What would you do?

[Tgger]

Hello. DS brought his first reading book home from school today. It's a songbirds one, level one, Top Cat, for those that know the songbirds. I am thrilled he finally has brought a reading book home. The envelope it came in says he read it very well to the teacher and can he read it to a parent who then signs envelope and returns book. Great so far......! HOWEVER.....drum roll....

We read the level one Songbird books over the Summer and have done most of the level 2s and some of the level 3s too since then. Shall I just put a polite post-it note back with the book to this effect, or shall I just leave it as it won't harm him to read them again? Not very challenging though!- has to be said that he read the first of the level ones in nursery completely off his own back, didn't have to help him with anything. He was taught some basic phonics in nursery and then he was off. That was errrr 6 months ago and his reading has certainly improved since then. Generally I am quite hands off re school and don't want to be an interfering pushy parent. At the same time I'd quite like to feel engaged with his reading at school and for home and school to match for reading. Ho hum. Perhaps I should just open my mouth and speak to his teacher rather than a note!

Forgot to say he's in Reception.

I'd just let them know. They'll probably pick up that he's reading well anyway, and move him on.

I'd definitely let them know.

Sometimes the books which are read at school are at a lower level than at home because the school are working on comprehension, reading with expression, learning how to put a story together etc but if that is the case than at least you will know. Otherwise, it might be that your DS should move up a level or two.

Thanks. Yes, should not stress but just talk to the teacher I think. Somehow these things seem more complicated than they are sometimes!

Not sure you can say "I am Top Cat!" that expressively . Although we (DS and I) did act out the book which was fairly amusing, involved lots of illegal standing on chairs and tables . We had a problem when it came to the balloon bit and in the end DS jumped off the chair onto the floor and pretended to crash down. See I really need to get a life!!!!! I've thought of showing her one of the books we've got at home that he can read quite well, even if she thinks that's too hard will give her an idea.

Children are often sent home with much easier books than they are reading in the classroom. The theory is that home reading is for enjoyment and being proud with parents and school reading is for the nitty gritty and moving children up through the levels.

Hmmmm, not sure you can be that proud of saying "I am Top Cat" when you have been saying errrrr "Dad made Ned from a big red bin, a pan, and a can, and a bit of tin..." However, we did have fun with our acting out, perhaps this is the best approach . I kept getting it wrong with who was which cat...

My DD1 can read pretty well - Level 4 Biff/Chip ones. She is also on the likes of Top Cat. I am going with the flow at the moment and we read other stuff at home.

If you do want to 'say something' then i would definitely do it in person.

Oh, and i listen to YR and Y1 read (they have a joint class). Although all YR are currently on the same 'level' books, all the Y1 are on completely different ones, so i guess i know in time they will start to 'stream' them.

But why??????? Sorry, but why should kids who can already read at level 3/4 be reading "Top Cat" at home??????? This seems daft to me. Why can't they give them stuff on their level now? I guess this was the reason for my original post. I have also seen how Year 1 are differentiated. Is there a good reason not to do this in Reception? Hmmmmm, I tend to go with the flow as well. DS is not so keen on reading at home, alhough he is able and I have not pushed. I just thought if a bit of direction came from school it would be helpful. Ho hum......

I don't think they've deliberately sent him a book home that's much too easy - the really early reading books aren't much fun in their own right once you can read harder stuff. Much more likely there's 30 kids in the class and the teacher hasn't yet realised what level they're all at - esp if your DS isn't one to shout about it loudly. Would write them a short note saying "This book's a bit easy for him really, could you help him choose a harder one next time, eg.....?" and see what happens. It's worked when I've done the same for my DD. And raise it with the teacher if nothing does happen.

No you misunderstand! Books from school are crap and a bit like a punishment for parents. The easier to read the better as the quicker it will be over and you can both get back to the normal more interesting books. You perhaps imagine stage 3 to be more exciting than 'the top cat' - this is not so :-)

Not sure really, and i have given it a fair bit of thought. Ultimately I think it does no harm in the short term, and gives DD confidence - plus she has nearly run out of books at that level .

Also I know we can do other stuff at home - i try and do a lot of pointing at cereal packets/school menu/school letters etc and ask her to read them. She is happier doing that than more formal reading at home too.

I am not ignoring it completely, just biding my time until I feel i need to actually formally 'intervene'.

Pop in and have a chat.

Watching with interest as DD3 is reading these at the moment (BTW think Top Cat is pretty crap, apart from the last bit), but she is only 3 and in nursery - looking forward to the battle when she starts reception.

Just thought, that probably sounds like a stealth boast It's not meant to be.

