Forced baby behaviour?

[learnandsay]

Are simplistic phonics books good, bad or neutral? If a Reception child can already read Ladybird stories such as Three Little Pigs, Where the Wild Things Are, Dr Seuss, etc, etc, etc but they're bringing home apparently the whole ORT 1+ range comprising of nothing but CVC words which present no challenge and no learning opportunity either, is reading them:

(1) a waste of time, reading time is precious, doesn't it make more sense to spend it on reading words which present a learning opportunity?

(2) potentially leading towards reading becoming uninteresting

(3) promoting ignorance - if the child can read the names of countries already the child could be reading sentences like: The Nile is the longest river in the world, instead of sentences like Dot got a pot and Bot got Dot's pot. Pat pat pat, tap tap tap.

In summary, would the time be better spent reading something useful?

DS (yr3) has just been allowed to start filling in his own reading journal this year (with a separate part for me to fill in too)...

Flogging, my daughter has asked to read the diary because she sees me writing in it.

I have a mum who writes a side of A4 every day which she puts inside the reading record (and she speaks to me most mornings and afternoons usually to tell me how well her son can read)

Can I (very flippantly and completely in a tongue in cheek manner) express amazement that it's got to half term and she's still alive????!

I'm going to write a book when I retire ...they may feature (also tongue in cheek)

I'm saying that you're making yourself look utterly ridiculous. And diverting the teacher's attention away from where it's most needed. And I hope for your DD's sake that you've done as good a job as you so clearly think you have.

HTH.

Gord! Flippin parents, eh? Who'd ave em?!

Well, if that's your message then, Cinna, you can take a running jump, dearie. Constructive criticism or silence. That's the message of the day.

Most parents are wonderful

I'm slightly worried that the hope is that most parents are obedient!

"Constructive criticism or silence" - time you practice what you preach with your DD's poor teacher, hmm?

Now, I'm hiding this thread as I never want to interact with you again.

I'm devastated.

learnandsay, if you were my friend, I would advise that you take a step back and a deep breath. You sound utterly obsessive and I think that you, your daughter and your daughter's teacher would benefit if you could take a wider life view.

You say that there is nothing you love more than teaching your daughter, but there is nothing joyous about this thread.

Learnandsay - what type of books does your DD love to read??

I have signed DD up to the reading chest too which has helped...

I regularly order books in to our local library...

OK, SoSweet, but if you were my friend you'd actually know me and my daughter and you'd see this thread as largely a rhetorical device. Internet fora don't reflect real life, thank God!

Um, Simpson, does my daughter love to read? That's a good question. Well, without hesitation I can say that she loves to read Dr Seuss. She loves to read Michael Rosen too. (She finds them both funny.) She loves to read CVC ORT books because they're simple. And she will read anything, and I really do I mean anything, to get a lolly. She can actually read loads, but normally doesn't read hard things unless there is a lolly involved. And I don't want her to eat too many lollies, so much of the time we just call it quits and watch cebeebies instead.

So, she'll read anything to get a lolly like a performing seal, but only "loves" cvc ort books? You are probably doing more damage than you know

Er, Flogging, you've snipped a bit off the reply I wrote for comic effect. I did add books she loves because she finds them funny.

Does she read Michael Rosen totally independently or do you support her?

Um, mrz, it's hard to say. We've only got one Rosen book and it's well worn. (I tried to find it just now to help my reply, but can't.) From memory, she knows certain bits so well that if she couldn't read a word in another context she can read it in Rosen because she expects it to be there. When and if I find the book I'll explain what I mean.

I was just trying to work out what you actually mean by "read" learnandsay.
I would continue sharing lovely books with rich patterned language that make her laugh and smile and try not to focus on digraphs yet - they will come in due course. Speak to the teacher about your concerns and enjoy your lovely daughter.

I don't think that you can work it out from one Rosen book. She does weird things like read the word pat-iently, and then say "patient" "ly*

and then thinks for a bit, smiles and says

patiently

I think she actively wants to know what things say and reiterates through words that she has heard of until one fits the word she's looking at.

I have never ever bribed my 4yo with sweets to do something either fun or educational ( maybe for good behaviour but that's another matter!). I think it sends out all the wrong messages- at this age in particular learning should be fun, and something they want to do. If DD says she wants to draw/practise her letters, I give her a pen. If she wants me to read to her or help her learn her letters I gladly will. When she's had enough, we stop and do something else.

I think your attitude is all wrong tbh. I am a TA and went on a literacy course recently- the biggest message was that children who read for pleasure are those who will make the most progress long term. It sounds like you are running the risk of turning her off reading already.

I asked about Michael Rosen because you said she loves to read him (when I asked I didn't know it was one book you told me that in your reply) but I was more interested in what you see as reading than the book itself.

As I have said DD can read pretty well (she taught herself the basics ie "a cat sat on a mat" type level before she started nursery - I do not know how )

She can read a basic chapter book but I am under no illusions that she is actually "reading" all the words if that makes sense.

I think sometimes she will get 90% of a sentence and be able to work out the last word....But it is hard to work out as she sounds out words in her head a lot of the time now.

She looked at a page of frog and toad tonight and it had a picture of frog and toad looking tired (it said " frog and toad were exhausted" underneath)...

She read up till exhausted fine and then stopped and knew it did not say tired sounded out EX and then said exhausted iyswim. But not sure she could decode the whole word by itself....but the books we read at home are for fun so I guess it does not matter too much if that makes sense and she loves reading...