Grrr! Fed up with Reception DD having books that are far too easy!

[evremummy]

Posted a similar thread a couple of weeks ago about book bands. I finally plucked up the courage to put a comment in DD's home/school diary about the books being too easy for her and asking if she could be reassessed. When it was noticed a couple of days later, there was a comment that said they would do it today. Yesterday, she didn't come home with any books and she said she had read to one of the teachers so I assumed they had been assessing her ability. We usually go to choose the books when we drop them off in the morning, so I asked the teacher where her reading diary and book was as she had not been sent home with them. The teacher just spoke to my daughter and said something like "Silly Miss M forgot to put them back and didn't realise until about half past 5 last night". Tonight she has come back home with the same band of book and no comments about being reassessed in either her reading diary or her home/school diary. What should I do now without coming across as a pushy, problem parent?

You need to speak to the teacher, at the right moment. Luckily I had success with ours. DS was coming home with stage 1 books, yes he can read them very very easily, yes there is no harm in that, but he can also read(and comprehend) stage 3 books very easily so I'd prefer him to come home with at least these as it is better practise and more interesting. I would have one more go at speaking/writing to this effect to the teacher. If that fails then read the school easy books and make sure you have enough stuff at home at the right level so she is engaged and stimulated.

peppa I so agree with what you've said.

so do I. Some great posts here!

Our school sends home a new book every Monday. On day 1 the parent reads the story that goes along with the book whilst the child follows in the book. There are questions to ask about the story. On day 2 the parent and child take turns to read the book and asking questions. On day three the child reads the part of the book indicated by the teacher discussing the story, punctuation, etc. Day 4 the child reads the whole book. In school they read almost daily and do other activities based on their book.

Ds3, in P1, is reading stage 2 books which do appear to easy for him (he can read stage 3/4+ at home) and the whole process seems very long and drawn out but there's no doubt at the progress he's making. He can write short "stories" with very little help, spell all his bronze words and many more, read magazines, instructions, sauce bottles, so I think it's more about long term learning than fast progression through the stages.

I am not a teacher and so have to trust that those who know what they are doing are doing their best for him and I believe they are!

The thing is that so many schools hardly read with the child at all, even in reception

All children read in school every day. It might not be 1-1 hearing the child read from a book but they will be looking at all sorts of texts, including non-fiction and reading together as a class, in small groups and/or individually.

If they didn't, children would not learn to read at school.

My daughter's school operates an entirely deliberate policy of ensuring that when children are learning to read they should never have to struggle with a book. The rule of thumb is that your child should read 90% of the book very easily. It makes a lot of sense - my reception age daughter proudly brings home her book, reads it with ease and impresses us all, everyone tells her how well she is doing and her confidence grows and grows and her reading gets better because she wants to do it and believes she is good at it.

It is a far cry from my memories of struggling through reading books, all joy entirely sucked out of the task.

It is why I removed her from the British system.

What is it exactly that you're worried about OP? That your daughter won't get any better at reading? She clearly will if she enjoys it and is reading an encyclopaedia for fun.

I would put a comment in the reading diary like this:

"DD read this book in under a minute. She got all the words correct and fully understood the story. Please would you consider putting her up a level?"

It saves you having to speak to the teacher and the note is polite.

You just carry on reading her schools books, and other books at home. If you read a variety of books at home, why does it matter that she's 'on' a lower band at school - that's not going to stop her reading or writing, is it?

DD (reception) gets 2 reading books from school each Monday. We read those Monday evening and then books from the library the other nights.

Yes, of course they should manage the books easily, but if you can manage both level 1 and level 3 and level 4 easily then it's probaby better practice and more interesting for you to have level 3 and 4 than it is to have level 1. If you can sound out words like "massive" and enjoy this perhaps you should have this opportunity. You will probably be more engaged with the story and the questions and it will be more fun for you and your parent. We only get one book a week too, last night DS read this then read 2 more of his reading books we have at home-think "massive" was in one of those.

The school one is now harder than the previous one he brought, but still very easy. However, as others say the most important thing is he enjoys it and is confident so I shall just write a comment like "read well very easily" and then leave it this time to his teacher to decide if she wants to give him something more challenging. He seems to be really wanting to read at the moment which is fab and will whatever book he brings home from school. I think he's at that stage when he knows enough to be able to access his books that we read to him- and it's great to see him doing this.

"If they didn't [read at school] children would not learn to read at school."

Precisely. Children whose parents don't read with them at home make very slow progress. My dd's school is always telling us this very fact.We all know that many many schools rely on home reading to provide necessary practice. Thats precisely why the poor kids without home support do so much worse.

Also if, like my dd, you are permanantly in a group for daily activities that provides no challenge whatsoever [yes I do know this is the case], you don't learn from that anymore than the easy book. I think we need to define 'easy'. At times I would have been thrilled with a book that my dd could only read 90% off. Its month after month of 100% that gets me riled! I'm all for sometimes reading easier books for fluency and other skills, thats perfectly reasonable. I just also support the child sometimes having a teensy bit more of a challenge.

I don't think that anyone has disputed that children need and enjoy challenge, have they?

