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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

my reception child won't do his reading book at home

42 replies

bassingtonffrench · 29/01/2013 13:37

DS age 4 seems settled at school but is noticably behind. He has only just learned his numbers and his letter recognition is patchy. I think the teacher is good and I'm happy with what they are doing to address this at school (as far as I can tell). It is the homework that is the problem.

We get a reading book for homework. Now just to be clear I am not a pushy parent and I fundamentally disagree with homework for 4 year olds but the fact is we get it and we are expected to read every night. and I do want to help him.

The reading books we get are far too difficult. They say things like "I am top dog" etc. He struggles so much, even though the text is very repetitive. He doesn't like us to help him and he gets shouty/distressed or just stays in silence. it is very difficult.

I have asked the school for some simpler books to build up his confidence, I think he would manage 'cat' 'ball' with a picture. But they have ignored my request and I don't know whether to push it.

What would you do?

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WhatKindofFool · 29/01/2013 14:47

Reading at home should be enjoyable and easier than what they do at school. I read my DS's books with him and just get him to read a few of the easier words or those with repetition. I found out that the school had put him on books 1 year above his chronological reading age so I then insisted that they let him read more appropriate books.
4 is very young so just enjoy reading with her for now. If she is not reading later then you could have her levels assessed independently.

WhatKindofFool · 29/01/2013 14:48

Sorry, I meant, the school put him on books 1 year above his ACTUAL reading age.

DieWilde13 · 29/01/2013 14:54

We "read" the far too hard reading books from school in YR. meaning that I read them to dd and let her read a word she knew, or spot all the t's or some such.

mrz · 29/01/2013 18:06

If I were his teacher I wouldn't be sending home any books as he is clearly not ready for them. It is pointless IMHO. I would read him stories and explain to his teacher.

mrz · 29/01/2013 18:09

It does sound as if the books being sent home are the lowest level pink (unless you want wordless books)

Original poster

bassingtonffrench · 29/01/2013 20:14

Thanks DieWilde13, yes I think we will be doing that style of 'reading' too!

mMRz. Yes they are the lowest level pink. I spoke to his teacher at pick up today and they haven't been ignoring my request for easier books, just that there aren't any!

I think the wordless books aren't going to help him much and we've done them already anyway.

It would be just nice to have some 'books' which are good for children whose letter recognition is patchy. I thought the school would have some resources but apparently not.

thanks for all the suggestions

OP posts:

GoldPlatedNineDoors · 29/01/2013 20:19

You need to reclaim.story time. Read the words out to.him.while.pointing to them yes, but not at bedtime. Bedtime read him a favourite.story and let him just enjoy it.

Reading should be fun, and the teacher forcing him to do somethibg he is just not able to yet is going to put him.off books!

mrz · 29/01/2013 20:25

bassingtonffrench there aren't any books that a child whose letter recognition is patchy can read independently I'm afraid. There are books with words that he can guess from the pictures but they aren't going to help him read sentences.
Keep reading to him.

Tgger · 29/01/2013 20:49

I agree- there's not point in trying to read books when you don't know all the letters and letter sounds. Read to him and do some letter recognition so he is solid on this-just a little bit at a time when he is in the mood. Did this with DD and she soon got to know all the letters and sounds.

SizzleSazz · 29/01/2013 21:38

Our school sent reading books home with all children after half term to see how they got on (some children seem fly given the opportunity even when limited letter/phonic knowledge on entering school).

However since Xmas, for those still struggling with recognising/blending letters they now have packs of CVC cards to practice letter identification/recognition and blending.

Perhaps your school might have these, or you can make them up using individual letter cards as one of the posters above have.

Carpediem2007 · 29/01/2013 22:33

DS refused to read books from school when he was in reception as they were 'work'. His creative teacher suggested I bought the Home version of the similar reading scheme and we read new books at home in parallel to the school ones so that they were new stories and he did not know the end so had to read them to find out. Sometimes we read alternate pages.
His teacher also encouraged us to read anything in sight, cereal box games, shop names, road signs, anything that was written and useful. He ended up decoding words in app games on his dad iPad and telling me we were going to Wales when I went on a motorway for one junction (Wales is the general direction about 200 miles away!).

