How often does yourreception aged child read with their Teacher/TA?

blowninonabreeze · 2010-10-01T11:07:26+00:00

DD1 started reception this year. On day 2 she was given a reading book and diary (initially without words but has since progressed to basic words) with instructions to document when she read at home and leave it in the book changing box at school once she'd read in twice. We also got a letter explaining that they woukd aim to hear children read once a week but it may be less at busy times of year. [hmm] To date no-one has heard DD read. (4 weeks) Now I know reading isn't the be all and end all but its my only outside measure of attention DD recieves in school - and in a month there's none! What is normal? Are my expectations too high? I'm worried that I'm doing reading 'wrong' as she's struggling to blend the letter sounds together - but despite documenting this in her reading diary - nothing. Is it ok that DD seems to get most of her clues from combining the first sound of the word with the picture in the book?

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Set a reminder

NoahAndTheWhale · 01/10/2010 12:11

DD started reception in September and has been heard reading about 4 or 5 times I think (would need to check her reading diary which is at school). Some of it is guided reading in a group with others and the teacher - others is on her own.

We had a phonics evening to explain the systems they use and how to do book changing etc a few weeks ago - we can change books as we feel they are ready although school changes them too.

I would definitely talk to her teacher about it - she may be reading at school but without them documenting it, you can't know. I wouldn't worry about her not blending much at the moment - it took DS a while to really get it and then he took off (reads v well now in Year 2).

CMOTdibbler · 01/10/2010 12:13

Every day - alternate days with teacher and ta.

Original poster

blowninonabreeze · 01/10/2010 12:15

Sigh

I'm trying not to get too anxious about this.

She's in a class of 30 with 1 teacher and a TA. She's quiet, and I'm worried she's getting lost.

OP posts:

NoahAndTheWhale · 01/10/2010 12:15

Thinking about it, it has probably been at least twice a week. Am not sure I can count any more

Original poster

blowninonabreeze · 01/10/2010 12:16

But I thought that aiming for once a week wasn't particularly ambitious in the first place

OP posts:

emy72 · 01/10/2010 12:19

my DS1 hasn't been given any books and hasn't even started phonics yet.....

witlesssarah · 01/10/2010 12:29

I'm with emy72 no reading or formal phonics yet, and I'm happy with that. Do you get to spend time in the classroom at the beginning of the day? We can and DS has shown us various pieces of work on the walls, and the poster with his golden points as well as the toys he likes. That gives me a sense that he is getting what he needs.

wheelsonthebus · 01/10/2010 12:30

I found that the teacher/TA just didn't have the time so I would do it myself - 20 mins a day; anything the school did on top was a bonus.

newbiemumof3 · 01/10/2010 12:39

I have three children.My youngest has just gone into year 2. When she was in reception she read with the teacher maybe every six wweeks at best.I personally, and I am a teacher myself, do not think this is sufficent.
However it was obvious that I was not going to change this teacher's appraoch so i just made sure she read every day with me and I joined the reading chest as the cost of books adds up and local libararies do not stock much in the early satges.
My older two went to a school where the teacher heard them read once a week at least and the TA once a week and usually a helper too.This went from reception to year 2.
The reason I mention this is that my youngest achieved the same reading level/standard and love of reading as the other two.
It is annoying and frankly inexcusable to only hear readers once or twice a term, especially in reception.However you can do with your child what the teacher isn't doing.Share a book with her every night and encourage reading in your household daily lives e.g labels, get her to make recipe card for dinner etc.
I am waffling - ultimately I am saying that it needn't hold her back.

newbiemumof3 · 01/10/2010 12:40

Sorry for typos - on way out in the pouring rain

magicmummy1 · 01/10/2010 12:54

dd was in reception last year, and I could probably count on one hand the number of times the teacher heard her read her reading books, but the teacher had a very good handle on her reading ability/level and I think there were lots of other less formal opportunities to read in class.

It never really bothered me tbh, as reading aloud is something we can do at home. The teacher had a finite number of hours in the day, and hearing 30 kids read aloud even once a week would take a good couple of hours - and that's time that then wouldn't be spent on other things which we might not be able to replicate so easily at home.

dd's school is very laid back about reading in general - no books till after christmas, changed only once a week, reading to the teacher only occasionally - but it gets great results so whatever they are doing seems to be working! Besides, reception is about more than reading alone!

Unless your dd is unhappy, or you're concerned about her lack of progress, I wouldn't worry - let the professionals get on with it! :)

Original poster

blowninonabreeze · 01/10/2010 13:01

Thanks everyone. Will try to chill out!
I wasn't expecting a Reading book so early as posts I'd read on here etc suggested it would be more like after half term. My worry is that I'm progressing her through the books unsupervised! But hell I guess I can read so should be able to help a 4 year old!

