Please come and tell me if you think this is reasonable for a reception teacher

[wearymum200]

I am looking for opinions from primary teachers/ TAs/ parents who've been round this game before. This is trying very hard NOT to be a thread about reading bands because I am not in any way bothered about the absolute level DS is reading at, but more concerned by the teacher's attitude.
DH and I read with DS twice a day every day, so reading practice is not itself an issue.
Sorry for long post, I'm trying to give a fair picture...
DS1, now 5.2 started reception last September able to read. He got his first school reading book at half term in February , working his way up through each and every book of a given band.
I raised a concern early this term that DS had given up bringing his reading book home because it was too boring and easy. Teacher agreed he seemed to be flying through and she agreed to skip a few levels. We got a few books which were a bit harder, but DS took to reading them in a sing-song, going through the motions sort of way. He remained happy to read library books.and reading chest at a (much) higher level (and his comprehension is really good). 3 weeks ago, teacher approached me with a reading book and said "He reads really well doesn't he?", so I raised the possibility of a book a bit nearer his level. She agreed to have a little look around and the following daywe got a book 3 levels higher than the one she had previously given him. Possibly still a bit easy, but he engaged happily with it, so i was fine with that. The next book that came home was 2 levels below and dull. Teacher asked me if it was still too easy and I said yes. So she agreed she'd try and find something else, but it would mean her looking in another classroom because they have nothing in reception. OK. 2 weeks later, we have had no reading book home since then, at all. I only collect DS twice a week and have raised it on every possible occasion and she always says she'll try and get something.
Now honestly, am I being unreasonable thinking she might try a little harder? I'm concerned about the message that DS is getting, which, in terms of reading, is pretty negative from school (as I said, we do loads at home and he loves to read, but he IS bored at school)

he's 5.......let him be 5. he can read.

Does he have a new teacher for year one in September? If so I'd let it ride.

Have you had a meeting with the teacher to discuss his reading and general ability levels. It might be worth talking to the current teacher and possibly the next class teacher in more detail rather than just trying to catch her at the end of the day. If you still feel nothing is happening ask to get the head teacher involved or possibly the SENCO (being more able is just as valid reason for getting more adult support as being less able). I find that you sometimes do have to be pushy and persistent to get things done.

It sounds like you're pushing him hard on the reading front (guided reading twice a day) which is great but as a result, he's going to be way ahead of his class. I would personally ensure your son reads the books from school (he should fly through them from what you say) and then hit the library and get him books elsewhere.

I'd also focus on his comprehension and writing (e.g. doing exercises where he has to invent a new character) if he finds reading the books so easy.

She may want him to actually be taking in and remembering what he is reading too. It's one thing flicking through the pages of a book,reading it fluently but it's another actually taking the new words and adding them to your vocabulary,understanding the text and the moral of the story. She may also have a study/teaching plan where she wants to keep the harder books for later on.

Just make sure you have lots of good stuff to read at home and make lots of use of the library. It doesn't matter if he reads the school books or not. He can take his home books into school to read if he likes them better.

Thanks for answers so far; MammyT we're not "pushing" the reading practice at all. DS1 gets very upset that he "won't get better" if he doesn't read to us (and he is always given the option of not reading). My real concern is that school have not bothered to provide us with a book at all for 2 weeks. And that I got the impression that she has only heard him read once this term. (is that normal for a recption teacher, I honestly don't know?)
I'll go for writing practice for a change......

The way I have tackled this with DD is that I tell her we are playing a game with the teacher and she needs us to just go through her list of books, we all know you can read much more complicated books but we are just playing along. The danger is you will get to year 5 and have run out of curriculum, this also happened to us and we ended up moving into private school otherwise years 5 and 6 would have involved thumb twiddling for our child whilst she waited for KS 3. Might be worth considering.

Lucky you- my dd is nearing the end of year 1, but is still 5, and still can't read for toffee. Despite encouragement and interventions, she's not interested in reading at all. At least your son loves reading, that is something to treasure! I would suggest reading books from the library that pique his interest and placing less emphasis on climbing up the book bands.

My ds is also in reception year he is 5.7. At there school there reading books get changed twice a week. All reading books are kept in the main library. I spoke to his teacher and said he was getting bored as he likes reading could he have a new one everyday. The school where more than happy with this i take him to change his book now. They did ask if i could keep it to myself as there is a wide range of reading levels and not many books in some levels to enable every child to change every day.

Ds came home monday with another new level book sent home by the school he is now reading at an age 7-8yr level. His favourite part is hes only 1 level ehind his sister now lol. Go in and speak to the teacher and explain and ask if its possible for you to change his book each day so he gets a new one to read. Also my ds only reads at home his school reading book and a book they get from the library each week and what ever else he picks up at home.

we certainly dont spend ages doing any other reading with him so arent pushing him.

