Going off piste with reading

[3bunnies]

Dd2 (7, yr 2) has struggled to get going with reading. She resists reading at home and has done for a year or so. She is currently on level 12 ORT ? Bronze, but still gets words muddled up (e.g. saw was). She was getting stressed about reading and refusing to read more than a page or two, sometimes only a line or two.

About a month ago I told the teacher that I was going to stop reading the school books at home because she (and I) found them dated, boring and uninspiring. We were going to find our own way. Since then we have raided the library, found different books and discovered that she finds it much easier to read with a coloured overlay (which the teacher has now confirmed). I wouldn't say that she is totally converted yet but she recently asked me to buy a set of books for her to read (ironically ORT time chronicles -not available in school). I have said that we don't want any more books and we have abandoned the reading record as this was adding to her stress.

Her teacher hasn't said anything to me about it except to acknowledge that it is fine, however she keeps telling dd2 that she should be reading her school books at home. Seeing the difference in her there is no chance that I will go back to the school books as for the first time she seems to be getting some pleasure from reading. Should I talk to the teacher again and ask her to stop asking dd2 to read the books at home or do I sit it out until dd2 is free reader or she gets a new teacher?

Can you just suck it up and get DD to read one page/half a page/two lines of the school books, but keep reading the stuff she likes together? Teacher doesn't sound that flexible, but sounds like your DD is progressing brilliantly.

DD1 and me used to scour the school for non fiction books, once we'd run out of magic key books. DD1 just got no where with the school ones.

DD1 is the most obviously dyslexic DC you will ever meet, but school refused to a knowledge that until Y6 (by which time she had finally learnt to read passably, more by her own efforts than theirs).

If reading doesn't come easily, the amount of scene setting, description and weird names in some of the scheme books makes them very hard work. DD1 have up before anything actually happened.

I'm concerned that if we go back to reading the school books that it will trigger the old reactions again. It might be different if she had longer until she can choose what she likes at school (stage 14). She still reads their books at school.

She sounds just like my DD! How did you find out about the overlays? Did you just get some to try at home? How did you present it to her?

I would talk again to the teacher about your approach but maybe consider making a token effort to do some taking turns and stuff.

mydaftlass She spontaneously started to read through a transparent pink/red ribbon and said that it made the words much clearer and the pictures less distracting. It really does seem to make a difference to her ability to read. The school have now tried her with all the overlays and confirmed that pink was the best colour. If she continues to use them then I will investigate more formal irlen testing.

The only problem I can see with ignoring school books at home is that the school books are often used for class work as well. So if she isn't looking at them at home that may be a disadvantage. Otherwise, I recommend libraries, school fayres, jumble sales etc to get hold of range of books cheaply. Clarice Bean, Worst Witch, Magic Tree House are a few we've liked. Stay away from Jaqueline Wilson for a year or so - we've found the topics a little grown up (more 9/10 year old) but perhaps my daughter is a bit sheltered.

There is lots of stuff on the Internet about visual stress - I knew that the school had the whole range so I asked them to try them out with her. Different people need different colours. I think that if her problems continue I will get her tested as she also has other symptoms - photosensitivity, travel sickness, issues with writing, and she was v clumsy as a preschooler (8 trips to minor injuries compared to only one between my other two dc). I quite like reading through her overlay too!

well, dd reads the school book once ad won't read it again, but wants to read something to me. Our solution is to read anything at hand, at whatever level, that she chooses, and write that into the reading record.

She does have the school books in there, but there are far more other books. I just write the name of the book, and which pages she read. Sometimes I write (library) or (home book) next to the title.

Our school has prizes if you have read 30 times at home, and they accept any signed entry by parent as evidence of reading, they are pretty good.

Our school does not use home reading books in class at all.

They don't seem to be working through the same books in a group in class so I don't think she is missing out there - they have other books for that. No prizes for reading record completion, though ds would love that - he's notched up over 100 books since Sept in nursery alone! I find with dd2 though even the reading record makes her more reluctant - makes it more about work and requirements than fun.

If she isn't in the mood for reading or doesn't like the book even reading a few lines seems a massive ask for her so I don't want the books back again. I imagine she is a bit more willing in school, but I want her to find that reading is fun. She isn't into girly books but enjoys Roald Dahl, David Walliams, Wimpy kid/Tom Gates. Anything with v. short chapters is generally a hit! Dh thinks we (I.e. me) should talk to the teacher as she seems so much happier reading without the school books.

You could record them in her reading record, she doesn't have to be there when you do. It just proves to anyone asking that she is reading.

Personally I think the whole point is to get her enjoying reading, and she is. There is nothing magic about school books. They are useful at a lower level because they are graded, so you can tell how hard a book is, but apart from that, a book is a book is a book.

