Question from a dad - 4yr old reading Kipper/Chip books ....

[Fred42]

I know this is a mumsnet, but hopefully a question from a dad is allowed ?

I have 2 lovely girls oldest is 9, youngest 4,5. My oldest wants to be a teacher when she is older (I think most do @ this age?) so when my youngest was about 3,5 they played teachers together. My wife gave my oldest a box with all the old reception books she kept for them to use.

By the age of 4 my youngest could read basic books, do basic maths, write her name, numbers to 20 and some other basic words. She also learnt all the phonics sounds my oldest learnt in reception. (Yes i think my oldest will make a great teacher).

We had a box full of Biff and Chip books so i gave them to my youngest as she was keen to read more than just basic baby books as they were just stored in the garage. She is now 4,5 & read more than 40 books of that collection, pretty much faultless and is now onto level 5.

The problem i now have is that my wife (altough proud of her abilities) has taken away the books as she said this isnt something she agrees with? Her argument is that the the words are just 2 big for a 4,5 year old and eventhough she can read them using her phonic skills, she doesnt understand them. I really cannot see the harm.

She said for her just to re-read the other levels untill reception otherwise our daughter might get bored ? I think we should move on with the levels.

Any suggestions ? I know i sound pushy but if she enjoys reading them why stop?

I agree with you. If she is enjoying them then it makes sense to let her read them! It's worth also mane getting a set from the Book People - they do cheap collections that would keep her interested.

I can't see the argument about not being able to understand the words - most children have a spoken vocabulary that far exceeds their written one, mainly because reading is hard! It sounds as if your dd is going to be one of the older ones in reception anyway (if she's not in it yet and she's 4.5) - lots of 4.5 year olds are, and would be reading this stuff. It may take a while for the school to find the right level to support her but there's no point artificially holding her back. If you don't want her to read Biff and Chip (and god knows, after 3 years I have no desire to see another one myself!) why not go for something else, so she at least isn't having to re-read stuff at the start of reception?

I think as long as you're not expecting her to read when she doesn't want to, or slog over books that she finds too hard, you're not being pushy but supportive.

I would let her keep reading but encourage her to discuss what she has read with you, her mum or her sister to gauge her understanding of what is going on.

I would also visit your local library and look for books that keep her interested at her level.

There is also the option of joining the reading chest and having books posted out to her at her level but this is expensive.

The school is obliged to provide her with books at the level she has attained. You may find there is a big difference to what she can read at home and what she is given by the school. This is largely because they base readers on comprehension as well as being able to say the words. You will have to keep a close eye on what happens for her when she reaches school.

I would let her continue. Some children start early and keep going but some start early and reach their peak early too. If she was in the latter category then you would be wise to make the most of her progress now.

Don't be frightened by her speed of progress. Most dcs level out by about age 10 so she is unlikely to be way ahead of her class although it is possible.

Imho she is more likely to get bored if she isn't allowed to use her exciting new talent. Let her enjoy it.

Thank you, all very usefull comments.

She will be going to reception in September and will indeed be one of the oldest. Love the library suggestion and will be making a stop tomorrow with her.

I talked to my wife again, but she doesn`t want her to level up, she in convinced all the childeren will learn at the same speed and start of with the same learning to read books, teachers do not have to time to set seperate levels for each child ... am i wrong to think otherwise?

Maybe I should just look at alternative books, around the same level but without the actual "levels" on them. Any suggestions ?

I told my wife we need to support dd whilst she is keen to progress, it is something she wants to do herself so why not let her? To her she is having fun reading and as she might indeed be having her peak early and than slow down.

My wife is comparing to much, all childeren so are different, my oldest reading at 4,5 wasn`t good at all, but she loves reading & the teacher comments are all positive.

Indeed, they all soon level out, but i just hate to just stop her current progress.

They won't all start at the same level and if they do you should question it. Teachers should differentiate according to the ability demonstrated to them. (ie what they see themselves, not what you report to them).

Although I said they level out etc not all children do level out. That is why you have threads about 9 yo reading Dickens while most are reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. All I meant was that she may level out.

The reason I said it was that some parents get very excited about their dcs early progress and talk about it loudly in the playground and it puts extra pressure on the dc. If they do then level out then they feel like a disappointment rather than that they are doing fine iykwim.

