Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

"Read less, please!"

44 replies

Friedtomatoes77 · 12/09/2011 21:38

My ds has just started year 2, and he is really enjoying reading at the moment (well has been since he 'got it' about springtime). We have been instructed today for him to just read 5 to 10 pages each night and discuss the story with an adult. Feeling a bit with this as I tried this tonight and he had just got into the story and didn't want to stop. We discussed the book as we went along, it's not like he's just trying to get to the end/ book finished. I have trained as a teacher and know about reading for meaning etc. His previous teachers were always pleased with him to read the whole book. However we have lost the record book for comments over the summer, I wonder whether this has set us off on the wrong foot. It's not like I'm pushing him to read it all or anything, he chooses how much he reads. I can see though it's annoying not getting the satisfaction of finding out what happens.

I was thinking of writing a note about this to the teacher and not sure what to say, didn't want to not follow orders! I can see it's not going to work limiting him to a few pages, he'll just read it anyway and I guess I'd have to lie..

Any comments appreciated / wwyd? Oh and the books are ORT Stage 8 (near end).

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 07:13

I think that the teacher's main reason for doing it is that parents often just want to race through and get onto the next level. The teacher wants to make sure that it isn't just decoding, but that the DC is reading with understanding.

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 07:15

I agree Abigail-very often a DC has 'finished' the book and I have no doubt that they really have read the whole thing, but they are quite unable to tell you much about it.

mrz · 13/09/2011 07:15

I've got a lot of children in my Y2 class who I am putting down levels because they are reading books but can't tell me anything about what they have read or even tell me if it was a "good" book or that they liked/disliked it.

AbigailS · 13/09/2011 07:21

Good on you mrz. I've tried it with a few and, boy, the backlash! I'm an incompitenet teacher apparently. Blow the fact of my results of progress and outcomes in KS1 assessments.

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 07:38

The main problem with reading scheme books is that parents want to rush through it-hence the posts 'what colour band is your 6 yr old on' or they have a DC to tea and look in the book bag to compare!!
FlamingBingo writes absolute rubbish about squashing DCs creative minds! I can only think that she is unable to discuss a book with imagination and wit-it doesn't have to be dull-you can easily use it to enthuse. I went to my book group last night, we all go because we love to discuss a book that we have all read-it adds to the book-it doesn't squash creativity! We all see things differently. Sometimes people who hated the book even think they will read it again-they get enthused! DCs are no different.
Of course it is boring if you just get them to say what the story just said-I expect the DC would look at you as if 'I have just read it to you!'

FlamingoBingo · 13/09/2011 07:53

Exoctic - I'm not suggesting you can't do that without home educating, but it's harder if you don't understand the system and are not strong enough to stand up against it when you feel it's not working for your children.

Interesting when someone gets so defensive they write:

"FlamingBingo writes absolute rubbish about squashing DCs creative minds! I can only think that she is unable to discuss a book with imagination and wit-it doesn't have to be dull-you can easily use it to enthuse."

I wonder what's making you so defensive...?

There is plenty of evidence about how institutionalised schooling can destroy creativity when done poorly, and I remember plenty of times being asked by a teachers what the story just said, and being really fed up and annoyed by it.

Thankfully I had a Mum who encouraged me to read as much as I liked, and managed to ensure that the crap teacher I had at the time didn't ruin my love of books.

HSMM · 13/09/2011 08:05

My DD could never relate back what what is in her school stories while she was at the Biff and Chip stage, because she found them so repetitive and boring. The teacher was concerned about her reading, until I pointed out the additional books she was reading at home and she was able to relate back all sorts of detail from the stories that even I hadn't remembered.

Just write in the book how many pages your DS has read and say that you discussed the content of the story.

colditz · 13/09/2011 08:21

I agreewith FlamignoBingo. I wasn't home educated but I could read so well when I started school that the teachers just left me to it. I had read every book in the school by the time I was 9 and I just brought in a book from home (got told not to bring in Agatha Christies though )

And far from being uable to decode a book, I enjoy reading very much.

People who can only 'bark' read don't enjoy what they are reading and therefore don't read for pleasure. I don't think this is the casewith the Op's son and I think the teacher is barking up the wrong tree.

FlamingoBingo · 13/09/2011 08:22

I'm sorry, I shouldn't sound so stroppy - just a bit tired.

But you can't possibly deny that school is damaging for some children in some way...?

FlamingoBingo · 13/09/2011 08:33

And that damaging a love of reading is one of the commonest ways?

exoticfruits · 13/09/2011 08:57

I was a bit stroppy too FlamingBingo. I just get fed up with schools being evil places that stifle DCs. I read for pleasure from the very first moment that I picked up a book without pictures in the infant class and realised that I could read it! I was hooked and I can say, with all honesty, that I have never been without a book since the age of 6yrs. I finish one and start the next-I always have a pile waiting.

