Learning to read in Y1 & Y2

[learnandsay]

How unusual is it for a primary school to focus its attention in YR on teaching the letter sounds, maybe some digraphs, perhaps one or two trigraphs (or maybe not even) and learning (whatever that means) lists of HFW, but not to any great extent turn attention to reading actual books (of any kind)?

And the school thereby, presumably, places the emphasis of learning to read books (of whatever kind) onto Y1 and beyond? And, if one's school has such a system how does one approach it if one's child already reads books quite well and has done throughout Reception? Getting the Reception teacher up to speed with the child's reading has taken a while, but it's getting there. Does one expect to have to introduce every teacher at every early years level to the child's ability to read?

[Tgger]

Awwww, they sound great.

[simpson]

DS is a bit geeky (in a cute way) loves facts, sports, science,maths etc

DD is a league of her own who does not shut up and talks a lot!!

I am very lucky in that DD is hypermobile and has daily physio/ OT at school (saves me doing it at home!!) so no matter how bad things get at school for her (and they are great ATM and long may it stay that way - but looking at yr1 reading records today,they have not been read with for 2 weeks) I would be very reluctant to lose that (the physio support)

[Tgger]

Ah, but maybe they will surprise you in their teenage years...or maybe not...!

I have two very imaginative, "mad", kids who so far (bit early to say 6 and 4) both love books, are highly inquisitive and are following in their parents' "slightly geeky but hopefully can fit in with the mainstream" footsteps. Their ICT skills are roughly on a par with mine....

[numbum]

I have two very stereotypical children. DS (7) is amazing at maths, science, ICT. DD (5) is amazing at reading, writing, chattering non stop about anything and everything

[Tgger]

Fab simpson. Well done. (feels a bit guilty that she doesn't ask DS much about his books......ah well...)

[learnandsay]

Agree. Sounds miserable. You're still a star though.

[simpson]

Numbum - my DS is very similar....

[simpson]

Sorry mrz - that sounds really tough

Tgger - I on the whole enjoy listening to my kids read (although getting DS to fill in his reading diary is a daily battle).

KS1 leader came up to me today to say she is assessing all the kids in yr2 ATM and their comprehension levels (not decoding) have rocketed since I have started reading with them (5 weeks now) which makes me and think that I might be actually asking the right questions to go with their books which was always my worry (and a worry with my own DC)...

[mrz]

I think she saw reading as something you need to be able to do but I'll wait for the DVD thanks

[numbum]

'I wonder if she found it like a code to crack and once cracked did not have any further interest....'

My DS who hates reading is extremely 'mathsy'. He loves codes, he loves working things out. I think that statement is true for him! He understood how to read and that was it for him. The fact that he doesn't 'understand' reading isn't relevant to him because he thinks 'I know how to read'

[Tgger]

That must have been a tough time.

[mrz]

No need to apologise

[Tgger]

Ah, now I feel humbled. Apologies. Life...... .

[Tgger]

I enjoy listening to DS read and will carry on doing so everyday or most days for a while yet. My parents said that once we could read they let us get on with it and didn't read to us either . I guess kids are quite resilient and will find their own way. DH is a bookworm and whilst I love books I don't read as much as I would like (too busy on MN...)

[mrz]

When my daughter was in reception I was at university also nursing my mother who was dying from cancer and bringing up two young children one who had SEN, as a widowed mother

[simpson]

Or is it because you are knackered from work??

I do find it harder to motivate myself to listen to my kids read when I have done 2 hours listening to kids read at DC school.

TBH the main reason I do it is because whilst DS would be happy to have a night off, DD would have such a temper tantrum about it, it's just easier to hear her read!!!

[mrz]

good idea Tgger because her brother is an avid reader, her grandmother was a reader ....she just says she didn't find reading fun (and still doesn't)

[simpson]

Lol at bad mummy who barely heard her read

[Tgger]

were you too busy/not interested? Don't answer if you don't feel appropriate...just curious seeing how you are so passionate yourself...

[simpson]

I wonder if she found it like a code to crack and once cracked did not have any further interest....

DS is getting better with fiction and now trusts me to find books he likes (he loved Charlottes's Web once he got about a third of the way in)....

[mrz]

I think the fact that she didn't read at all in the home despite having access to hundreds of children's books was a bit of a clue (and yes I was a bad mummy who rarely heard her read ).

[Tgger]

Maybe she saw reading books as belonging to her mother and grandfather- takes amateur psychologist hat off quickly.....

[mrz]

She also lived in a house full of books, a mother who read a book a night and a grandfather who read 6 books a day so didn't lack positive role models. She preferred to do things - ballet-swimming- gymnastics -bake cakes... and yes she enjoyed bedtime stories but more for the cuddles than the books.

[Tgger]

Yes, I find it too. An ability to crack the code but not to engage with the books?

I also am going to challenge mrz rather like I challenged learnandsay and ask if she is the best person to judge that her DD had "a total lack of interest in reading". Clearly she had enough to read the books that got her to that level, rather than refusing/not engaging competely.

[simpson]

I wonder how kids can leave KS1 or reception on high levels but have zero interest in reading

Tgger - his writing skills need work and the easiest way to help him is to read (ie give him more ideas on words in his creative writing)....but we are getting there