Support for a strong reader

[longrob]

Hi all, I'm new here.

Our son shows signs of being quite strong in reading and numeracy. He started reception in September. My concerns lie mainly with his reading, since I am a mathematician myself. The school sends home 2 books every day and they are changed twice a week if he can read them. The "problem" is that he masters them on the first day, and so he isn't being challenged much at all, and quickly finds them boring. His teacher said he is already on the most advanced books she can give him at this stage, that she can't change them more than twice a week since the children only read them twice a week to her on fixed days, and advised that he should not read the school books every day, and instead we could take out books from the public library, which we've done (using a different publisher/system to the one they use at school). He has really enjoyed this over the holidays (to the point where, on Christmas day, he was upset that we couldn't go get him some new books). A family friend, who is a primary school teacher suggested caution because letting him get too far ahead at this stage might have unforseen consequences, such as losing interest in school or interfering with the structured way they teach phonics in the school. She thought that he is reading at around level 6 or 7 now, which is the expected level for the end of the year, but she advised it would be better to urge the school to give him more support.

It bothers me to think that he may be being held back by the school in an effort to homogenise the level of the class. I've had this discussion with the school and while they acknowledge that he is doing better than average at the moment, there isn't any more they can do at this time. They stressed that children learn at different rates and go though spurts and plateaus and it was ill-advised to make judgements within the first term of reception.

Our "schedule" is that we do about 10-15 mins reading every day after dinner. At weekends we do 10-15 mins after breakfast and 10-15 mins after dinner.

I'd be grateful for any general advice/comments and in particular for any suggestions for the best way we can support our son's development.

Thanks
LR

Several children in my current class have parents who are illiterate.

Others have parents who are mentally or physically ill, dependent on a variety of substances, or who work nights or evenings / early mornings so that they are not at home with their children.

It is my job, as a teacher, to teach those children to read and to obtain the best help I can possibly access if there are specific barriers to them doing so. If i do not do that job, I am failing the children. Learning to read etc IS BEST done in partnership with a supportive family, true. However, where the family cannot give support or is unwilling to, then it is NOT GOOD ENOUGH to say 'it's the fault of the family'. It is the fault of the teachers and the school who did not compensate for that lack.

We employ a TA, for example, solely to work with the children of illiterate families to hear them read, help them with spellings and homework, and deal with forms and paperwork that may otherwise 'fall through the gap' (applications for the next school, FSM applications, applications for bus passes, applications for library tickets etc etc). That is OUR responsibility as a school.

Antone who thinks that it's always the parents fault has no idea of the family circumstances of a significant number of children in this country. It must be lovely in your ivory tower with all those other literate confident parents with time and space in their lives to spend supporting their children's education.

well said Indigo.

I've worked really hard with my DD and her reading and only now is she getting anywhere close to the ability of reading needed to cope with something like The twits.

To imply that somehow I could have done more is simplistic in the extreme.

I should have added that she is in year 2 and 6.5.

And only on mumsnet would anyone suggest that reading the Twits at 6 is anything but bloody good!

I'm not saying it not bloody good! (and she is not there yet)

I'm saying reading The twits in reception year is not a given so long as you spend enough time practising with you DC... which is what never seemed to be saying.

I'm very happy with where DD is right now as it goes

sorry just re-read your post seeker. You weren't actually having a go at me were you!

Ok so I'm a bit full on sometimes. Do feel bad about what I wrote. So do apologise. just hate to see kids suffering struggling or feeling bad. Work with kids that end up on drugs and it mostly through how they been bought up or what they have seen / experienced. Some of them don't stand a chance from no age. I just get frustrated and sometimes think at times why do some people have kids?? Probably why I can be OTT!! Anyway truly sorry

I think Nver was reading the Twits not her son but I may be wrong perhaps she should consider that there are 3.8 million children in the UK who don't have a single book at home.

Rather the opposite, migrating coconut!

yes, you are right mrz....need to sort out my own reading!

Some kids don't stand much of a chance. But assuming that it's because their parents are feckless isn't going to help.

But some kids who 'don't stand much of a chance' do take control of their lives and do brilliantly.

You have to keep being a role model for them, and keep believing in them.

Keep encouraging them to have aspirations.

If these kids are teenagers then they need to take responsibility for their own lives. How long can they blame their parents for?

As long as a kid is allowed to attend school they have options.