I would write them in her reading record once she has gone to bed. She doesn't need to know.

which books to read? it does really depend on why the school are so keen for her to read their books. is it to work on something in particular? I think you need to ask.

her learning to love reading is the primary aim but there has to be a certain degree of having to do what the school says if that makes sense. The worry in her not going back to reading what the school want her to is that in the future she may just say she doesn't want to read a set text that the school need her to and persuading her otherwise might be a real issue if she is used to being able to not do it. DDs class stop scheme books at level 11 so DD1 is reading her own books and is MUCH happier now than she was on the school ones but I have explained to her that it is possible when she goes up a class in september they may well have some higher level scheme books or the teacher might decide for some reason to put them back on scheme books or something so that she is prepared that at some point she MAY have to go back to them. It just might save a future battle. I would look at possibly compromising and doing just 1 page or 2 of the school one or the school one 2 or 3 times a week and then a different one the other days?

with regards to scotopic sensitivity etc I would look for a really good vision therapy opticians. She needs to have her eye convergence checked properly amongst other things. DD1 has coloured glasses and they make a HUGE difference to her reading. 25% difference according to the tests and that doesn't take into account her stamina increasing too. It makes a big difference with the white board and computers as well. She wears them all the time in school (except playtime and PE although they would help her in PE because of her spatial awareness and depth perception) She doesn't wear them out and about in general but she does for reading or writing at home. Our test was £45 for the colorimetry machine, the eye test itself was obviously NHS and because she has other stuff going on in her glasses we just had to pay £50 for the colour tints. I really would recommend them.

The danger of not reading the school books, is that left to choose what she wants to read (e.g. to promote reading for pleasure) your DD is likely to choose from a fairly narrow window of books. I agree school books are deathly dull, but they are good for "making" the DC read a wider range of things that they would otherwise try.

Fairly sure that at 7, my DD would have chosen to read solely Rainbow Magic books. This would have been great for building up her enjoyment but not so great for building up the wider range of skills you need to be a competent reader.

3 bunnies:

I believe there is a middle road and Redsky's words of warning have some truth in them - most schools choose books because they are reinforcing some learning point the teacher wants to be making (could be type of text/ could be vocabulary/ could be type of phonic sound/ etc...).

Our solution was a compromise. During the school week for 2/3 nights DD1 would read some of school book - but the reward was free choice of whatever else she wanted to read. The deal was if she did most of the reading in her school book - we would read to her (if the book was too hard for her) or (as she got better) we'd read alternate pages.

DD1's attitude to reading really improved and we started to introduce childhood classics which were our personal favourites: A Christmas Carol, Kidnapped, Charlotte's Web, The Hobbit, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, etc... and reading series (Lemony Snicket) just for fun.

I think encouraging diversity in reading materials (agree with RedSky that Rainbow magic books are pretty samey) really helps.

Some great ideas here:

Guardian Classic library ages 4-7: www.theguardian.com/books/2000/apr/08/childrens.library.47

ages 8 - 11: www.theguardian.com/books/2000/mar/24/childrens.library

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the book trust also has suggestions:

www.booktrust.org.uk/books/children/

scroll down below pictures and click BOOK FINDER on menu list at left

select age range and then select type of book.

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If you haven't - join your local library. Best way to encourage freedom to select anything and try it and see if you like it approach.

ENJOY!

I also think you may end up with her not wanting to do homework as you have ignored it. And at a disadvantage as all other kids in class will have read x and have that vocabulary. I like the sound of the reward of what she wants or what you pick out etc

Unfortunately dd's books aren't 'specially selected', they are all in a box, children go in groups unsupervised and choose from their colour box. They are predominantly 1980s fiction books, no non fiction ones. Dd2 wouldn't touch a rainbow fairies book! Geography text books are more her style! I am simply replacing their books with books of a similar level from our local library. I choose the books based on what I and our lovely librarian suggests. The school acknowledges that the books are dated but replacing lower levels more of a priority. She has no problem with other homework.

Given what you've just said 3bunnies - I think you're doing the right thing.

we also found that non-fiction books were scarce for guided reading.

We had books set by ability tables so everyone on the table had that book and it was for a reason - but I can see you are in a very different position.

I think carry on - maybe do a bit of the school book - just to show willing/ for diversity - but as long as she's reading, I can't see there's a problem.

Ultimately, I would write to the HT (or use the parent feedback forms schools give out) saying that you think they school needs to improve reading material for upper ability readers in Y2.

HTH

If they are insisting on them reading levels for longer (by that I mean above level 11) then I agree the books should include current popular titles as well as non fiction, poetry and plays.