The children certainly won't all learn at the same speed - as you know from your own two, the difference between two children of the same age is huge and then you bear in mind the age range of reception. I would imagine there could be a few weeks at the start of term whilst the teachers work out where to place everyone, but certainly in Year 2 (where my ds is) there is a big difference in terms of what homework the children are set, depending on ability and progress.

Hopefully there's another good series she could be reading to avoid dear old Biff and Chip, perhaps the library might have a suggestion if she doesn't see something herself that takes her fancy?

the reading chest I am not suggesting you sign up but it will give you an idea of books to look out for in the library.

Hi there!
My son is in Reception now and is now enjoying the Magic Key stories at about level 6/7/8. His younger sister also likes them- and has stolen the ones he's finished with- I can imagine myself writing your post in a year's time!

At 4.5 she's not so young, she's not that much younger than some of the children in Reception now so I don't see why you shouldn't continue encouraging her interest. You do need to be a bit careful re comprehension and understanding so definitely worth talking about the stories maybe more than you have done in the past.

Also, I can recommend Ladybird Read it yourself series- do you know/have those? If she's on level 5 of Biff Chip etc then probably she could manage level 2/3 -DS is reading the level 4s very well now. They are good stories and a different style. My son is really enjoying them- we have side stepped from Biff Chip et al as I want him to have a broad base for his reading and I also want him to have some left to do at school (so far they've only had one or two a week and he is getting through one every night at home). The Usborne series are very good too- First Reading I think is the right series but on their site you can find the rough levels. We have also gone to the library with DS and of course generally this is a fab resource, but I would just say quite a lot of the reading books per se are really a bit duff and uninspiring compared to those I've just mentioned.

Good luck! Reading is exciting and should be encouraged IMO!

Oh yes, when she starts Reception you may have to spell out what level reading she is on and what she has read at home. Don't feel bad about this, the teacher has 30 children and indeed may give all the children the basic books to start with until they know different. This happened with DS- he wasn't as advanced as your daughter but he had done some reading at home and didn't need to start from the beginning. His teacher was very good at reading/listening to my comments and adjusting his reading books. Oh, and he wasn't given a reading book until January in Reception- not so in all schools but just to warn you!

My Daughter is in Reception, 4.5 and one of the youngest. She could not read at all (except for recognising her first name) when she started in September. Since then she has been flying with her reading and wants to read anything (signs and notices, labels on bottles) and everything. She reads to a teacher once a week and is sent home with 1 to 2 books for that week. The rest of the reading is down to us, which we do daily.

She has gone from reading the most basic books to books with longer sentences (they colour code them as green). We also have the Biff and Chip set at home and she can read Level five. I am happy for my daughter to read at the level she is comfortable. If the book is too long she can get fidgety and loose concentration so we just read 10 pages or whatever feels right.

There is a child in my daughters class who has a reading age f 9 and she is supported and encouraged to read at her level. I don't think you should worry about your daughter and I don't really think you can stop her reading because words are everywhere. If she is happy to read the same books over and over then I think that is fine, it is good for her confidence. But if she is already showing signs of being bored with the books she is reading or she is asking for new and interesting books then I can't see how this could be harmful. the main thing IS that she does have good comprehension of the books and that she is able to tell you what happened in the story and also remember it the next day.

IMO the school will be pleased to have a confident reader that needs minimal intervention.

Tbh I think that age 3-5 are very good age to read the Biff and Chip rubbish. Because the stories actually interest them at that age and they can enjoy them. Mine all have enjoyed them at preschool to reception age, but after that found them deadly boring and have gladly moved onto other books that have more interest to them.

I think the only concern I have over reading them at home is if they are the ones the school has (ie not the read at home) and if they memorise the words it can be unhelpful.

I assume she is understanding the stories, not just sounding out the words like a secret code, and that's not your wife's concern.

The school should assess where they are for starting reading, all mine have started at different levels without me saying anything to the teachers about their reading, and for my ds (who can be awkward if it's boring him) they've been brilliant at picking stories that interest him.

Topsy and Tim are great around ORT level 5. They can read a lot of it and there's loads of stories which aren't too long.

Your wife is wrong, once the reception teachers have had the time to work out what every child can do (usually by autumn half term) they will differentiate and give children reading books that suit their ability. Your DC should be allowed to progress with reading as long as she enjoys doing it and as long as you are sure she is understanding what she is reading as well as being able to decode it. The school will handle it if it is a school worth its salt.

Lots of children fly at reading at very young ages - often the differences within a group will iron out (i.e. other children will make great leaps later and catch up) but that is no reason to hold back.