Reading in reception (again sorry)

[SwivellingDicksTidyWife]

A WWYD really. DD is doing well with reading/phonics. Her teacher tells me she is in the top mini set (they work in groups of 5 or 6) She is picking up stuff well and is very keen.

But - she is still being sent home pink books that she reads straight through on the first try. She gets one book a week to bring home. The books are changed by the TAs. She has a book/journal thing (like a homework book) for parents and teachers to write in about the books she is reading. I have written in it several times a week every week since she got it in November. No one from the school has written in it at all

I am a bit cross TBH. I raised the journal thing with her teacher and asked whether or not I should bother - are they using them? I thought they might just glance at it now and then or initial it to show they had read it, but nothing. I spoke to the teacher on parents evening and we agreed she would try having a pink book plus a red book each week to see how she got on with them. She told me the teachers were going to take back the job of changing the books as they knew it was an issue.

This week - book was changed by TA again, only a very simple pink book sent home. I don't want to look like a pushy cow, I am not, honestly, but when I have already raised things and nothing has changed where should I go next? Her teacher is lovely but I want lovely and effective IYKWIM. We are reading other books with her at home too.

And they asked us to send in some little forms for them to use with the EYFS chart/framework for particular fab things they have done out of school. I sent one in with her filled in, they haven't even taken it out of her bookbag (they have been in her bookbag to change her book) I feel like we are doing the right things to support her at school but they aren't really doing the same at the moment.

Lots of recent changes to improve the KS1/2 at school but- reception, not so much I think.

Have you tried ordering/taking out slightly harder books from the library. Try the songbirds, dd2 likes them, the red band (stage after pink) ones are The odd pet; Miss!Miss!; This and that; Fish and Chips; Singing dad and Doctor Duck. Tell her they are just to read for fun, and see how she gets on, if she rattles through those and can answer the comprehension exercises in them (I sometimes make up my own too); then push the school again for harder books. It is hard, as you don't want them too hard that she is put off, but too easy and she is bored.

You could also try writing 'x found this book too easy so we read y book instead'.

Done that already We have some RWI books and songbirds at home (courtesy of the bookpeople) plus we get assorted books from the library, a mix of picture books for me to read to them and some early reading type books.

She can manage slightly trickier books, no problem. I have been writing which book and what level she read in her book, and 'read this straight through without help so we read our own book'.

They just seem to be taking it incredibly slowly. I am not going to hothouse her whatsoever, but I was reading all sorts from about ?sevenish and was always a massive bookworm, I want her to be able to read Mrs Pepperpot and enjoy it sometime this century

Teacher knows we have songbirds etc at home. She just tells me how she is in the top group etc - I don't really care whether she is in the top group or the bottom group, I just want her to be working on the right level for her I suppose. The school doesn't have very high expectations generally TBH.

My DS is in Reception & he has a new book every day to bring home plus 'reading word' flash cards, these get changed once they know each word to the next set.
Doesn't sound good :(
Plus we have a termly pop in the class to discuss any thing about progress.

I am going to have to make an appointment and go through it with her all again I think.

I know the schools all do it differently but one 8 page book a week, of 'at the fun fair we go round and round' and she is allegedly one of their best readers? I feel that 2-3 books a week would be about right for her, and I understand they don't want to put her off with a hard book that she will struggle with.

I think it's more the inertia(I think that's what I mean??) that bothers me, rather than the reading level.

Hi swivelling...I have worked as a teacher at a school on a temorary basis and there too there are weird issues over books.

TAs are not always sure what to do. For example in my YR class several children were very able readers but the TA thought they had to read all books in a band before moving on, regardless of ability - I was told by the HT not to do this but to let them jump ahead if necessary.

Also as there was a shortage of books there was a concern that if they got books through too quickly there would be nothing else for them to read.

I thought that this was unfair to the children but as a temp the best I could say to parents was that I would change books twice a week or give extra books - some of the children actually say that books were too easy when I read with them and they ask for harder books.

TBH I would not rely on the school. With my own children I found books were slow being changed so I ordered the ORT set and just got books from the library.

Thanks everyone. I just wonder if I am trying so hard not to seem like a pushy mum to the school that I am not being assertive enough. Twice a week or an extra book would be a great start saadia I just feel like I am flagging this up gently (too gently) and nothing happens.

I know it's all a bit irrelevant, she is learning to read and she will end up reading fine in the end, I just want to be able to set her free in the library sooner (I was a three books a day in the holidays child myself, always reading something and still love books now)

I know EXACTLY how you're feeling, had similar issue of late and it's funny Saadia that you should mention about the school 'running out of books' because that's exactly what ds teacher told me about ds and his reading level and tbh it's left me feeling slightly about it all really, it's a school, surely there should be books galore! I really have to try and motivate ds to read at home but it feels like school should be doing more with too, it's drummed into us how important it is to read to your child at home but then things as simple as changing books aren't being done.

Swivelling we only have one book a week to read although the teacher and ta and parent helpers also comment in ds reading book so it's good to get some positive feedback. I had to go back into school yesterday as ds still had the same book from over a week ago, we've read it quite a few times going over punctuation and also expression but there's only so much you can keep doing with one book. The teacher said that she hadn't got around to ds that day but to come in and change his book if it had been overlooked. I've also found the library useful and I've entered the books from the library into ds reading book and told the teacher we've been doing this and she's happy for us to do this but it just feels that the more able children in ds class (YR) are being kept back and not pushed for reasons as flimsy as 'running out of books'!!

At DS's school they tell us that the books for taking home are chosen by the children, not selected by level. Sometimes DS comes home with a level 5 book, sometimes level 2.

the 'guided reading' that they do at school is where they assess their level.

They are doing a lot more writing in class and so his literacy is greatly improving despite not having levelled books taken home from school.

I get him books out of the library for him to read since I think he just 'remembers' the school book and doesn't try to 'read' it.