OP posts:

Callisto · 01/10/2010 13:09

Wheelsonthebus - . Is that really your experience? That is terrible.

I can't remember how often in reception but at the very least DD would read with her teacher once a week and then another couple of times through the week with TAs. It is all in her readiung book thingy so I could see that they were doing it with her. PLus they initial and comment (well done etc) when DH and I read with her. This year seems to be along the same lines so far.

It is very early in the year though and it won't do your DD any harm not to do any reading at all for the first year.

notnowbernard · 01/10/2010 13:12

I have absolutely no idea

Haven't had parents evening, no time to chat to the teacher at drop-off or pick-up, she has 29 other parents there

No point asking dd2, she gives zilch away about her day

Plus she can't read anyway

bullethead · 01/10/2010 13:17

sorry but I think reading IS very nearly the be-all and end-all with regard to their education and they should be hearing your child at least twice a week, otherwise how can they know how her reading is progressing? The answer is that they just don't have the time and it's true with all the other demands made on them hearing children read is seen as a luxury. Actually it should be a priority. That intimate reading session can do so much else for a child too, a bit of individual attention makes them feel special and helps their confidence

PatriciaHolm · 01/10/2010 13:32

In reception, once every 2-3 weeks I think, and brought home a book every day which we read together. Now in Y1, twice a week and a book every day. I think ideally it would be more often in reception, but with 30 children across a teacher and a TA, that's a lot of time, plus the EYFS puts the emphasis on learning through play so they work on skills that way -e.g. "put the shapes back in the boxes that say their name on" for example.

magicmummy1 · 01/10/2010 13:34

dd was in reception last year, and I could probably count on one hand the number of times the teacher heard her read her reading books, but the teacher had a very good handle on her reading ability/level and I think there were lots of other less formal opportunities to read in class.

It never really bothered me tbh, as reading aloud is something we can do at home. The teacher had a finite number of hours in the day, and hearing 30 kids read aloud even once a week would take a good couple of hours - and that's time that then wouldn't be spent on other things which we might not be able to replicate so easily at home.

dd's school is very laid back about reading in general - no books till after christmas, changed only once a week, reading to the teacher only occasionally - but it gets great results so whatever they are doing seems to be working! Besides, reception is about more than reading alone!

Unless your dd is unhappy, or you're concerned about her lack of progress, I wouldn't worry - let the professionals get on with it! :)

redskyatnight · 01/10/2010 16:06

DD is meant to do guided reading in a small group with her TA/teacher once a week. But ... they have only started doing so this week - they used the first 3 weeks as settling in and are introducing "activities" gradually.

muffint · 01/10/2010 17:15

Mine's just started reception. They do half an hour of phonics a day and have given us some to take home to practice. They choose one book a week from the library to take home but don't have formal reading books yet. I'm happy with this. Agree - let the professionals get on with it and help when you're asked to. It's a state primary but considered a good one.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 01/10/2010 17:39

DS was heard reading "at least three times a week" by the teacher, the TA or a volunteer parent. In practice it was generally four or five times, and one or two of those by the teacher. It was quite a small class, though.

dikkertjedap · 01/10/2010 18:48

Every day, always with one of the teachers in very small groups in which each child spends quite a bit of time reading. The teachers divide the different ability groups amongst themselves and rotate.

DD started school knowing most letters, now she is reading the simple ORT books (without help!), so they must practice really intensively.

We are expected to spend 10-15 mins each day listening to reading and record in notebook.

coppertop · 02/10/2010 14:40

Dd1 is in Reception. She hasn't yet read with a teacher yet but she is still learning the first sets of phonics.

They bring home books to share but these aren't necessarily for the child to actually read for themselves. At this stage it's about the basic things like using the pictures as cues, knowing that the text is read from left to right, guessing what might happen next etc.

Teacher401 · 02/10/2010 16:15

Is it that they are not reading or is it just that they are not signing the diary? I taught Year 5 last year and had a parent complain that I wasn't hearing her child read. I was but in school we fill in a record sheet and not the reading diary. In Reception in my new school, the children are still doing reading assessment sheets with the teachers, where they are reading different letters and other things, this isn't being put into their reading diary either.

ChasingSquirrels · 02/10/2010 16:19

I can't imagine he is reading with his teacher at all, he only knows about 1/3 of the alphabet, can't blend and is no where near reading.
He is now bringing books home and the TA has noted in his reading records when she has read to him.

mummyloveslucy · 02/10/2010 16:46

My daughter is in year 1 and reads with her teacher every day. We have a new book home every night too.