Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Reception reading - when to talk to teacher?

33 replies

StarvingBookworm · 12/09/2013 16:43

Over the summer, DD (4y 3m) started reading alone, almost overnight. She started reception last week. First reading book was sent home yesterday. She read it in about 30 seconds. I sat with her and listened again, asked her questions about the pictures etc to try and help her comprehension which is something she needs work on with some books.

Her book is only changed once a week, am planning on reading/talking about this one a couple more times - but it's too easy in what it's asking. Should I speak to school yet, should I wait a bit while she gets used to school and work on comprehension etc, should I just leave it until they work it out?

I really don't want to be labelled as a pushy parent, but I have no idea how to approach this.

Thank you!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

PrincessScrumpy · 12/09/2013 16:51

Is she fully comprehending what she's reading. The early books tend to have questions for parents to ask where as the ones further on dont have any guidance ime.
I would mention it - dd1 is year1 and her books seem far too easy but i'm giving it another week.she has been put up a level since start of term so it looks like they know she's a good reader. We're also putting comments such as dd read this book with ease giving characters their own voices.

AnotherStitchInTime · 12/09/2013 16:55

I would just mention to the teacher that she found it quite easy, feedback from parents is important as teaching your child to read is a partnership between you and the school.

My dd1 (4.3 too) has just started in Reception yesterday and is also reading already. We have been reading ORT Julia Donaldson books at home, so I have told the teacher which one she is on at the moment to give her an idea of the level of reading book to start her with.

HattyJack · 12/09/2013 16:56

I'd give the school chance to be honest. In the meantime if you are happy DD is understanding ok, you can always get other books for her to read from the library. There are millions of books out there, they don't all have to come from school!

The reading diary is there so you can feed-back. Write in that that DD found the book very easy. If you can also fill it in with what else she has been reading from the library that may give them a better idea of her level.

Galena · 12/09/2013 17:50

No reading books here at all yet, although they know she was reading well on entry.

2cats2many · 12/09/2013 17:55

I supplement the school books with books from the library.

HattyJack · 12/09/2013 17:57

Exactly 2cats - I don't really understand why so many parents seem to think that the only books their DC can read are the ones school give them. It's not like they're ever very interesting stories :)

Squitten · 12/09/2013 18:05

My DS doesn't start Reception until next week but we've already discussed the fact that he can read with his teacher. Obviously not novels or anything, but simple books are quite easy for him. We get a contact book that we can write in so if he's finding the reading too easy, she said to just let her know and they'll move him up to the next ones.

Original poster

StarvingBookworm · 12/09/2013 18:20

She reads a LOT on her own at home. We don't visit the library as often as I'd like but we have loads of books. The other day she woke before her groclock showed the sun, she told me she'd been reading her Milly Molly Mandy book ... She mentioned words/parts of the story so she had read some of it. The school one was in 30 secs because it contained about 20 words altogether!

I'll leave it this week and concentrate on getting her to talk about what she's read. I can't tell if she understands or not, she tends to automatically say "I don't know" if I ask her the questions from the backs of the books (we also have Julia Donaldson Songbirds), but she will do things like read instructions in an activity book and follow them.

OP posts:

AbbyR1973 · 12/09/2013 23:07

DS2 can also read on entry-about Stage 4. School are aware he can read, having had DS1 through last year. He started at school this week and brought home a level 1+ book, which he read quickly and easily but I'm figuring that they don't want to scare him off in the first week and want to figure out where he is at themselves. DS1 was about level 6 when he started school and was also given a very easy level 1 book. By week 2 he was given a level 3 book and then the week after was bringing home 2 books at level 5 so they stepped him up fairly quickly.
Re comprehension DS1 often says I don't know initially when he clearly does understand the book. He thinks if he says he doesn't know he can go and play instead. At home he knows don't know isn't ok- he has to think and try and answer or explain what he is not sure about/ wants clarification of.

LittleRobots · 12/09/2013 23:13

Our school isn't even close to sending books home. They're still playing :-)

HoopersGinger · 12/09/2013 23:34

I think they should move away from the temporally constrained narrative by YR 1 and explore some post modern stream of consciousness. And stop taking them to the library, rather let them take you, in an autodidactic triumph.

Original poster

StarvingBookworm · 13/09/2013 07:37

LittleRobots lots of playing going on here too - but often DD chooses to go to the reading corner. I guess it's her thing!

OP posts:

Galena · 13/09/2013 09:45

When I dropped DD off today there was a reminder note on the whiteboard for teacher/ta saying 'Sort reading books / words for Monday' :) Can't wait to see what they send...