I can only think that you had a very uninspiring teacher -I can never remember them saying 'what have you just read' -it was more the sort of thing that we did in our reading group last night,-'why do you think x acted the way they did?' I would say that school fostered my joy of reading. Something all good schools should do.
I remember one lot of homework that I set on a book for yr 5 and one girl's mother told me that her DD was shaking with excitement when she got home (I admit that most DCs are not like that about homework!) but I can assure you that it wasn't a comprehension exercise-it was highly imaginative. There is nothing more exciting as a teacher than getting DCs enthused by literature.

OP has to make allowances for the fact the teacher is still getting to know her class and assess them-after 2 weeks she doesn't know which DC (and parent especially) is rushing through to get onto the next band as 'proof' they are a good reader and which is being held back by the policy. I would give it to half term and if you still are not happy pop in and have a chat.

madwomanintheattic · 13/09/2011 14:27

dear god. the teacher wrote the same thing in every book. she wasn't being prescriptive. she was stating what the expectation was for dc's to do.

at no point did she say 'only' or 'only or ONLY!

she had approx 5 secs to check everyone's reading record. if every parent (the pushy/ keen ones the school is so famed for) is reading as much into her teeny weeny autopilot comment as you are, the poor woman is going to have one hell of a year.

she wants him to read. as much as he likes. but a minimum of 5-10 pages with some discussion with an adult.

'if you are still not happy' - not happy with what though? the teacher reminding the parents what she expects (as a minimum) from the class? i'd say she was doing a fine job. and is totally unaware that by not writing 'at a minimum' in every book (probably because she didn't want to turn it into a competition - this seems extremely likely if the op is typical of the parents at the school) that there are parents who believe she meant 'only'.

even if she didn't.

sometimes a teacher just can't win.

blackeyedsusan · 13/09/2011 20:18

You assume the teachers actually read the comments you put in the reading log anyway?

quite (though I always did)

festi dd read usborne yellow band books when she had just turned 4 (the easy end of yellow admittedly) (can rememberr the shock when i overheard her reading out loud) yet she was put onto pink when they all got a book after half term, and there she stayed, til just before parents evening in march... and she progressed to red band.. where she stays in year one (though her new teacher has not yet had time to assess properly) at a level lower than she entered school. she has got to white band books now, we are broadening vocabulary, practising sounding out long words and discussing content and she reads loads for pleasure.

racingheart · 14/09/2011 00:04

I'd check. Have a word with her. If as madwoman says, its a recommendation not a prescription, then problem solved. If it's a prescription she's really not cut out for the job. I'd want to find out.

Runoutofideas · 14/09/2011 08:00

My dd1 is the same - she likes to read for a good half an hour or so and generally likes to finish the book. (She's just gone into Yr2 too). There has never been any problem with it though. In fact it has become more of a running joke with the TA who finds new books for her. She opened the door yesterday morning and said "Morning dd1 - finished that book, did you?" DD1 "Yes Mrs X - I like to keep you busy!" Cue happy smiles and nice start to the day!

exoticfruits · 14/09/2011 08:32

I would say that madwoman is entirely right.
OP is assuming that all parents are like her, and not that the teacher will have lots of DCs who take the book home and bring it back unopened. The comment is made to show that it doesn't actually have to take long and that 5 pages would be enough. I can't see anywhere that it says 'only' 5-10 pages. The poor teacher is busy at the start of term, she doesn't know you well, she can't waste time agonising who needs to be encouraged/have their arm twisted/will always read the whole book.

PinkPoncho · 14/09/2011 11:43

Hi again, thanks for your comments, good points, thanks for the indsight from teachers too, yes it's along those lines..apparently the literacy co-ordinator is finding lots of children like those examples mentioned, on high levels sometimes just skim-reading, so has asked us all to take time over the books.

To be honest, school has been a great help with reading for my son, he wouldn't have liked me teaching him from scratch...better with the other little ones. they have a wonderful old lady come in to help listen to them who is so enthusiastic. We are very lucky really. Got the same book back again yesterday and he was happy to read it to dad. So, think that's what we'll do from now on, just spend a couple days on each book and take our time.

PinkPoncho · 14/09/2011 11:44

sorry insight

RedHelenB · 14/09/2011 14:09

A key skill in reading is retaining what you have read so faR & PICKING UP FROM WHERE you have left off. Howe many books as an adult do you read in one sitting?

DD1 just used to read other books after her school reading.

Flip

1 2