What age do you let them read their school book to themselves??

[simpson]

Hi

DS is in yr2 but loves reading.

He will happily read other books, magazines etc as well as his school reading book.

ATM I am listening to him read every night (if he has finished his school book, then a library book instead).

But having spoken to a couple of the other mums at school apparently I am being a bit odd for doing this.

Either the other kids are listened to maybe twice a week or some of the better readers are allowed to read their school books by themselves and just re-tell the story to the parents to confirm that they have read it.

At what age can you let your DC read their school book to themselves??

You definitely need to continue no matter how good a reader.

Hmm. DS is Y3 and just reads himself, I just write up how many pages he has read. I'll hear him read once every month or two, although sometimes he'll want to read something out to me or his dad and I'll write that up as reading aloud.

I think he started doing this the back end of Y2. The teacher doesn't have a problem with this, and she hears him read every so often, plus he does group reading once a week as well. However, he will read loads.

My friend still hears her son read every night but that's because he's not a keen reader and wouldn't do it if she didn't make him read aloud. Both boys have a reading age a few years ahead of their actual age, so they are both able readers, it's just their attitude that differs.

Mine were very fluent readers. (Reading age of 16 at end of yr2). But I still listened to them read every day until the end of year 4, sometimes it was just a couple of paragraphs of the novel they were currently reading. And in yr4 we would spend as much time chatting about their book (what's happened so far, what happens next, etc.) as on actual reading. After that I would listen to them read a few times a week and would continue to read to them as well.

Listening to children read is crucial, even when their reading is beginning to get fluent.

Too many children in the UK are stagnating in their reading before they are becoming fully fluent, and certainly before they have become lifelong readers.

I would advise keep up the interest and support as long as you can possibly bear to!

My dc enjoy reading to themselves but I also listen to them - it's a different set of skills.

DS is Year 3 and his teacher asks for them to be listened to on a Tuesday, Thursday and Weekend - DS likes this structure and always knows if it's a reading aloud night!

DS is 7 he generally reads his book to himself then I pick a few pages and random and he reads them to me so I can check he is Reading properly. Then we will chat about the book to make sure he has understood it.

We have stories every night. My dd will read a bit and I will read a bit. I love the time, so going to make the most of it until she doesn't want me there any more :)

Tbh (and I bow to mrz's wisdom usually) I haven't bothered to listen to mine read once it was slowing them down and reducing their enjoyment of reading for pleasure - so, um, about half way through year r.

Each child is different though, and I used to go into school and do reading buddy stuff with yr 2's - lots of them still gained a lotfrom reading aloud to an adult, and for some it was still essential. So a lot depends on your child, really.

I wouldn't listen to their reading for pleasure but I would listen to them reading for instruction.

Reading aloud is important for children of all ages. We recommend that our year 6 children are still heard read aloud once a week or so. This is so that pace, intonation and unfamiliar words are practiced. Most importantly, the parent can ask in depth, rich questions to challenge and further their comprehension.

Let me reiterate, reading age is only an indicator of a confident reader. It's no good a child being able to read words if they have no idea of the meaning of the text they have read. A reading age tests fluency, not comprehension.

He does read for pleasure by himself too (usually a book about football or sport, so non fiction)

I was not sure if i was doing the right thing re the reading with him.

We both still love to do it and I guess it is a good example for DD (4) who is just starting to read.

He does not like listening to bedtime stories though at all and would much rather do his own thing....

Don't disagree with any of that. Mine were tested for comprehension too, and we knew there were no problems with any of it, so it was an easy decision. Not even a decision really... more that it wasn't a priority and so kind of got abandoned along the way. They always read for hours.

It's great for younger siblings.

Dd2 just learned by osmosis, in that way.

My eldest is in year 6 and I still hear her at least once a week. I know she can read the words so I am not checking on her de-coding skills, but I am watching for pronunciation, pace and expression, amongst other things.

Reading aloud and feeling comfortable doing so is a vital skill imo.

I really screwed up with this. Because my children could read very well i let them "read to themselves" in hindsight it was (probably) my worst parenting mistake and if i could turn the clock back i would get them to read something to me until year 6.

I listen every read at home/in the car of DS (7) school books, as although he is a good reader, and ideally wants to read alone, he still sometimes rushes and gets words muddled etc, so I listen out (but don't crowd him). I am expecting to be listening, even in the background, for some time yet.

That said, if he wants to read a few extra pages on the bus on the way to school, then clearly I am not there and I am relaxed about that.

When we are reading for "fun" often we share the reading as the books are slightly beyond his capability to read alone and we enjoy reading together anyway. We do a paragraph each in turn usually.

It was a mistake because I wasn't there to point out meanings or help if they stumbled. My mistake was assuming that they could read so they would read. Dh and I are and always were avid readers but my boys don't read for pleasure and I think that had I listened to them for longer they would have read more. I think they got away with the minimum amount of reading to get by.

AnonymousBird - that sounds like a very good balance.

I stopped listening to DDs 1 & 2 read when they got to year 3. They read themselves and completed their own reading records.

DD1 didn't read for pleasure (only to stall bedtime ) until she was about 12 and now she is an avid reader. DD2 has always read for pleasure but she is a calm child who likes calm activities. DD1 was anything but calm until she was 12.

Al0uise I don't know how old your boys are but they could become enthusiastic readers in years to come.

DD1 is 8 and we stopped listening to her read a few months ago - she's an avid reader (like me and DP), is in top group for reading and it doesn't seem to have done her any harm. She'll often read to her sister (2) at bedtime.

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I stopped in around Year 3 but Ds's Year 4 teacher asked me to start again. Just 3 - 4 pages a week. DS is amongst their most able readers, but they think that reading aloud is an important skill and also highlights where they need work.

This week, he had a book about Pompeii and couldn't read any of the names and places. e.g. Vesuvius, Pompeii. This didn't stop him reading to himself, he just glossed over them. But is something that we can help with.

I agree with mrsz , however I would prefer that the school didn't send home such complete drivil eg: the goose bumps series. I don't think anyone could.read them aloud with expression.

roisin My DC's school have never mentioned reading ages and I have never thought to ask . Was this information forthcoming or did you have to press? And is a reading age of 16 or whatever in year 2 purely down to them being able to decode words or do they test for comprehension?? I doubt any 6/7 year-old would have the same skills as an A-level student wrt comprehension skills, surely??

Hmm... This is interesting as at last night's parents evening I was told that I could stop hearing my year 3 child read out loud. In order for him to progress further in his NC levels (he is currently a 4c) he needs to develop his inference etc. I do not have time to hear him read enough of a book in a night to do this properly. I have three kids and the youngest is in year R and learning to decode so 'takes priority'..
My Year 2 child is at a similar stage in his reading NC level 3a and again I was told reading aloud was not essential. We will be looking at the comprehension and inference stuff by me reading aloud to them (which I do most nights) more complicated texts than they may read to themselves.
Both read fiction to themselves and I will be checking understanding and if they never ask me to help with unfamiliar words i may go back to hearing them read again.
Last night I was relieved that I could stop trying to fit reading aloud in but now I am wondering if it was sound advice...