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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

They dont know what to give my son to read

49 replies

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:09

I was talking to my sons teacher (he is 8) about his current reading book. It is a book of poetry, and he is really uninspired by it, and just mumble-read through it at high speed, and I always have to ask him to slow down and read it with proper fealing.

So she said, they dont know what to give him to read, as he is such an accomplished reader, and at this stage they would usually get them to read stories, and write a synopsis. But he only wants to read factual books, and they dont have anythign suitable.

I am disappointed. Surely they should not just give him some silly poetry book, because he is reading so well?

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Goblinchild · 22/09/2010 22:15

A lot of my lads enjoy the Eyewitness series.
The school sound more than a a little pathetic and inert.

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:18

I agree with your second sentence.

They just dont stretch him.

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mollymawk · 22/09/2010 22:21

You are right to be disappointed. They ought to have factual books. Literacy is not just about fiction (and not everybody likes it).

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:22

He is currently reading a book about Inca culture, here at home. He has read about the pharaos of egypt, and mayan temples. Anything interesting he can put his hands on, so I cannot understand they have NOTHING suitable for him!

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StarlightMcKenzie · 22/09/2010 22:23

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maktaitai · 22/09/2010 22:26

They don't have anything suitable?? Did they not consider asking you? what does he read at home, could they not just challenge him to find something that interests him in the library and bring it in/write a synopsis?

Is he bored by other stuff at school?

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:26

Starlight, I am talking about his reading homework.
The problem is that he is not getting the same homework as the other children, which is to read a story and write a synopsis. They have given him some silly poetry book, he is to read one poem daily, and no writing.

When I asked his teacher about it, they tell me he is such an accomplished reader they dont know what to give him.

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Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:28

maktaitai. He is not generally bored in school, he enjoys school. But, he is not getting any homework, other than the reading. The teacher said that the only books he wanted were factual, so not really suitable for homework. Apparently the synopsis would be too complicated to write? So he gets no writing homework.

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PlumBumMum · 22/09/2010 22:29

Quint I would take him to the library get a selectio of books and bring them into the school and ask tell them if they can be his reading books

My ds is 7 he reads his whole reading book for the week in 5 minutes on Monday night so I make sure he has a good supply of reading books,

I am going to see teacher to see if she has any other plans, and she better not give me 'the not enough books' excuse as I am treasurer of PTA and they haven't asked us to get any

pointydog · 22/09/2010 22:30

I don't understand why he doesn't get the same homework as everyone else.

PlumBumMum · 22/09/2010 22:32

Sorry I took ages reading that, what a load of crap, dd1s class had to pick a factual book last year and then sum up the book with 20 facts,
she picked earthquakes & Volcanoes

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:32

That is a good idea Plum. If they cant find reading books for him, I guess I have to involve myself. I will see what he brings home tomorrow, though, after our chat today.
He did not get any maths homework all last year. Because "we do not want him to race too far ahead of the others". No chance of that, I fear, as the advantage he had of starting school in the UK at 4, and then moving to Norway after year 1 to restart school at 6 and again do year 1 will be gone.

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Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:33

pointy, he is in a mixed age and abilities class of year 2 and 3 (him being in year 3) and everybody gets different homework.

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spiritmum · 22/09/2010 22:41

Hmm, my dds are both 'free readers' at their school and have been since the end of yr 1, which means they can either choose a book from the school 'free reader' box or take in a book from home, so long as it is suitable for their reading age.

They are also educated in mixed classes and there is no question of them being held back deliberately, although sometimes I feel they do tread water whilst the others catch up.

I would get him to write a synposis about his Inca book and take it to his teacher to see if he found that 'too complicated'.

JaneS · 22/09/2010 22:41

I am with him. I hated being told 'write a poem/ tell a story' to order.

You could start a thread asking for tips for books he'd like, I bet there would be loads.

This may be a really stupid thought, but could you get him a book about a time when there were lots of people writing poems? When I was 8 I loved the (very factual) horrible histories, but of course these also tell you about the poets and writers who were alive in certain periods (esp. the 'Terrible Tudors'). Would he like that at all?

magicmummy1 · 22/09/2010 22:43

Sounds like a pretty lame school if they don't have any non-fiction books in the library and/or can't think of a way of using these for homework.

pointydog · 22/09/2010 22:44

the homework policy sounds overly complicated if everyone gets different stuff to do.

magicmummy1 · 22/09/2010 22:44

Presumably they have other accomplished readers further up the school. What do those children read?

Goblinchild · 22/09/2010 22:45

Horrible histories, horrible Geography, Horrible science?
Give the Literacy co ordinator a booklist.

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:45

Their current history topic is the stone age. I guess I could take him to the library and chose a suitable book about that?

Maybe the teacher wasnt prepared to talk about individual children, as I just caught her after an information meeting in the school.

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Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:47

I think the teachers find they have a challenge on their hands.

There ar 16 boys and 3 girls in year 3.
There are 15 girls and 4 boys in year 2.
So they mixed up the classes last year, when they were year 1 and year 2. And this year they find that the most mature children in year 3 is miles away from the year 2 children, and they have problems coordinating the teaching and the homework so that it suits each individual child to their level.

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pointydog · 22/09/2010 22:49

Such a range of abilities is par for the course. Mixing and matching homework on an individual basis is not.

Original poster

QuintessentialShadows · 22/09/2010 22:50

And do you know who listen to them read and write in their books?

Children in year 6. Is this normal?
I mean, using children as a teaching resource?

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maktaitai · 22/09/2010 22:52

they don't want him to race too far ahead of the others.

they can't think of a writing homework to be done on the basis of a factual book.

For. Fark's. Sake.

What are the good points of this school?

maktaitai · 22/09/2010 22:55

Ah, I've actually asked my son's school to start a reading buddy system at school to get the year 6s to read with the younger ones

I think it's a good way of increasing responsibility for the older children and getting more reading time for the younger ones.

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