged, or not returned at all.

Thank you, yes I have asked several times but no response from the school yet. We are lucky that my DS can read to a higher level than school are teaching him. He can read the books they give him independently and apply the correct phonics. He reads at a higher level at home, however, he is young and I think as all the children 'level out' he won't always have this to fall back on and will need to read the schools set books at home to progress, it's just a question of, how? How can I do this without using a device?

'fidelity to the scheme' is the new buzzphrase in phonics pedagogy right now. We've had to bin loads of books that can no longer be sent home since they are older and therefore do not represent 'fidelity to the scheme'

Tbf I think a lot of schools are seriously misinterpreting the reading framework on this though, theres this idea you must only have books from ons publisher. In reality the government would like you to bin all your old books that are non decodable, heavily relying on mindless repetition of key words etc (reading champions I'm looking at you!!). But a school with a selection of decent phonics scheme books should find they are all consistent with letters and sounds and basically proceed through phase 2/3/4/5 in the same way - big cat phonics, Pearson phonics bug, songbirds etc, shouldn't have a problem dipping in and out of different publishers.

If you are an expert at getting grants maybe signpost your school to this

www.foylefoundation.org.uk/how-to-apply/state-schools.php

You could print the books out at home. Or if you know the scheme you may be able to buy the books in advance. Or just pick a different phonic scheme where you can buy the books and use that

The phonics scheme we use specifies that the book should be read 3 times in school and then sent home. The idea is that the child will be reading it fluently by the time it comes home

This is really really poor practice and suggests reliance on memorizing whole words through repetition. Fluency in decoding comes in time with practice decoding new words, not through repetition of the same book!!!

@SnowFlo

I don't know what I'd do in your situation. Give in, I suppose, even though I would be really unhappy about it!

I couldn't afford/find all the books they need in hard-copy. My DD is in Year 1 and they bring 3 reading books home and change them every week. One boom is at their level and it's working with the scheme the school uses, the second book is a book that will challenge them and is a level above their reading level, and the third book is one the child has chosen themselves from the school library.

Does your school send home hard copies of books? I won't 'give in' but I do absolutely want to find a solution. I really thought the library would be it, but they just don't stock the books.....

I asked the school for a list of a terms worth of books so I could pre-order, try and get them but they said they couldn't give this to me as the list will Change depending on pace of development. Which I do find odd as they won't push my DS to a higher level of reading or any other subject, even though they acknowledge his capabilities, it's all a bit odd.....but I'm happy if he's happy and I'd rather he wasn't overwhelmed so I'm happy to go with the school on that one.

School books will not provide that connection.

That depends. Maybe if they just do their phonics book. Mine have 3 books and one is chosen from the library by the kid. Last week mine chose a book about Gray bats and issues with declining populations and subsequent conservation methods, she really enjoyed learning about it and learning new words etc. This week she's chosen one about lions, which she love (because they love the Lion King films and the Lion Guard TV show). School books don't just have to be their reading scheme books, but I guess some schools don't have the resources to give each child more than that each week. I mean, some can't even provide the reading scheme books anymore . Schools desperately need more funding! They should be able to provide paper books and more than just one imo.

@ChildrenGrowingUpTooFast

I had a subscription to reading chest and it was brilliant. But I'll use that to supplement the school's reading. YABU to not use a tablet if you have one. They are getting a lot of maths homework via tablet apps too. And the amazon fire tablets don't work because they aren't on the apple or google app store.

A 4 year old reading on a tablet doesn't sit well with me, there is a lot of research that recommends children are not taught in this way. The school already have their in-school maths lesson on the 'big screen' as well as their music lessons. It feels like in-person activities are being water down.

@BogRollBOGOF

Reading books, actual books is important. There is an order of reading direction to understand (which may be harder in ND children) and there is fine motor control in turning pages. The more children use fine motor control, the better stamina they have for developing writing. So many children have spent too much of the past couple of years living a 2D experience on screens. Reading off backlit screens is more visual stress.

E-readers have their uses, but it's a bloody stupid policy to deprive new readers from access to books.

Annoyingly, you'll probably have to give in because of the volume of books children get through in the early stages of reading. Worth making you concerns known though.

Thank you @BogRollBOGOF I really resonate with your reply

@MintJulia

It's really bad for their eyes.

I'd ask the Head for a list of the books they will need each term and order paper versions in advance.

My DS does have an eye condition, I was planning on asking his consultant about the reading situation at his next appointment which is only a few weeks away.