Boring old reading books

[ninamag]

My two dds go to a small primary school. Dd2 is in year 1, dd3 in reception they come home with a book to read every night. We keep getting the same reading books over and over again. I went in and had a look at the selection they have and was really disappointed. Most of the books are really old, torn and either the oxford reading tree or ginn. How would you go about raising money for more? I am think of asking other parents for a donation so that the school can buy new books. I know that funding is tight but most of the books are over 10 years old.

our school often holds a book fair (they get commission from the books sold) and parents are asked buy and donate a book from the fair. we also get asked to donate pre-loved books. I find it a good opportunity to clear out books that DD has grown out of (of course we keep the cherished ones). Also staff and parents will buy books from the book people, and with the commisson they will buy books for the school.

What about the PTA? Will they be willing to contribute to books?

Our PTA has bought loads of books for our school.

It's often difficult to raise money for reading scheme books, however badly needed. A proportion of staff and parents felt, the times it was raised in schools I've worked in, that reading books are an essential that should come out of main budget. I agree in principle, but we were then always left with no reading books bought either way, or with library books deemed luxuries and therefore okay, but not what was really needed at the time. Approach with a little caution, but it makes sense to fund raise for them.

We went through a period at school where the non reading scheme books were rather tatty and not particularly inspiring. After some whinging some spending money was allocated and much improvement made by the school, but we also had a multi attach by parents.

One complication is that sometimes it can be a bit tricky to tell how the teachers feel about more books coming in - is there room, are they hurt etc.
We kicked off in reception by the class rep offering to collect together the recommended reading list, to make sure that there was a copy of each in the classroom. Parents dug out copies they already had which they were happy to hand on, and then volunteered to buy the rest. Took a month or so, but all were found, and the teacherss put a little donation sticker in each. This has the advantage that the teachers could control which books came.
We also have a birthday club whereby if people want to they can donate a book they have enjoyed, or one from a little stock in the office, to donate for their birthday, wiht a book plate put in.
The book people can be a fantastic way to get an extraordinarily large bang for one's buck - a good bake sale and you could net a sackful.
Reading scheme books are harder as generally need so many, and I agree that one's gut feel is more that these should be covered by the school. However, sometimes needs must...