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.

It's just the school reading books, not all books.

Which is a shame because some parents don't value reading and won't be buying many reading books at home at all, won't be going to the library, and the only real reading their kids do is through the school, which could just be e-books.

@OfstedOffred

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!!!

Good grief. The kids must be really bored by the 4th reading. Great way to put them off

Schools are spending thousands on these schemes and then they will quietly die a death. Lots of them are dreadful. Same authors flogging multiple schemes. Doesn't make you think they really believe in what they are selling does it?

Somebody is making a lot of money from this and it's not schools.

We have refused to buy into a scheme that makes the children read the same books over and over or is reliant on e books. It's dreadful.

I sympathise op, it sounds like you have a school that is not confident in phonics and possibly panic bought a scheme (you don't have to have bought one until the end of spring term). Ebooks aren't evil and definitely serve purpose but they need paper books too imo.

I honestly can't understand why everyone is so het about this. The important thing is that the children are READING. Reading books sent home from school is what, 10 minutes a day? That much "screen time" is not going to do them any harm and, if you use a kindle or similar it isn't even the same as actual screen time. One of the issues with reading on a screen is that there's less blinking etc, but in my experience, with children's books, they interact with them very similarly to how they do with real books.

I really really can't get worked up about this. Sometimes I like to imagine the outrage of scholars as scrolls replaced books ... "Oooh, it's not the same if you only have to use one hand... where's the dexterity that you need for a scroll.... if it's on a page it's too easy for your head to stay still....."

I wouldn’t like this either OP

Reading books sent home from school is what, 10 minutes a day

Far more than that here. Some of the books can't be read in 10 mins. Entirely depends on the school.

We’ve had the best part of two years of having to rely on electronic books due to the pandemic. It’s fine once you get into it. It’s a little like switching from real books to a Kindle.

@SkyrocketAway

Reading books sent home from school is what, 10 minutes a day

Far more than that here. Some of the books can't be read in 10 mins. Entirely depends on the school.

In YR it’s only recommended to be 10 mins. Even if they enjoy reading, you don’t want to turn it into a chore.

YABVU

Is it little wandle scheme? We have the same If so

In YR it’s only recommended to be 10 mins

We always got two books in YR though. 10 mins would be the phonics book, but they also bring home a library book which is just a normal book. We wouldn't read both every time, and it's not expected they read the library book themselves, but it's supposed to be something they've chosen that you look at together, they can attempt words or simpler sentences, or simply be exposed to a wider vocab or different type of text while looking through with you, or just learn things (if they choose non-fiction) e.g. mine chose a lot of science books about dinosaurs and insects. One time DS chose a library book that was about classification in the natural world. So it shouldn't be a chore, because the second book is one that they've chosen due to taking an interest in it during the library trip. The purpose of those books is supposed to be to encourage reading for enjoyment/their own interests, hence them choosing.

So it could be 10 mins, it could be more.

I wouldn't like this either OP, we are a tech heavy household but my 4 year old DD does not have a tablet or anything like that and I refuse to buy one for her.

If school would refuse to send out physical books I would still read with her, but with books from the library. If that doesn't have complete fidelity to the scheme, tough titties.

It doesn’t matter if he reads the school books or not, just get books of the same level from the library or you get tons of Chip and Biffs from ebay. As long as he reads he will be fine. My DC doesn’t read the school books but reads lots of library books and is an excellent reader.

Some schools round us do this, and shout loudly about what amazingly tech-rich experiences they give the DC. I'd go for real books every time and am v glad that our DC have a much less tech focussed time of it. My dc just aren't as engaged in screen reading - in the lockdowns I tried lots of things/apps and they just didn't work for them, but being able to use a paper book really works for them.

I've used The Reading Chest in the past when needed to get us through lockdowns and holidays etc. I think they're good value and have amazing choice in good condition.