Does it really matter? If you read with him twice a day, have lots of books at home and access to local library then he will keep reading new material and improving, won't he?

Hmm at our school books get changed everyday if they have been ticked off as read.
I wouldn't sweat it though. Just read the books at home, they are far more interesting than boring reading schemes.

Have to say at our school only the strugglers read to the teacher or TA. The rest read in guided reading sessions about twice a week. Parents choose books from a selection of colour coded in levels books (both schemes and general story books) and the teacher assesses which level a child is at termly or more often if a child appears to be making lots of progress.
I don't remember the teacher giving dd a book, we choose the books she wants to read and change them whenever we want. I wouldn't worry about reading scheme books and would go to the library and choose books from there instead.

Haven't read all the posts, but just want to add to the first response.

Please don't sit back. I did, same as you I was only at the school twice a week and happiness was more important to me than grades, so I didn't push. They 'levelled' him - "to let the others catch up" (I am quoting ). Over the following few years DS wasn't pushed, got bored, became despondant and eventually lost all confidence as he saw no reason to achieve his potential.

He went from G&T register (awful) to having to attend booster groups. It's taken us 2 years of private tuition to bring that confidence back and now a new school where he feels valued and respected and can explore all his capabilities and creativity. It all starts and ends with reading, don't let him lose his obvious love of books and desire to achieve.

DS has a new book every day and the teacher hears him read once a week and often he has a second session with a TA/ parent helper. He is an average reader (I think - quite able but not reading chapter books) in a class of 30 where there are quite a few children with SEN. the teacher still has time to read with each child every week.

I'd want to get it sorted with the teacher - it us her job to know what level your child is at. But I also agree that you can provide reading material that is appropriate.

your teacher is doing something though, even if very slowly. she has listened and moved him up, even if not as far as you think. he could be having to read every book in pink band... which are only changed once a week... your situation is not ideal, but it could be worse.
do go to the library. get him to retell stories, think how the characters are feeling and why. ask lots of questions, get him to think what he would make happen next if he was the author. look at non fiction and poetry. what does he think about it? does he like the poems what are his favourites? can he use a contents page and index?

look some previous threads up here and find out more you can do from some of the up to date early years teachers...

meanwhile dd will continue to get some good reading practice by reading the parents notes at the beginning and end of the sodding red band book...

My dd could read before she started school and we were encouraged to send in a selection of books from home which she could read with the teacher monitoring about once a week.she was 'silent reading' by 5 [August born so after a year in Reception]Why not ask if your ds can do similar if it is difficult for school to provide appropriate books.

DD is in reception and she and another child are both reading at a high level for reception. Her teacher has got books from other classes in rhe school for them to choose from (they have banded books that are changed either by parents or by the teacher). So if your DC wanted new books every day that would be fine and encouraged.

Have to admit I probably don't listen to her read as often as I could/should so really it isn't me "pushing" her.

My main concern would be that he might be getting the message from school that reading is not important -(no books for 2 weeks).
I am a parent and a teacher and I would recommend not feeling too stressed- with the support he is getting at home he will progress. There will be a new teacher in Sept and the move to KS1 will probably mean a wider range of books. However, many schools do "guided reading" where children read in groups - so if there are no children at his level he will have to read at the best match. In the session the teacher will look at punctuation, reading strategies, comprehension as well as just reading so he may get something out of reading easy books. Also the teachers like to cover a range of genres to support written work in class.
DS used to be v bored by school readers and progressed through the bands v slowly - 2 pages a night but I didn't want reading to be a chore so I thought that was OK as he was reading his way through much more challenging, interesting books at home. When they were assessed in Y3 his reading age was at the top of the year group ahead of those on higher reading bands. He is now 15, an avid reader and doing well in English.

I only send school books home so that those poor children who don't have any books in the house have a chance of learning to read. If you are reading 'proper' books with him then there is no problem.

I don't really think you have a problem-his reading level is acknowledged by the school, they are seeking to accommodate it, albeit with a delay. I can think of many cases (including my own) where that isn't the case-and where the school, sometimes aided and abetted by kids, did not accept the reading levels as 'real'. I wouldn't get to paniced about messages from school and no books-it is unusual, but he will be doing reading and writing at school, and knows it is important from home.

There are solutions to your problem-one is just to ask, the other is to suggest bringing books from home. The only concern I would have is that I can think of one of two pupils I work with where the parental drive to read 'harder' books concerns me, in that to my mind they are at a level of reading fluency and comprehension where they are ready to start reading to learn, but lack other skills necessary to do so, and where stress on the level of the book is not helpful (I think it would be better, for instance, for them to read widely at a lower level and understand how books on a topic they like relate to each other and how information might be absorbed, rather than just endlessly moving onwards into new rather bitty territory). But that's not you, and in those cases I do provide higher level books....