to complain about this reading book situation?

[philmassive]

DS is in year 1 and since reception he has been reading Oxford Reading Tree stories about Floppy, Biff, Chip and co which he's really enjoyed and he's progressed really well. He's just finished the last one in a series and I was expecting him to be given the next title in the next colour.

Anyway yesterday he came home with his reading folder and the book in it was not ORT and Biff and co but something entirely different which wasn't as funny or modern seeming as the ORT and was 'here is fat pig, fat pig runs, I don't like to run says fat pig. Here is dog, dog runs, come on fat pig says dog' etc etc ad infinitum. It was truly dreadful. DS said (for this first time ever) 'I'm not reading this, it's horrible' and I had to agree (mentally, didn't tell him I thought it was awful too!)

So am I being unreasonable to talk to the teacher about direness of the book or is it a case of put up and shut up? I don't want DS who is really enthusiastic about reading to be put off forever by fat pig and co.

We had the same in reception - I think they use the older reading schemes to 'pad out'the new ones - it gives them wider practice at the same level before moving up to the next level of ORT.

Just grin and bear it I think - wait till you get Billy Blue Hat (now that was dire)

YANBU, some childrens reading books they get from school are so boring I could fall asleep myself.

We now do a cursory glance of the book and then move on to his own reading book. Flat Stanley is a massive hit in this house!

Perhaps write a note in the diary asking for him to change his book, and ask for an explanation as to how the new levels work.

the New Way book (oh the irony of the title!) must be very old as in the newer(!) editions it is changed to Pat Pig (some that have come home from our school have been laboriously altered in biro to change the F to a P).

They are fairly dire but do get a bit better as they become more challenging. m THe 'Oh Floppy, no Floppy! Floppy Floppy' of ORT used to drive me round the bend too!

if it's something dc really doesn't want to read I have written it in the diary.
It's not bad to read different reading schemes (had to laugh at Biff and Chip stories being modern).

I am an ex teacher and literacy co-ordinator. I used to intersperse between ORT all the way through as some parents used to use ORT as a race,trying to get their child onto the next colour before they were ready. I noticed children got upset too eg 'so & so is on orange why aren't I'.

Reading schemes can be dangerous as kids can get intrenched in one and refuse to read a variety of books which are far better ie they only want to read books in a particular scheme to compete in a race. Those further down give up as they feel they're way behind when they're not. A variety of books in particular real books give them a love of reading and a willingness and ability to read anything.

My dtwins have just started and their excellent teacher uses ORT a lot at the moment to take advantage of some of the vocab but further along they will be reading a huge variety.

All children should have access to a huge range of other books including library books which they can read alongside particularly when they get a scheme book they don't take to as let's face it we all have books we don't like.

I'd encourage him to read a couple of pages or point to words you call out, then get him to read a favourite picture book.

I agree, I wouldn't rely on what the school gives you too just supplement with what is interesting and just do the time with the less interesting ones. I've been given some awful books and I just read our own and read the others as penance.. i don't think an approach should be too prescriptive the key to learning is wanting to read..

Disclaimer: know very little about current teaching of reading as my PFB ds is only 16 months so not there yet, and I'm not a teacher or schools worker.

Could you ask the teacher if you could just read non-scheme books of his/your choosing until a suitable moment to move on to next colour. I think you should describe his reaction, it sounds to me like the response of a perfectly capable reader.

I missed a lot of my first two years of school but had some reading and maths books at home, I was dismayed to get back to school in England to have to read several Beacon readers over again, although their level was well ahead of the extract you quote (and I was 6 too but it was the spring term of the year).

God that sounds boring for a year 1.

Is that the level they are expected to be at?

(If it is, no wonder DS is playing up!)

OMG I read that in Y1. I am 24!!

Some school books are dire or even just a bit strange.

Dd has discovered Dr Seuss atm and it's really helping her reading but it's our own book not the school's. Biff, Floppy and the gang can be rather samey after a while too.

but surely your kids read other books than just the ones that get sent home! get some interesting ones from library or good shop - that they choose. I don't think you have to make a fuss.

talk to his teacher

better he read something you have to ask for than him not read what he's been given

Thanks, I am reassured by the other people's experiences of swapping between reading schemes - I live in hope!

Thanks for your comments Milamae, they have given a better perspective.

We do read lots of other books at home which makes it better but I really do think it's worth a fuss, hana, it's not just my ds who will have to go through this boring set of books, and the ones that school give him are the ones that the teacher will hear him read and that she will make judgements on his future on - if he doesn't like the books that isn't the best start.

DD1 is in Yr 1 and the books we get home are very varied and jump around between the different levels / schemes. Although there are usually about 3 books in her folder so we can choose the one we like best. I get the impression that her school view reading books much more flexibly in Yr 1, and that the important thing is not what they're reading, but that they are reading IYSWIM. I have had much more success getting DD1 to read DD2 a bedtime story, than to read any of her school reading books!

If its any consolation, your child's teacher may feel exactly the same about the reading scheme books she has to give your child. I am a primary teacher and bloody hate some of the dire rubbish I have been forced to send home because it is all that is available. Talk to your child's teacher and, if you have no joy, just make sure your child loves reading other stuff with you. Comics, magazines, websites, cereal packets, it doesn't really matter if the parent is keen - which you obviously are.