Does your child's primary school have parents in to listen to reading?

[scotlou]

I happened to drop it into conversation with my dh last night that our son's primary school has a parent in to help listen to reading. My dh went absolutely ballistic - feels it should only be teachers / teachers assistants etc allowed to do that job as they are trained. I said that it was common in many schools - and had been for years. He said he had never heard of it! I am trying to point out to him that it is a good thing as it ensures that all children are getting plenty of reading practise - and as we have had previous discussions with the school on lack of reading, I feel they have done well in addressing the issue. He sees it as yet another symptom of the school letting us down..
What do you think? Does your school have parent helpers to help with reading - and do you think it is a good / bad idea?

Parents hear children read in ds1's school - and they are all CRB checked.

I did it myself last yr and might do it again next yr when ds2 starts there.

Seems common practice in MK - from a straw poll of my mum friends

I listen to readers in YR and Y3, and listened to Y1 readers in DS1's previous school. The first school helpfully had a meeting to teach parents how to listen to readers - what prompts to use, what to expect at each level etc. This school doesn't give any instruction directly, but does hand out a book on beginning reading and has a general parents' meeting about the teaching of reading.

I think it's really helpful, particularly as some children do not get as much practice at home.

Yes, DS's school do, I did it this morning, and would very much have appreciated some basic training! I realised how much that I do with DS is based v much on my detaioled knowledge of his interest, ability, psychology etc. It was v tricky trying to discern when other children were needing a prompt, or if it would discourage them, or make them not rise to a challenge they could have met! But I was ever so nice to them all, of course.
Also, I had a huge queue, all jostling to read with me, just because I was new, and BoyBlu's Mum, to boot, so an object of intense curiosity - and found it hard to know how to be firm and stop them hurling themselves onto my lap. It was me and a supply teacher, all v scary!