There is no need to have a battle-the school does actually want your child to read!!

We are obviously similar CrispLeCrisp. I know DS's reading is really coming on due to him reading all sorts of stuff from cereal packets/round the supermarket/when we're out and about. On occasion he has been known to pick up one of the stage 3/4 phonic books I have got from Oxfordowl and read them to one or other parent. However, the latter is rare and we don't push.

No, I don't intend to have a battle, that's not my style. I will find the right moment to say something to his teacher. It was my suggestion that he have a book that got "Top Cat". I may well bide my time like you CrispLeCrisp and keep up the cereal packets etc, or start him reading odd bits from the books we read him, just something to keep him engaged I guess.

You can send books into the school in the school bag

Just be glad they are sending home phonics books rather than ORT biff and chip which vary widely in terms of decodability even at the same level. Just put in the record that he found it too easy and they will probably move him up.

Tgger -

Several things occur. Like others have suggested you need to let the school know you didn't think the book was particularly challenging.

However - as I have learned over the years - the school is also looking for accurate reading of all words. Appropriate stopping/ pausing at punctuation. Expression. Understanding structure of the book - author/ illustrator/ table of contents/ index/ etc... Prediction - guessing what might happen next in the story. Our school is also big on altering endings.

The other thing that occurs however is that if your DS is well ahead of others, these initial books as the teachers form sets of pupils at various reading levels may not suit - but they should differentiate for all abilities.

With the reading diary you can write that your DS read beautifully and found this book very easy to read.

If you don't want to raise this issue with the teacher just yet - make a note of what he has been reading and how easy this was for him (1 being super easy - word perfect, good pace & expression to 5 being very difficult - really struggled, often needed help sounding out words). Also bear in mind that how your child reads with you, may not be the way he reads at school. My DD1 gets very nervous reading out loud in front of her friends - because they often laugh when someone pronounces a word wrong or differently.

At some point you should discuss with the teacher several possibilities:

1. if your DS has to read these books because of group/ class exercises, could he borrow books from class or school library which are more challenging?

2. if the home reading isn't picked up again in class - could he be assigned more challenging material

3. if it isn't possible to do either option above all of the time - could a combination of the two be put in place.

With my DD2 guided reading books often are easy, but she needs work on reading every word (she sometimes skips easier words when distracted by a more difficult word further along in the sentence). I try to read her guided reading book with her at least 2x a week - and if she's doing well, as a reward, we read her school library book. Personally - I think my DD2 prefers the school library books only because she's chosen them - rather than been assigned them.

Finally remember there's nothing stopping you reading something else at home. We often write in our reading diary that we've been reading something completely outside group/ class library/ school library reading. The teacher's usually write that's fantastic - and if it isn't in the library they ask my DD a bit about the book and if she'd recommend it to other children and put it on the library wish list.

Don't over think it. DS2 is an amazing reader but was bringing home oddly simple books from school. Eg at home he was reading Famous five then he would bring home a simple, one sentance a page type book. I spoe to the teacher and it turned out he was picking the books, they obviously appealed to him on some level.

As he has progressed through school he has kind of done with the reading scheme and is just allowed to choose from the library and picks some really random ones. We recently had myths of scotland, followed by a history of home building around the world (I am not kidding).

What the hell, he reads them to me but he is also reading the chronicles of narnia - varity is the spice of life I guess.

Speak to the teacher by all means, but the school reading scheme is such a small part of their overall reading that it's not worth stressing over

Thanks for all your responses. I can see folk divide into two camps- get very involved or just let it be. Trouble is I'm not sure which I'm in. .

PastSellByDate thanks for your detailed post, I shall have a think about the points you make- they seem very sensible. We don't have a reading diary as yet, just an envelope to sign/write on. I think if another very easy book comes I will write a comment like "read very easily, can we have something a little harder?"

DS is funny when it comes to reading- it's almost like he enjoys it being a private skill he is picking up rather than sharing/struggling with his parents. Sort of a covert activity if that's the right word!

Could it be that your son isn't demonstrating his reading ability in school if as you say he regards it as a bit of a "covert activity" ?
If so the teacher has no way of knowing he has already progressed beyond the early levels unless you tell her/him.
Most teachers would be overjoyed to have an able reader and will happily progress him through the reading scheme once they see that he is able to read and understand.

Good point mrz. I think his teacher has realised he is more ready to read than some as she pointed out how he "didn't really need" the blending word sheets they get (he whizzes through them, they are very simple 3/4 letter words). It was this that encouraged me to suggest to her she send books. I did mention that we had books at home but she didn't ask what sort/level. Yes, I will speak to her at the next opportunity. Thanks.