"Real books"

[nocheeseinhouse]

No, not the 1970s throw books at them and see what sticks idea.

My DC is well away with this reading gig, but it is really hard work to encourage the reading of anything other than reading scheme books. Which is fine, but we're running out, and there is only so much Magic Key I can take (he's only in reception!) If it doesn't have a book band, it can't be read, according to DC.

Tonight, he read (genuinely read, not one he knows very well at all to be a recitation) Room on the Broom, as our library has this in a format that matched the 'read it yourself' books, and therefore looks like a reading scheme. (Cunning!) So... how can I get hold of more 'real' books in this format? I'd love to branch out, but anything that doesn't look like it could have a bookband, is quickly given up on, although well within DC's ability.

Does anyone know of a publisher who does books in this format, that aren't reading scheme?

A regular visit to the library helped us with this sort of thing. He could browse the shelves and select what he fancied and it is free!

Your son sounds very similar to mine if a bit further on with his reading. We also have the "stuck on x level at school" thing too. Which combined with the reading book/non reading book thing means he's bringing home the same reading scheme books over and over again. Not helping him learn to read. And not achieving their aim if they want him to practice reading easy books well, as he just ends up reading home books instead.

We have mostly got over the reading books/non-reading books bit at home though. What did the trick for us was doing some reading together. For example we'd read Charlie and Lola and he would read all Lola's lines. Or we'd read Dr Seuss and get him to read every other page. Apple Tree Farm books are good as they have a line at the top specifically for the child to read, but once they get going they forget and read all of it.

And yes, our town library has a shelf of "early reader" books so if we point DS to that shelf he'll believe it's for him to read. Unfortunately can't usually get there around school commitments but that should sort summer holiday reading.

www.pandorabooks.co.uk/pick-mix/book-bands

Following on from catkind's suggestions the other things we found useful were reading the lines out loud together to build confidence. Later on, reading alternate lines and then alternate paragraphs then pages. For a solid page of Roald Dahl, my son's reaction was initially to assume that he couldn't do it, but when we covered up the text and revealed line by line for him to read he was really pleased to discover that he actually could do it. (Obviously I didn't suggest this to him until I was 99% sure that he could read most of the words otherwise it would have been a spectacular own-goal!).

Phonics Corner ones worked for us at this stage, they have colour coding / levels. I took dd1 to the library and gave her a pile of early readers (browsing the shelf was too overwhelming for her), and let her choose some. And then tactically left them handily next to her bed.

Have look at Reading Chest? They send you book that are banded and perhaps give you books that you wouldn't get at school?

Dr Seuss books are great - many are levelled too, so that would fit into his desire to have them like the school books. Check the library, some will let you reserve online too.

Julia Donaldson has got a number of books out now for new readers - I've seen the Stick Man in this format. Here's the link to the Early Reader section on her own website .... www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/earlyreaders.htm

My son is very much like yours. He is also on yellow band at school in reception (although he can read blue band at home), but still doesn't have the phonics knowledge to comfortably decode any book..he is starting phase 5 phonics soon...he refuses to learn anything from me, so if it's a sound he hasn't quite learned at school yet, he refuses to even try reading it.
He also has this thing where he refuses to try to read any other book than a banded book. I do sometimes encourage him and egg him on and he will start reading the first page and then realise he can do it, but he is still not very confident at it.
Have you tried Maisy books? They are easy to read and short stories and DS will read them, also Apple Tree Farm like a PP said.
I have found that short, one or two sentences to a page stories I used to read to them when they were babies work. Even if a couple of the words are tricky, the text is short, so it's not daunting for them. For example, the other day, DS read this book:
www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Bed-Book-Sandra-Boynton/dp/1442454091/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399974259&sr=1-1&keywords=going+to+bed+book
totally decodable with DS's phonics knowledge.
We susbcribe to Reading Chest and also go on Oxford Owl to free e-reading books. My DS likes the Oxford owl website because he can choose is own book.

You probably want Orion Books 'Early Readers'.
These are banded into colours.
They are rather Horrid Henry heavy which I know some get twitchy about, but there are plenty of other titles.
They have nice colour pics too and are a nice 'school reading book' size.