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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Thoughts about reading.......

40 replies

seeker · 04/10/2011 09:41

...has anyone ever come on here worrying that the books their child gets a too hard?

Honestly, people, don't worry. The very fact that you are thinking about it means that your child will learn to read. It's not a race, or a competition. Reading slightly too easy books won't do any harm. Just because I can read James Joyce and Shakespeare doesn't mean that I don't read Agatha Christie or Maeve Binchy. Nobody ever says to a grown up "my, you're a good reader"! They are just readers, as your child will be, (sn possibly excepted, of course) by the time they are 7 of 8.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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motherinferior · 06/10/2011 22:09

(scratches head about sockbunny)

motherinferior · 06/10/2011 22:10

(or even sleepingbunny: sorry, have had long week including three school visits, two bereavements (one direct one second hand) and several deadline crises)

sleepingbunny · 06/10/2011 22:12

Why scratching head? I'm a journalist with an English degree (well, English and Classics, if that counts), and I couldn't agree more.

motherinferior · 06/10/2011 22:14

You're me, innit.

sleepingbunny · 06/10/2011 22:22

You've sussed me! But alas, no.

Cortina · 07/10/2011 11:42

IMO parents get 'competitive' about reading for two reasons: 1) 'child that starts ahead tends to stay ahead'/linear reading system in our school/band relates directly to reading NC level 2) Good readers usually populate the top groups, see point 1.

A 'conveyor belt' reading system in our school means that the child that begins Y1 on ORT level 8 or 9 for example will likely be going into Y2 with an extension group for reading by term 2 or term 3.

Sure they all may catch up in the end but our school are keen on 'grade projections'. When it comes to KS1 SATS I've been told that an early start means nothing and many catch up in terms of levels of progress etc (I've seen stats someone kindly posted on another thread). BUT at the end of day if a child is predicted a low level 4 at the time the end of KS2 comes about (whatever their over all progress) they are not going to be on track for grammar school.

Thinking more broadly than reading here but unless our school is a real outlier those in the top group in Y1, Y2 and Y3 are usually the ones that make it to the grammar at the end of KS2. So, if your child starts out ahead with teachers around them who believe in them & their potential they have a head-start. Hence the 'competitive parent' scenario with reading and more generally. Just my opinion.

sleepingbunny · 07/10/2011 11:52

I understand that, Cortina and it does panic me, occasionally. Dd is a late July birthday and I always worry that she'll be seen as 'bottom group' material because of this. Were she in the year below she would be extraordinary.
But to be honest, the preschool seem more (interested in projecting her ability based on whether she can cut out a spiral snake she can't) and her ability to recognise numerals (can, but not interested) than by the fact that she's reading a little. Do good spiral snake cutters populate the top groups too?

Cortina · 07/10/2011 12:20

Not sure I can cut a spiral snake so sounds promising to me :) My son is a late summer born so I understand where you are coming from.

wordfactory · 07/10/2011 12:30

I think parents become competitive about reading levels because this is the main interface between school and home in the early years. Other than that it is difficult to know how are DC are doing on a day to day level.

I do wish though that parents would spend less time worrying and sprinting through the ORT books, and more time embuing their DC with a real love of books and stories and poetry and words.

Cortina · 07/10/2011 12:38

I think parents try to do this & if they love, words, books and reading their passion will inevitably rub off. We are in a system where our children's talent is inevitably judged (usually with the best intentions) and this drives parents to 'drill' and sometimes 'teach to the test' a little. Particularly in grammar school areas I think (especially if they want/hope their child will attend a super selective in time).

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 07/10/2011 12:44

I actually got the school to put DS1 down a book band at the start of Y2 until he was more secure because I thought struggling through difficult books would turn reading into a chore.

He is Yr4 reads slightly better than his chronological age and reads for pleasure I wonder if that would be the case if I had pushed him to slog through books he wasn't ready for.

thruppence · 07/10/2011 12:45

DS struggles with reading because he can't be bothered. He has the skills and his comprehension and vocabulary are excellent.

He wants us to read far more interesting and complicated stories to him. At the moment we are trying to impress upon him that if he gets through these ORT books (stage 4) he will be able to read for himself.

The teacher won't move him up because of his expression. But he's just not that kind of boy. he can do it but is reluctant to do it with others.

As DH says, 'what do they want, Brian fucking Blessed'

fedupwithdeployment · 07/10/2011 12:52

DS2 has just started Reception and we too have had the fat red pen book. Boring, but not as bad as "Stripes" that was the only word in the book!?!? And it was on the cover. I wrote that he (me!) had found it dull. Most of the other books are ok...and I am sure he will get there.

DS1 who is just 7 is doing fine, although he did have a couple of books earlier this month that were too easy for him. I didn't make a fuss, but am glad he chose something more suitable subsequently.

I am a total book worm and we read a lot...it rubs off. But I do appreciate that there are different children, different parents and different views.

prettybird · 07/10/2011 12:58

Another one whose ds took his time to "get" reading. School told us not to worry - that some kids (especially boys) sometimes don't get it until that are 6.

As it was, he was over 6.5 before he finally "got" it. And this include 6 weeks of extra 1:1 tuition form the depute head at the beginning of P2 (=Y1) to try to keep him in the top language group. And yes, anxiouselephant , we did read with him every night and he was constantly surrounded by books at home.

It was the end of P4 before he moved back into the top group. He is now in P7, doing well at language (still in the top group) and, even more importantly , free reads :):) He is currently reading (and loving) the 6th of the Skulduggery Pleasant books and eagerly awaiting the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.

So I agree with seeker - chill out, stop angsting about which level your kids are on and putting pressure on them to progress thorugh the levels. You risk putting kids of reading for life :(

Cortina · 07/10/2011 13:22

They're never going to be put off books for life if you live and breathe them.

Brian Blessed LOL! :)

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