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Original poster

What reception level reading books to buy for home?

33 replies

Cazzr · 27/10/2010 14:28

DS started reception this year and has always been interested in books.

He has loads of books at home, various levels of difficulty but I'm wondering about buying a series of books specifically for his reading level, rather than for us to read to him (we'd still do this).

He does bring home books from school, a library book of his choice once a week(no restriction at all) and a 'proper' reading book from the Collins cat range weekly it seems but had the last blinking butterfly book for 2 weeks...(currently wordless but I gather this is only temporary).

Anyway, if anyone has a recommendation for a specific range (preferably not Collins Cat as assuming he'll get these eventually) of books I'd appreciate it.
Thinking with a difficulty of about a sentence a page??

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Malaleuca · 27/10/2010 14:34

www.piperbooks.co.uk
I recommend these as they are effective, low cost, and children can learn how to read quite easily with them.

Original poster
Cazzr · 27/10/2010 14:42

Many thanks for the quick reply, I'll take a look now. :)

OP posts:
doiwant3 · 27/10/2010 15:23

I thought the Miskin books were very good - I think they are Read Write Inc

treas · 27/10/2010 15:28

To be honest my dd had enough of scheme books at school and found them exceedingly boring. She progressed better reading books from the library and adored shared reading of the books we had for bed time e.g. Percy the Park Keeper, Q Pootle 5, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Alfie Stories, Katie Morag etc.

Dracschick · 27/10/2010 15:30

School reading books are boring.

Carry on with any books that take his fancy at home,let him read funny stories out of the paper with you and watch TV with subtitles on.

bigchris · 27/10/2010 15:30

I'd go to your local library and let him choose some each week

hocuspontas · 27/10/2010 15:36

The trouble with scheme books is that they only get read once. They are too boring to want to get out again and are only relevant for that stage of reading. Don't!

bekkio · 28/10/2010 06:26

I too avoid reading scheme books at home. DS1 is now in Yr 1 and his reading is excellent but he still finds his school books a bit dull. He reads them more out of duty than for pleasure. We go to the library once a week and spend time finding books that he can read. I get a mixture of those that he can do easily and those that are a bit of a challenge and then at bedtime his dad or I read one story and then he reads one to us :)

bek x

Malaleuca · 28/10/2010 08:42

Hocus have you used the books from piperbooks with a reception child, on which to base your judgement?

hocuspontas · 28/10/2010 12:54

Have had a look, having never heard of them, and the 'See Me' one looked dreadful. Exactly what I said. Why would you ever look at this book again after you had read it once? Leave the scheme books at school! "Sam! See me! See me." Not even grammatically correct. Sorry.

Malaleuca · 28/10/2010 13:07

So you have not actually used these books, and so have a limited perspective. Those who use them, and there have been hundreds of thousands over the last 30 years, tend to look back on them with great affection! I have met several parents and grandparents who have saved them in order to teach their own children to read. Many parents need the scaffolding that a 'scheme' provides. These particular books provide just that, and make the instruction simple. No prior training required!

Feenie · 28/10/2010 13:19

Blimey, Malaleuca, am beginning to suspect that you work for Piper books! Wink

I don't think that parents 'need the scaffolding that a scheme provides' - other than the scheme provided by the school. I'm with hocuspontas - please leave them at school and use real books to continue developing a love of reading.

mrz · 28/10/2010 13:32

The Piper books are advertised as an early intervention (for children who are struggling?) which seems strange for children who are not even statutory school age. My problem when we looked at them is they are so unappealing looking for young children. Yes they are decodable and start very slowly but they look cheap and frankly nasty.
Personally I would never suggest parents buy scheme books for home use great stories and develop language/vocabulary while practising sounds and reading home school books.

Malaleuca · 28/10/2010 13:44

Well there you go, Cazzr, all you asked for was a recommendation of a specific range with the difficulty of about a sentence a page. That's exactly what i have recommnded but seemingly everyone else on here knows better what you sshould be dong.
Strewth, I've had enough of mums net.

mrz · 28/10/2010 13:50

Malaleuca it's a forum people are allowed to voice an opinion and then the OP can make an informed choice

piscesmoon · 28/10/2010 13:55

I would just go to the library regularly-they have a huge range.

Feenie · 28/10/2010 14:02

What a silly reaction, Malaleuca - how very dare anyone have an opinion which involves something other than Piperbooks?

Malaleuca · 28/10/2010 14:17

Not at all Feenie, I was wondering when someone would describe some other set of books that OP is looking for, so far we have had Ruth Miskin, BRI from Piper, and a heap of people telling her not to bother. I'd be interested to hear what else is out there, just like the OP.

mrz · 28/10/2010 14:25

The point is Malaleuca teachers are giving their professional opinion that buying in sets of reading scheme books to use at home isn't helpful which is why there has only been the two suggestions.

ragged · 28/10/2010 14:36

Another vote here for going to public library.
We were given a load of Biff+Chip books, I have a small number of Dick + Jane readers from somewhere, plus I was loaned a lot of Rigby Rockets (my HE friends rate highly), but public library selection is as good as any of those.

Highlander · 28/10/2010 14:40

read him some cracking books at bedtime insterad - this will enthuse him to read and improve his vocab.

DS1 (Yr 1) loves..........

How to Train Your Dragon series
Dinosaur Cove series
Dick King Smith Books
Around the World in 80 Tales (or other folklore stuff)

Force him to read by himself too much and you'll put him off.

NonBlondGirl · 28/10/2010 15:45

The libraries where we are do not have a good range of early learning to read range of books.

We found the www.readingchest.co.uk/
works well for us. You can pick from various schemes or have books from a lot of different schemes.

Means I can over fill the house with longer lasting books.

blowninonabreeze · 28/10/2010 15:49

I was about to suggest reading chest.

I haven't used them yet as DD can change her books regularly with the school, but I have their site bookmarked for future use

mrz · 28/10/2010 15:50
Sad
pickledbabe · 28/10/2010 15:55

I love I am Reading series, and Bananas (which come in different colours for reading difficulty)

I've got all of the major reading scheme books altogether here

I agree with what others have said, that if you choose books that are exciting stories, even if it's a series, then they will come back to them when they're confident readers.

I can't imagien anyone coming back to Biff and chip later... Hmm

(although I'm happy to be proved wrong)