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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

reception - changing reading books - how often?

38 replies

IsletsOfLangerhans · 14/03/2013 16:41

Hi. I'm just wondering how often other reception children get their books changed at school? I'm pretty sure dc1 (now in year 4) used to read to teachers twice a week and got books changed accordingly. Dc2 is currently in reception - they are lucky if their books get changed once a week and they are not always listened to reading. It's the same teacher/school and I'm wondering why the patterns have changed over the last couple of years. Is it due to new early years policies or due to a reduction in funding in schools (and reduced numbers of TA's)?

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learnandsay · 14/03/2013 16:44

Three times a week without fail. Lots of parents volunteer.

Original poster

IsletsOfLangerhans · 14/03/2013 16:51

Interesting. A lot of parents volunteer to help in our reception class but are not taken up on the offer....

OP posts:

grabaspoon · 14/03/2013 16:52

Tuesday and Friday

wonkylegs · 14/03/2013 16:56

Monday and Thursday
Wish it was more often as DS reads two books everynight and gets bored with them. We've got quite a collection at home but it would be nice to have a few more variations. I suspect at the moment he's a bookworm like his mum but I'm holding out no illusions as to how long this enthusiasm will last. Especially as I heard his best friend telling him books were rubbish the other day

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2013 16:57

As quickly as they read them here. We read with dd every night so she changes her book every day. They listen to her 3 times a week (twice with the teacher and once with the TA or a classroom volunteer).

PandaNot · 14/03/2013 16:57

Once a week but I know they do reading in school everyday. It's just the home reading bit which is only done weekly.

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2013 16:59

I'm surprised that schools do it so differently. Ours always let them change when they're ready and once they're off the reading scheme, they are allowed to bring home several at once.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 14/03/2013 17:04

Every time they are heard reading at school - so at least 3 times a week, often more.

mummytime · 14/03/2013 17:05

4 times a week for my DC, the other day they got a Maths game/task. Very small books though.
Sometimes kept them for longer when they were older.

noisytoys · 14/03/2013 17:13

As quick as they read them. DDs was changed daily when she was on level books and about twice a week now she is free reader and her books are long

HorryIsUpduffed · 14/03/2013 17:20

Read with teacher once a week and Y6 partner once a fortnight. Two books at a time, changed on Mondays.

simpson · 14/03/2013 18:07

DD gets 2 books a week (fiction and non fiction) and she is listened to by a teacher 121 twice a week. but her books especially the fiction one will take several days to read.

No parents are allowed to volunteer in reception only from yr1 onwards...

Original poster

IsletsOfLangerhans · 14/03/2013 19:31

Feeling a bit short-changed after reading these comments! dc2 is reading books quite fluently now and we had to ask for more to be sent home each week. Even then, we are still finishing them within 3-4 days and even when dc2 has asked to read at school, the answer has been no....

OP posts:

takeaway2 · 14/03/2013 19:37

At least three times if not more a week. And they get a library book every Friday (bigger more detailed book, not the Oxford reading tree or biff/chip type - more the room on the broom sort...).

learnandsay · 14/03/2013 19:50

I don't think feeling short changed is the way forward. I think if school books aren't sufficient, and for a good reader they're almost certainly insufficient) then bookshops, Amazon and the library are the way forward.

beanandspud · 14/03/2013 19:55

Every day. They read to the teacher every day and DS brings home a different book. We are expected to read with him every evening.

Original poster

IsletsOfLangerhans · 14/03/2013 19:55

Library I can reason with, but I don't see why I should be expected to spend money on books via amazon/bookshops when the school should be providing more support. They have done in the past, so not sure why they are on a go slow now. We have a lot of books at home and I do buy quite a few on top, but we don't have an infinite supply of material suitable for a 5 year old! I've also just remembered that when dc1 was in reception, they used to get school library books each week. That has also stopped now.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 14/03/2013 20:02

If a child reads to a teacher once a day....if there are 30 children in the class, and they read for 3 mins each, that's 1.5 hours of the teachers time taken up listening to children read...what is the rest of the class doing during this time?

My 3DC all changed their school reading books weekly in reception.

TickleMyTitsTillFriday · 14/03/2013 20:03

Every day

MrsJamin · 14/03/2013 20:06

Every day. DS1 is listened to twice a week on average.

learnandsay · 14/03/2013 20:08

I bought a lot of my 4yo's reading books from charity shops at 25p each.

Sleepwhenidie · 14/03/2013 20:10

Dd (reception) reads with teacher once a week and gets her book changed then. If she wants she can take several 'home reader' books from the library at a time and change them whenever she wants.

I think the once a week thing is because of what Lynette said and so that teacher can ensure each stage is being properly learned and assessed, once DC's reach y1 they can whiz through stages much more quickly (but they still only change their 'level' reading book once a week).

SizzleSazz · 14/03/2013 20:11

Every day if they have been read and the reading record signed off. Read to teacher about once a fortnight and to a parent helper 1/2 times per week

mrz · 14/03/2013 20:14

School reading schemes aren't meant to replace books in the home so I'm not sure why anyone would feel short changed.

ILoveMyCats · 14/03/2013 20:22

As a KS1 teacher, I have to agree with Lynette's point about time, but also appreciate your concern over regularity and apparent inconsistency.
Do you know if the class does anything like Guided Reading? Where children are heard in groups? This may be happening in some form, meaning that the teacher/TA is not listening to them individually as often.
I target children who are weaker readers and/or I know are not read with at home and then listen to other children on a rota basis. It could be that the teacher is having to do this and does not have concerns about your dc. Reading is very much about a partnership between home and school, and with time and resources being stretched in schools, this is the case even more.
Could you have a word with the teacher to see if dc2 could perhaps change their book themselves more frequently so at least you get more variety at home? I think if you expressed your concerns to the teacher, they would be able to offer some ideas, or at least let you know what the system is and why. This does vary greatly from school to school and is largely due to time and staffing.

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