We also used reward heavily and Reception cost me a fortune in small rewards, games, toys, etc. every week, if he read 5 days out of 7, we agreed on a reward that he wanted and kept going for most of the school year.That really motivated him.
Our routine became that, bedtime, he would read me a book from our home learning book collection (or we would alternate pages, one he read, one I read) then I would read him a book or two so it felt like part of our bedtime routine rather than homework.
He is young for his school year and this was hard work as he was often rather sleepy by 7pm but I am not around in the morning so this is how we do it. We still carry on and do a bit on holiday too so he does not forget all about it. He is now a rather keen reader and has moved on a lot in Year and is very keen too. He sees us reading our own books so reading is a family hobby, not just homework. He now reads annual about football, or comics about superheroes, loves word puzzles (like Daddy) and we do not make a fuss if he skips a night reading occasionally.

good luck, it gets easier with time but it can be hard work initially.

SizzleSazz · 29/01/2013 22:47

I also agree with Stitch - try a free trial of reading eggs (you can usually find a code for 3-5 weeks free). It is fun and interactive and dd2 was reading at 3 using it (wanted to copy her big sister)

Just found this by googling which includes free 5 week trial code UKB24MBT

The Oxford Owl website has free ebooks which might be useful and i have found a page on expert help for struggling readers. I've not read it and i'm no teacher so not sure how 'good' it is, but may give you some fresh ideas. We use the free ebooks which are great, but not any lower stage than you have already from school as mrz said

simpson · 29/01/2013 22:51

Will second the Oxford owl website, it is fab and the novelty of reading on a computer might help.

Also it might be worth checking out your local library, DD's first book she read was a phonics corner book (from the library) called "Run Rat Run" think "Rat ran.....Cat ran.....Rat hid....Cat hid" etc etc. it was a great book to start with.

If you put the title into amazon, it comes up.

pashapasta · 29/01/2013 23:00

If you have an iPad, there are brilliant interactive "Biff Chip and Kipper" books that may capture his interest and encourage him. My ds is a keen reception reader and loves them.

neolara · 29/01/2013 23:10

My dd is currently very fond of a phonics app called Hairy Letters. It's great for teaching the letter sounds and putting the sounds together to make simple words. Cost, I think, 69p. Absolute bargain.

I would abandon the school reading book, or at least abandon getting him to read it. Look at the pictures with him. Read him lots of lovely, funny stories. Play some games on the app. When he's ready, he will suddenly just "get it" and will fly. It might take a while but I think almost the worst thing that could happen now in terms of your ds's reading development is that you get locked into a battle of wills about practising reading, where your ds ends up resisting all books.

Many ORT books (Biff, Kipper etc) don't use phonics. If you use them and the school is doing phonics (which most are), your ds may end up even more confused.

Original poster

bassingtonffrench · 30/01/2013 10:17

Thanks so much for all the really helpful suggestions everyone!

he is quite amenable to things that are not The Homework Book, so will definitely look at the resources you all suggest.

I don't think I am in a battle of wills with him but even when we are going softly he detects that the reading books are work and he is reacting against that I think.

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WowOoo · 30/01/2013 14:14

The reading books aren't 'work' if all you're doing is getting him to spot big 'T' or a word that begins with 's' , 'a' or 't' for example.

Make it a challenge/game, pretend you can't read the word and ask him to help.

It doesn't have to be a book either - you can do painting/drawing/scribbling and and see if he can do an 'o' or spot which one of your letters is the 's'.
Spot letter with him him when you're in a supermarket or stuck in traffic.

And take turns and don't do too much at once. Little things to make him happy!

My ds2's idea of reading was to tell me that the pictures were too rubbish yesterday. I give up!

Good luck Bassington - it is a battle of wills at times. A fight I'm not having today...

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