Does freereading end reading competitiveness

[wigglywoowoo]

DD has finally become a free reader. Would it be fair to say that the element of competition decreases now as there is no way for other parents (or children) to gauge what other children achieving?

I haven't noticed any kind of competition in relation to numeracy or literacy.

I love The Dark is Rising and used it as a central text[s] for my dissertation on Fantasy in Modern Children's Literature.I wrote the dissertation in 1977 so it was fairly modern :)
My dgs is 6 and has just become a 'free reader' and he can't get enough of 'Mr Majeika' [sp?].

I am another Chalet School fan-there are a lot of us about.Have you seen the thread about Ofsted and The Chalet School?

The Dark is Rising series is truly fantastic - probably suitable for 11 year olds in general and earlier if they're ready for it... and adults. It was in a way the 'Harry Potter' of its day along with Diana Wynne Jones' 'Chrestomanci' series.

It's a mix of Arthurian, Welsh and Cornish legends brought into the modern day (well, 1970's). Really exciting, stay-up-all-night page turners.

Start with 'Over Sea, Under Stone'...

thegreylady - what a fantastic dissertation topic!

Ofsted an the Chalet School - nope have missed that one. Will search for it now and also look for The Dark is Rising. thanks

If the parents were competitive over the book bands than I'm afraid it dos n't stop with free reading - you better start thinking about the prom now.

[Boast Klaxon]
Despite a slow steady start DD1 is now labelled G&T at spelling/ literacy bollocks. Other parents have put this down to genetics or 'talent' or forgetting the slow start claim she was always advanced. All rubbish. Just like many of you I started from the day she was born.

I read to her, she watched me read, lots of stories, etc. We kept reading a joy rather than pushing through the book bands the result is a motivated kid with a good grasp of the basics. A wide variety of material to try has made her hungry for more. DD2 is now on the same path and has just made the jump, leapfrogging her peers by reading comics, Rainbow Faries, Joan Aiken, whatever she can get her hands on. DD1 still insists on reading all DD2's reading scheme books because 'it's a book'.

A lot of parents don't read, don't have a stack of Chalet School books waiting, and confuse developing a love of stories or information with technical levels - they are the ones that will question you.

I have to admit to a previous fetish for Enid Blyton's Famous Five, followed I think by Aliatair McClean and Agatha Christie. I used to hide these books inside the classic stories that I was supposed to be reding at school (and probably later enjoyed) ...

I know one very competitive parent with regard to reading therefore I was very satisfied when my child (who had borderline SEN issues with reading) made it onto free readers before her son. Then she pestered me about what he was reading and only gave up when I told her that he had just finished 50 shades of grey. In fact she hasn't spoken to me since - result

Err...no, certainly not. It's nigh on impossible to get on to free reading at the DC's school before year 5 because they have over 30 book bands, but DD 2 made it during the Summer term of year 3. She is always reading, on the way to and from school or in the playground in the morning if she's particularly in to a book but it all comes from her, I don't tell her to do it to ruffle the competitive mothers' feathers but I've seen one or two glances first at the spine - no banding - then at the cover. Makes me chuckle.

Iam, I would be seriously tempted to do it to ruffle feathers
Well done to your DD :)

katydid

I like your style.

Thank you Elibean

over 30 bookbands? I can't even imagine how they categorise the books into that many bands, what reading age do they come out with at the top of it? our school goes to 15/16 I think. National Curriculum book bands until 11 and then I think they just have ORT treetops ones but I am not sure but they do have Rainbow fairies and dick king smith in 11.

Periwinkle - believe it. It's bonkers. I believe the last box has lengthy classics such as Frankenstein, Treasure Island etc, basically much more advanced than a lime level ORT book.

but that is ludicrous to still have levels by then. I mean I read chick lit books so does that mean my reading ability is at a lower level than if I was to read a Nelson Mandela Biography (I read over 1000 pages of one once but then gave up). Once they can read proper chapter books then they can read. Obviously then the in class reading books should increase in difficulty in style and analysis techniques but really that seems silly.

I must admit though I looked at the ORT treetops level 16 and couldn't see why they would bother because they are still so short compared to traditional chapter books so it makes more sense to just get kids choosing and enjoying classic childrens literature without wasting time on contrived stories they aren't interested in but equally I don't think they need to be levelled by then. I always just assumed they got to Level 11ish, started with basic early reader chapter books and shorter books then gradually progressed to longer ones and away they go. I was surprised to discover my daughter's school went up to 16 but 30 has me lost for words and that is pretty difficult to achieve! My daughter is on 11 and has been reading early reader books, Dick King Smith and has just discovered the rainbow fairy book with her name in it so is reading it perfectly, one chapter a day. I assume she will gradually work her way through different books she likes the look of until the smaller font and longer books become more normal to her and then she will pick anything she wants to that I feel is appropriate for a 5 year old.

No one has ever ever asked me what level my children are reading at. Mind you, I tend to keep myself to myself in the playground, and only occasionally talk to other parents so that is probably why. I can't say I'm that interested in what other people's kids are doing anyway.

I love The Dark Is Rising!! I'm currently reading it to my 9 year old twins at bedtime, and I hope they love it as much as I did. (I named my youngest after a character from the books!)