I know I should be a nice middle class parent and enjoy listening to my dd read to me, but...

[Enid]

it has become a flash point at the end of the day.

She has a reading book every day from school (she is 6, in year 1), she is supposed to read it to me and I listen and write comments in her reading book.

The last few weeks have been a real struggle for me as far as her reading goes - obviously I am knackered with small baby and 3 year old, BUT

a) she has started to hate reading and fusses and moans whenever we have to sit and do it
b) she just stares out of the window if she doesnt know a word, then if I tell her what it is she throws a fit
c)she reads REALLY SLOWLY and it took us 50 mins to read 16 pages this evening
d) she reads in a baby lispy voice that drives me mad and I just can't keep my mouth shut about it

I know I should be calmer and more positive but my comment in her reading book tonight was 'Like pulling teeth'.

How on earth can we get back on track with this?

Uglysister: I hate the idea of making reading something that children dread but I do think that it is important to practice every day...

enid i htink hse may well be in therapy soon

watch it
making her do things she doesnt like

god youll be making her go to shcol
go to church
eat food
sit at a table

bleimey
think end of the wedge

cod
quick hijack
salmon and tomato crust recipe please
dh likes your recipes...

the middle classes dont go to church, surely?
what have they got to repent

are you my mate?

are oyu g and t enemy?
cant remmebr
your reply may inform oyur evening meal

I think you maybe need to let dd1 take responsibility for the process a bit more. This is a school requirement right? Something her teacher has asked her to do? If so, really it's up to dd1 to either do it or not do it and sort out any consequences with teacher. As long as her teacher is reasonably unogrelike I would therefore back off entirely and let dd decide where to go from here. I would just stop reading with her completely for the moment- it sounds horrendously stressful and that's not what any of you need- and wait until SHE asks you to let her read to you. Shouldn't take forever if she has a reading record book you're supposed to fill in- most kids don't like having a blank book and her teacher will ask her why she isn't doing it eventually. When she's telling you she needs to read her book say something along the lines of "Oh yes! How exciting, great idea!" And then say you have some new "reading rules":

1. no baby voices
2. no tantrums
3. no whinging If she does any of these things, stop reading with her and refuse to write in her record. Then you can concentrate all your efforts on praising her efforts. Would that work d'you think? i did something similar with one of my boys and it did.

and heres a recipe to break it up

"ok

"olive and sunblisgh tomato crusted salmon wiht roasted "vine" tomatoes"

you need

4 5 - 6 ox salmon fillets
3 ox white breadcrumbs
zest of half a lemon
1 oz stoned balck olives chopped
parley chopped
1 oz sunblush tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

heat oven to 180. Line a baking sheet with nonstick parchemnt and put aslmon on it

in bowl mix breadcrumbs, zest olives tomatoes adn parsely add oila dn mix. Squish down firmly on fisha dn cook fro 15-20 mins till golden.

to accompany put a bunch of toamtoes on a "VINE" ( they mean a stalk ffs) drizzle olive oil over and ppeer.. bake in oven at smae time but on seperate tin "

thanks:)

enid - hope the reading thing gets better
pasta jar?

Good post, Scummy. LOL at 'reasonably unogrelike'.

what about, i know it is boring though but if you hurry up you can go back on the playstation

works a treat

Enid, I would suggest:
Set a time-limit - say just 10 mins to start with. Set a timer to ring after 10 mins = end of session no matter what.

If she reads with:
a) No fuss
b) A bit of expression and enthusiasm
c) No silly voices or dawdling or stalling
Then she gets a pink sparkly sticker in her reading record book. If not, she doesn't: but don't prolong the agony.

If she gets, say, 5 stickers in a week then she gets a little reward.

lol at no sptupid voices

so well all wind up enid with silly ideas sn roisin has a good one

boo
:)

right am doing a mix of roisin and scum

no timer though as will tip her over the edge

2will report back

sounds deadly

its the series that bore her

always does really well with the first one

no more ort here till next year

oh god buyt henm yourelf

yes will do for summer to get heads up on next year

woudl that make you a pushy parent?

probably

she is bottom pf class though

Bet there would be a HUGE market for anyone opening an agency specialised in reading practice for small kiddies.

SSSandy absolutely - preferably one that kept them out of the house for all of Sunday afternoon

I'm not surprised she's bored with the Ginn - it has to be the dullest reading scheme on earth - I hated using it.

Agree with Roisin - some gorgeous girly pink pink pink stickers if she cracks 10 mins "on task", no timer, just bring things to a close.