The point is that children like the ones described on this thread have plenty of opportunity to be read to and read different books at home - you can provide the challenge there if you feel there's not enough at school.

Reading the OP, it sounds like the teacher had reassessed OP's dd and decided not to put her up a level, but felt awkward telling OP and avoided doing so, which isn't very helpful.

I've just accepted that school aren't able to keep up with dd1's voracious reading at the moment, books are changed twice weekly and at dd1's insistence she gets 2 each time. On the days her books have changed she has read them multiple times and pretty much learnt them by bedtime. She's just super keen and motivated at the moment. So I make sure we have other books for her.

We have the same issue here and I help in school reading with another year group and assessing them. My DD 5 has reading books that are far to easy and if she was on them in the class that I assess I would be telling the teacher to move her up a level (or 3).

I would be livid if an unqualified volunteer was assessing whether my ds should move up a band or not. Although it wouldn't surprise me and would add to the list of concerns I have regarding the way reading is taught and practised at his school.

Feenie (and others( I think you are reading too much into Pimmsgalore's post. I took it to mean that if she heard a child reading a book very easily that she would let the teachers know so that they could be the one to listen to the child next time?

Reread post.

Definitely don't get that impression, Loonyrationalist - I think you are being too kind! Maybe she will come back and clarify.

Yeah it's not all about reading the words, comprehension is a massive part of it too. I help with paired reading in high school and we have one kid who can read the words perfectly but has zero comprehension so doesn't enjoy the books.

Saying that OP I feel your DC's pain...... My mum tells me the story of how I had to bring my own books into school in yr2 because the school had no books that were up to my level! When I got to juniors I just bought in my own books anyway.
My parents were not 'pushy' about reading, they just made sure they spent at least an hour a day reading with me. In fact by yr5 they were actually trying to get me to read LESS as I was getting through an average of a book a day! (Nancy Drew, The Hobbit etc.)

I honestly cannot understand all the fuss about this. If you are reading different sorts of books at home then why should it matter? I just feel like some parents battles with teachers having their darlings on the 'correct' book band is just a source for tacit boasting. No child is going to be held back by reading below their level all the time they read at home too. Making good readers is as much about a culture of reading quality stuff in the home... from the parents and the type of things they read. And re-reading easy things is a great confidence booster for a child and reinforces learning and understanding. Lots of children can read very well parrot fashion but understanding is the key and only getting older and life experience gives them that. Reading encyclopaedias for instance gives a lot of dis-embedded knowledge, lots of words without a full context - all very well but it will take time for all those new words and ideas to be properly assimilated. Op you are really over reacting to this, ask politely but these people are professionals so let them do their job and you do yours and make sure she is reading encyclopaedias at home and all should be well.

Hello camicaze I think you were massive rude by saying this
Thats precisely why the poor kids without home support do so much worse.
Very judgemental........*

Sorry but I am poor, and I love reading, my husband is poor and he doesn't like reading, in fact, he is dislexic and when he was a boy at school in a small village in Scotland he didn't have the help he needed from school or home to overcome his disability...and he was not poor at that time.....

Ok, am not Pimmsgalore, but I listen to children reading in school as a volunteer. I cannot move children up bands but I am encouraged to make suggestions to the teacher. Surely it makes sense that if I see progress, I would let the teacher know so she can check it out herself?

Have never lied on a reading record - find that idea quite shocking.

(Also remember, that just because you are unpaid doesn't mean you are unqualified. I don't have a PGCE, but I think the other training/courses/degrees I have more than prepare me for a bit of ORT).

Camicaze said: Thats precisely why the poor kids without home support do so much worse.

She wasn't referring to lack of income, she was saying 'poor kids', i.e. taking pity on those who don't have any home support. So you are being more than a bit over sensitive there, I think, sississy

I don't have a PGCE, but I think the other training/courses/degrees I have more than prepare me for a bit of ORT).

If they are specialist courses specifically on teaching children to read, then you are right, LondonMumsie. Are they?

Of course you should mention progress/improvement to the teacher. But not 'telling the teacher to move her up a level (or 3)', because that would be different.

Completely agree 'telling the teacher to move her up a level (or 3)' would be hugely inappropriate. Would never do that, and if I did would not expect to be welcomed back.

Sorry not been on MN for couple of days.

I did mean as loony suggests that if I listen to a child who obviously is reading a book which is far to easy I suggest so to the teachers and the teachers assess them and usually move them up. The thing is the teachers don't assess the, constantly, at our school they hardly ever hear them read a book, so rely on parent helpers to say "this dc is finding these too easy move them up".

The issue I have with my dd (who is my dc4 and is way behind where the others were at this stage) is that the teacher gives them 1 book a week, and refuses to go above yellow before Easter as she wants them all at the same rough level. My dd is now very bored with the books from school, hence the reason we don't read them as she wants to be challenged and often takes books to bed just to see how many words of her yr6 sisters book she can read

Oh and I am pretty sure the teacher knows that my constant dd read this comment in the reading log is a lie as being in school 10hours a week helping with other year groups I often speak to her and she has said as much to me, hence the reason why today she told me she may move her up after easter but actually they should start year one on yellow not above it

actually they should start year one on yellow not above it oh dear