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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

It doesn't really matter if my child's school reading books are on a lower level than he's at, does it?

14 replies

PassTheTwiglets · 12/06/2013 11:01

I'm sure this is a 'worrying over nothing' thread, but just want to check :) My DS is in Reception and is an excellent reader - not quite a free reader but not far off - as an example, he can read Horrid Henry books pretty much fluently. (His comprehension is fine, btw). But the reading books he is given at school are usually level 4 or 5 and way below his reading ability. He's not bothered as he really enjoys the school books and he reads loads of books at home that are at his level, so I'm not at all concerned about the amount of reading practice that he does - as long as he enjoys reading then that's fine by me. His teacher knows how well he can read so it's not like she's assessed him wrongly. So basically, as far as I can see all is fine.

BUT - there aren't any negative implications to his reading books being below his ability are there? Just wondering if there's anything I haven't thought of...

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learnandsay · 12/06/2013 11:04

I wondered the same thing a while ago and then my daughter started larking around with certain books and not taking them seriously. Obviously I was worried that that might extend to other books or books in general so I told the teacher who acted swiftly, (well sort of.)

Periwinkle007 · 12/06/2013 11:06

no I don't think so, not if he is happy to read the school ones and the teacher knows what he is reading at home.

I was relieved when my daughter's school books got nearer her actual reading level because she used to create a big fuss about having to read them because they were boring and she wanted to do her books instead. She needed the challenge of harder books from school and has been much happier with harder books. She now has level 11 from school and at home is reading Dick King Smith, Winnie the Witch Chapter Books, Magic Toyshop chapter books etc so I think she is on the right level. The teacher seems very happy that she is reading with comprehension, expression, fluency and understands punctuation and so on, she has greatly enjoyed poetry books from school as well as home and she loves non fiction books as well as stories.

If HE is happy then there isn't a problem.

Original poster

PassTheTwiglets · 12/06/2013 11:09

He enjoys the school books because he's nearly always given non-fiction books to read so they aren't boring for him. If he was whizzing through them and finding them dull then I'd say something.

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Periwinkle007 · 12/06/2013 11:12

I think thats fine then. we get the problems whenever she runs out of books at a level that she likes! once she had exhausted all the non fiction ones at a level, read lots of the story books she would start to get a bit difficult about it all and as I knew she could virtually read them with her eyes shut (her usual party trick was to glance at the page, turn her back and then tell me the 3 sentences perfectly!) so I had to make suitable notes in her reading record and hope they would consider moving her up. Not sure what happens now she has started to complain she is running out of things that aren't pirates, monsters or ghosts though....

learnandsay · 12/06/2013 11:14

We found the non fiction ones much much better. We're getting fiction now to do expression. If doing expression wasn't so much fun we'd both have committed suicide by now simply judging by the books themselves.

DeWe · 12/06/2013 11:17

Dd1 had this. She was reading Harry Potter in year 1, but the school at that point had a policy that year 1 couldn't go above level 6ort.
It hasn't caused her a problem, she just reads what she likes at home and the school stuff was so quick to read it didn't matter to her. In fact she started reading them to dd2 and taught her to read.

Dd2 was actually harder because she was similar level, but free reading in year 1, the books were still very easy for her, but they took ages to read, so she got very bored with them.

DewDr0p · 12/06/2013 11:19

Has the teacher explained why she wants him to read level 4 or 5? I think it's fine if there is a good reason but I can't see the point of giving him those books for no reason!

learnandsay · 12/06/2013 11:22

I think a mum might run into trouble if the school had a policy of "no Reception child is allowed to read above level x," combined with a policy of no comments in the reading diary about non school books.

If that happened and the school didn't give the mum sensible things to work on at the level of the school books (not that old comprehension chestnut) then potentially real problems could occur.

But stuck in that situation I personally would just junk the schoolbooks and boycott the reading diary.

Original poster

PassTheTwiglets · 12/06/2013 11:33

I've no idea why he's on that level, tbh - I never asked! I just thought 'oh well he's reading loads of other stuff at home so it doesn't matter' but perhaps I should have queried it.

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simpson · 12/06/2013 22:26

I would ask if there is a reason that he is on stage 4 when reading chapter books at home.

My DD's school are pretty good at providing books for her (reception) but I don't think they know what she reads at home and quite how strong she is in reading as I don't tell the teacher or write it in her reading diary.

But every few months DD wants to take one of her own books in to read to her teacher (she did this on Monday) and I have noticed that whenever she does this that the books she gets from school are harder. So it might be worth taking one of his books in that he can read to his teacher.

racmun · 12/06/2013 22:32

My son isn't as school yet but it seems ridiculous that your child is being given books that are too easy. What's the point of it?
Surely the teacher should adapt the books to each child- I don't know, but that would seem a more common sense approach.

I would have to say something.

BabiesAreLikeBuses · 12/06/2013 22:35

As long as he's happy and not complaining you don't have a problem, sounds like you're providing a range and if they know he can read harder stuff i'd trust them to get on with it!

IControlSandwichMonkey · 13/06/2013 09:14

He sounds happy but I'd just go and see the school and find out what it is they are concentrating on for your own peace of mind. I help out with the reading at my dd's school and there are children who could easily be moved up a level or two in terms of ability to read the actual books but what the school is doing is nurturing other aspects of reading outside of ability. Because ability to actually decode and then read fluently is the easy bit for a lot of them. Expression, comprehension (which often seems like it's there, but sometimes isn't quite), noticing subtle clues to other information, punctuation etc is still a bit lacking and those elements are being concentrated on before progressing.

I think it's great that he's so happy and the non-fiction books are clearly engaging him. How lovely that he enjoys reading.

pennyink · 13/06/2013 10:00

I would say it matters when they get bored. dd doesn't read school books at the moment - they just sit in her bag while she reads more interesting, chapter books at home. But there was a time when she liked picking out easier books because she found it reassuring, and she will still read her picture books at home. It's just the deathly dull, phonics 'story' books that she has lost interest in. Her teacher doesn't seem worried about this - they have only a handful of books at dd's assessed level in any case.

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