Periwinkle007 · 13/09/2013 10:15

my eldest started school reading at level 6ish, they put her straight onto level 5 in about week 4 with her first book but they were aware from preschool transfer records she was reading well. my youngest has just started and she is good with cvc and just starting longer words, also fluent with some high frequency words so I expect having had her sister they will possibly go straight to level 2 books so she is straight away putting into practice what she can do and is learning but will have to wait and see, books won't start coming home for a couple of weeks yet I don't think.

Galena · 18/09/2013 18:52

Well, on Monday DD brought home a book along the lines of:
Liz and Digger can run.

Liz can run fast.

Digger can run fast.

etc.

The teacher also gave me some inference/deduction style questions to ask DD during and after reading. However, DD really struggled with them because there just wasn't enough text in it. She read a home book and we did some questions, so I sent that book in the next day with a note.

She's now on ORT Stage 5 which she is reading easily and enjoying. Oh, and answering inference/deduction questions on them!

Periwinkle007 · 18/09/2013 19:05

those books about Liz and Digger bring back some memories. The preschool my 2 went to used those ones and my daughter's loved the pictures of Digger but they are very easy to read.

good they have put her on books at her level Galena

PeanutButterOnly · 18/09/2013 20:09

I think if they are reading on entry then that's great, but the start of school is about so much more. It's all about settling them in and making sure they are comfortable with the environment, happy etc. That's really crucial in the longer term. I would look at the bigger picture rather than reading books at this stage.

pixiepotter · 19/09/2013 08:30

It is very early days , the children have to learn to be used to school before they start academic learning.
Can I suggest that you read non-ORT books with them.The way they are written makes the text very predictable and I have seen so may children whizzup the ORT levels and then find they can't read anything else.

Galena · 19/09/2013 10:56

I absolutely agree that reception is about far more than academics. However, DD loves reading. She is so excited to get her book out of her bag and read to me, DH or anyone who will sit still long enough to listen! I would not want for that excitement to be squashed just because the teacher decided to give her simple books for a while.

And yes, ORT are very predictable and we read lots of other things at home.

EmeraldJeanie · 19/09/2013 11:12

Well my ds can't read and I hope I am not going to be accosted by smug Mums whose children can.
I am just pleased my ds went in without crying today. Think at this stage Reception should be settling in and play.
Reading is not a priority I hope at this early stage of the game.

Galena · 19/09/2013 12:03

Most children in DD's class cannot read. DD can. I wouldn't want non-reading children to be given inappropriate books because DD can read. I equally don't want DD to lose her enthusiasm for reading due to not being allowed to read. There is an awful lot that other children can do that she can't. I already said I agree that there is a lot of settling and social stuff involved in Reception. However, a good school should be able to deal with those reading on entry as well as the majority who are not.

I don't think any of DD's classmate's parents know she can already read, except for a friend of the family. I certainly don't 'accost' mums of children who can't read. I would not expect any new reception child to read. It just happens DD can.

northernlurker · 19/09/2013 12:16

I think there is a need to ensure children's foundations are strong. Alongside reading books the dcs will also be building on their phonics so that they can read beyond the words they know now.
All my dc have been sent home with books that as a parent I could say were 'easy' - but that's part of a process and part of ensuring they have the grounding they need. I have always regarded school reading books as a chore and focused on the really fabulous stuff they can read out of school. As long as your children have access to creative, good writing to read at home it really does not matter what comes home in the book bag. They will not be developing a love of literature from reading about Biff and Chip and there's no need to get concerned about this at this point.

PeanutButterOnly · 19/09/2013 12:48

I think I would have a word with school to discuss. At our school they say don't wait if you have a concern so should be fine. Good luck.

Stampstamp · 19/09/2013 12:51

I am having a similar dilemma, whether to mention to the teacher that DD can read. She is really keen on reading and would love to have more to do from school. I'm pleased she'll be able to spend time consolidating phonics as she tends to rush (and I haven't explained all of them to her yet in any case, so it's still fairly early stages) but am worried she's going to get bored. At a meeting earlier this week the school seemed to say that they only send home a book once every two weeks - and it's not an actual book, it's photocopied pages.

I agree with Galena that I'm not trying to make non/very early readers be given books they're not ready for, but surely a reading child could be given actual books to read? I think I'll just mention it to the teacher without putting any expectations on them, and then see how it goes.

mistlethrush · 19/09/2013 13:02

This continues all the way up though - DS is Yr4 and gets his reading book changed twice a week. He reads through his book in under 10 mins and can quite happily answer questions on it, or read a section out. So that goes in his book. The next night (supposedly on the same book) he reads something different - or reads a poem or two out and then has a second go to get the inflection better. And that goes in his book. When he remembers to bring his reading notebook home, we write in every evening and 5/7 days it will be a non-school book that is written in.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread