Can a teacher explain what I am supposed to do with a reading book with no words?

[duffybeatmetoit]

DD is in Reception and is coming home with books containing no words. I am looking at them with her and talking about what's happening in the pictures, emotions etc but she expects books to have words in them and wants to know what it "should" say. It is difficult to maintain her interest when the same book comes home repeatedly. I have put comments in the reading record so school knows we have been looking at it.

Am I missing something? Is there something else I should be doing?

Sounds like your doing right stuff. Maybe considering making up a story for her to go with the words.

what you have been doing is the right thing to to, but I wouldn't keep on looking at it every night if it is boring her, just read a different book and hope the school send a different book home soon.

Looks like you are doing what's expected. It should be a 5 - 10 minute effort.

In a few months time, your child will be relying on the pictures to make sense of the words.

Nope, that's it, I think. (I'm not a teacher though). Ds2's teacher suggested I get him (ds2!) to tell me the story as he thought it should be. But I only do each book once, then we choose something more interesting from the books we have at home ...

Mind you, it's worse when they start sending home books with words. This week we had "Oh Floppy, No Floppy, Oh Floppy, Floppy Floppy!". He doesn't recognise "No" with a capital, he hasn't yet learnt that "y" can say "ee" and as for "Oh". So not a lot of reading there, either.

As a teacher I would say put it back in her bag and share a good story book instead.

DS isn't in reception yet but he hates books without words too - he wants to know what it's supposed to say and gets frustrated if I ask him to tell me what's happening in the picture. Perhaps it's just something some DCs "get" and some DCs don't?

Bertha we had Oh Floppy/No Floppy etc tonight!

I make up a story with the pictures and also ask her questions. I had free book given to my son as a baby, that was his fave book up to nursery age, and it had no words. I must have made up a good story I'm so brilliant lol I. Now sing it with my 2 yr old.

You are doing it correctly. Suggest via the reading diary that your child may be ready for books with words now we're approaching half term. Then your child will be able to read them from memory to begin with. Failing that i agree you would be better off looking at the book with no words once and then sharing home books each night until you get a new one from school.

Now read it to my 2 yr old not sing I'm not multi talented lol

We've got the Oh Floppy, No Floppy one too. My daughter is very unimpressed with the lack of words and story!

Then your child will be able to read them from memory to begin with.
gawd no!

We've got loads of books at home (which school is aware of as we were asked about it before she started) so we have been sharing them and the books she has chosen from the public library.

I will bring up the suggestion about asking for a book with words in it at parent's evening.

I was cross when we got the books with no words, I felt that it was suggesting that I hadn't bothered introuducing my DD to books and stories, and how they work. Of course I already sit with her and we talk about what might happen next and how characters feel etc. I also wondered what the point of teaching her sounds at school if they gave her no material to practice with at home . Fortunately they only came for 2 weeks then we got words.

I said nothing as I watched last year when parents complained and were told their children weren't ready for words. I now actually wonder if they don't have enough of the first word books for all the year R children so put the winter born ones on the first word ones and hope they can move some of them on quickly to free them up for the others?

Agree with what Msz said. Leave in book bag and get lovely story book from library. If schools are teaching reading properly there is no need for books without words.

"Agree with what Msz said. Leave in book bag and get lovely story book from library. If schools are teaching reading properly there is no need for books without words."

That might have the opposite affect though if the child goes back into school and the teacher tries to look at the book with them and they have no idea what is going on in it. The teacher may then just think the child isn't ready for books with words. I would go through the book once with the child, doing what you already say you are doing OP and then focus on your own books at home.

I thought they used the books without words for when the child is still learning their phonic sounds and learning to blend the sounds together. Once they have got the hang of that, I thought they then moved onto the one word books. That is what they do in my children's school. But then they are at school from 3 here so have plenty of use for the no word books in Nursery and reception. I know of a few Yr 1 children who have only just started blending sounds.

You might find this blog posting of some interest - www.focusonphonics.co.uk/blog/wordless-picture-books/

Thanks everyone - very helpful advice (and link).

I went through the same concerns Duffy and although my dd was a summer baby (don't really like the idea that because sh's young she should be witheld from progressing at the same rate as the winter babies) she doesn't need to be introduced to book etiquette as we've been enjoying allsorts of books since she was tiny. I suppose schools have to establish this sort of stuff and with only 5 weeks worth of knowldege of the children, their starting expectations must be fairly low.

When given the books without words we would discuss them just like you did then move on to some of our own home stories!