Reception reading books, picture only...

[Gracie990]

A bloody biff, chip and kipper picture only book came home today. Along with a reading diary.

I'm new to 'the rules' on reading. Do i tell them that she can read or ignore it and hope they will assess soon?

I can't really face reading them, is there any benefit? Is is just to put something in the bag? Not wanting to be the pushy mum

Tell them, they are not psychic and will not have had chance to assess all the children yet. Does she have a reading diary you have to sign? Just write in there what she is reading with you so they have some idea where to start with her.

My DS was reading before he started school at about level 4 of ORT, i told the teacher, she started him on level 4. Simples. We found a lot of the reading scheme books pretty dull and the earlier levels very short, so we read them on the day the book was changed then noted in the diary what we had chosen to read from home or the library on the other days. It's never been an issue, they will be beyond thrilled that you are prepared to read with your child and find her suitable reading material.

Our school made even the competent readers do a certain number of wordless books, to develop story telling and sharing skills or somesuch. Spend a couple of minutes on them then do your own thing.

I always work on the theory that more books the better. And I think it sets a good example to co-operate with the teacher.

Have fun with the book, make a few characters up with silly voices, ask your child to make up the story. Write it in the reading record. Even my junior child enjoyed reading back over the early books with his younger brother.

Bee that's what I worry about as we've done it before.

YOU don't have to read it! - if there are no words to 'read' then the child makes up a story to match what is happening in the pictures. The more imaginative and detailed the story the better. In the 'reading diary' I suppose you could mention that she can already read, and you (or she) could outline her responses to the pictures. Probably not many Reception children start being able to read. I have worked with children in deprived areas who have never owned a book, and whose parents would never consider giving their child a book. That (partly) might explain why some secondary children aren't getting the 'C' grades required, and why they soon may have to carry on till age 17.

Your child is fortunate that someone has taken the trouble to help her learn to read. There are new generations of ORT Bif, Chip and Kipper (and Floppy!) books, but if they don't conform to modern Phonics methods then they are 'old stock' and some schools have chucked them out. In due course, if she doesn't get decode-able Phonics books I guess you could mention it.

Meanwhile, you both might well find this Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary interesting and useful (but I'm afraid B, C, K & F are still there!):

www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Phonics-Spelling-Dictionary-Reading/dp/019273413X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373490750&sr=8-1&keywords=Phonics+dictionary#reader_019273413X

The idea is for the child to practice the art of story telling. This may seem obvious to you but for some kids it's a challenge, to put together any spoken narrative in reasonable order, never mind matching it to the pictures supplied. DS1 had picture only books at first, too, and I was just as flummoxed.

He went on the G+T list for writing a few yrs later. :)

DS2 was nearly 8 before he could tell you a coherent story, though. He could decode words fine but the art of narrative is still a struggle.

It's early days, and as others have said the school won't have started assessing yet. We tend to send home these type of books as a starting point and then assess within the first 3 or 4 weeks (once the children have settled in a bit). I wouldn't worry, a few weeks spent on the 'wrong' level won't hinder her! I would put something in the reading record about how she got on with understanding what was happening in the story, did she talk about the pictures etc, and also mention something about her reading at home along the line of 'x really enjoyed this story, she guessed what was going to happen and laughed at x. We have been reading lots at home and x is reading books with simple words quite easily now'. It's quite a time consuming business reading with 30 children, checking their sounds etc individually, but the teacher should be on the case!

We don't send home wordless books (or use them in school) and work on storytelling skills in lots of ways in class.

Thanks guys, we did read it. It was OK. We read a book with words after. I did get some complaints at the lack of words.
I think the pictures are odd and dull in biff and co. Can you tell I'm not a fan

Mrz would you leave the teacher to assess?

What sort of things do people write in these books?

When DS1 started last year, I didn't tell them he could read because I was worried about being the pushy mum. By the end of week 1 he came home with a book with a few very simple words in it. DS was puzzled but we read it. The other children had been given picture only books. In the end I decided probably I should have just confessed in the first place. I went and had a quiet word with the teacher, who was lovely and more than happy to find out about DS1. They were fabulous with him through the year actually. DS2 can also read so this time I was just matter of fact about it.

I would just do the school book, write that you did, then write what book she read as well and comment how she read that and sign it.

They will be doing assessments over the next few weeks and will establish what level she needs to be given and go from there.

My eldest started reception reading level 7 at home - at the home visit they commented (after only seeing her for 3 days) that she knew all her phonics and seemed very good at writing and could read quite well so asked what she was reading, I showed them but I said that confidently she was probably only level 5/6ish so they checked and then started her there. She still did all phonics sessions and guided reading with the rest of the class but had different homework exercises at the weekend.

her sister is about to start - is probably level 2ish perhaps 3. I would be disappointed if we had to go back to picture books because I know just how many books and story telling etc we do at home but I don't think they would because the teacher knows us.

Our school doesn't send home any reading books for about 4 or 5 weeks so then obviously levels them appropriate to what they think for each child individually. Your school send home books straight away and then presumably level them when they have finished assessments but are making sure they don't miss any possible chances to help expose children to books and to get them into the routine of having a school reading book.

DD got sent home with a Biff and Chip picture book today too, I have always hated Biff and Chip and she can read so it seems a bit pointless to me.

Apparently her school send everyone home with a picture book until they've assessed reading abilities so that they get into the habit of doing their reading every night without putting off children by giving them something they aren't ready for, so hopefully thats all your school is doing too.

I'd wait two weeks to see if they assess. Plus writing in the reading diary what your child is actually reading at home... and also a word with teacher. Always worth mentioning as sometimes the teacher doesn't notice as has outsourced reading to TA (happened to mine).
Just keep reading whatever you normally do at home.