And I fully agree with you btw. We don’t want our DC to read from a tablet, children have enough screen time already. We enjoy snuggling in bed with a book! Very old fashioned I know

@LuisaLove

YABVU

Ok, would you elaborate?

We have the digital reading via Pearson's bug club and it's actually very good. Surely your child won't want to read the same single book every night from school so we do a different bug club book 3/4 nights a week, and they have questions to test their understanding and collect points. We then read the school book twice, as we are also given a paper book.

I have bought some Oxford books as extras. We love the variety of the bug club books and saves money as reading books are expensive, although we do borrow from each other as a group, however my toddler chewed most of ours.

Agree wholeheartedly OP. I just wouldn't read them personally and would read our own real life books, but I appreciate not everyone can do this. Thankfully our school do provide books, but during lockdown when they didn't I just bought an usborne first reading library and my dd progressed really well moving through those. I think as they get more advanced it's not such a worry to have the exact right level books, any reading of books they are enjoying will do.

Think you've had a bit of a hard time here, someone posted the exact same thread the other day and replies were almost universally understanding. Sad that so many schools are now doing this and has really made me appreciate ours!

I agree.
Back in my day, school was almost screen free. I remember interactive whiteboards being introduced.
Those big projectors and it was a rare treat if this huge block TV was bought in.
Now reception children do phonics on bloody ipads in schools. They get soo much screen time at school it feels OTT at home too, not alone as reading. Linked to behavioural issues, which are the rise, I don't think it's a coincidence.
Screens are addictive and bad for their eyes. I'd tell them he won't be reading them but alternative reading material at his pace at home. They can read a physical book at night, I'd like to think parents don't send their children to bed with a tablet, most would switch to gaming anyway!!

@Russell19

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?

As a reception teacher you should know that books have to match the child's phonics!

@00100001

YABU

To can get him a million print books at home

It's not about that. If 4 and 5 year olds have to read on screens because that is what they are expected to do for school it could actually be very off-putting. I have avid readers, they read non-stop but would never enjoy curling up with an iPad or tablet to read for hours, nor would that be good fro their health, especially eye health. There is also the issue of text size, reception books have large font, each page with large images and a few word in large font, it is not possible to replicate this on screen. Most people will have a cheap tablet anything that shows colour will be backlit, there are so many reasons against learning to rad on a device. I work in the tech sector and am pretty tech savvy and embracing. Tech is good when it adds value, it doesn't for learning to read, it's rubbish!

@navigatingcrumbs

We have the digital reading via Pearson's bug club and it's actually very good. Surely your child won't want to read the same single book every night from school so we do a different bug club book 3/4 nights a week, and they have questions to test their understanding and collect points. We then read the school book twice, as we are also given a paper book.

I have bought some Oxford books as extras. We love the variety of the bug club books and saves money as reading books are expensive, although we do borrow from each other as a group, however my toddler chewed most of ours.

We hated bug club, especially Bug club, so tedious, so fiddly and unrewarding. It's the opposite of building a love for learning in my and my kids' views but people are different you obviously like it.

Whilst I don't disagree that actual books are better. I think you need to distinguish between decodable books that are a teaching tool and reading for pleasure. The school needs to provide access to decodable books to meet the requirements for teaching phonics. This is more affordable using ebooks. You can buy whatever actual books you want. I am sure they also have some actual books in school too.

I think the reason this was not an issue in the past is that schools were allowed to give out all kinds of books. This is no longer the case. Sending home books that are not decodable would be heavily criticised. If you want to be annoyed with anyone, you should blame the government and Ofsted who penalise schools that don't toe this line.

Oh wow I have such an issue with this, reading on a screen is tiring, they already have so much screen time and at such a young age I definitely feel it’s important for them to have a tangible book in their hands to read. I would definitely preserve with speaking to the school. If it’s a budget problem then how about offering to fundraise for books? A bake sale or even go to charities and see if you can get a grant? I think books for kids is a really important part of their education. Well done you for questioning this