Does your school have a reading at home initiative?

[Hostie100]

We are trying to launch a reading at home programme from September this year at my childrens primary school. We will be awarding certificates from the governors for number of books read. I was wondering if anyone else's school already has something like this in place, if it is successful and how it works? The aim is to get more boys reading, the teachers and school secretary don't want an increased workload so it can't be too involved - thoughts please? Thank you!

I really like capsium's post and agree with her ideas.

I think it wouldn't encourage DD to read if this is on top of the book she already brings home as homework. I would also question the quality of reading if nobody checks how much a child actually understands. While I flick through DD's books and she reads to us at least 1 chapter aloud this is 1 book a week.

I found the books from school not very stimulating compared what DD takes home from the library or we buy for her, at least at the infant school she is attending until Summer holidays.

I would try to do it like the library Summer reading challenge, a set time, a set number of books and a kind of report at the end about the favourite. I would also include books the child owns or borrows from the library to make it a bit moment interesting.

"I would try to do it like the library Summer reading challenge, a set time, a set number of books and a kind of report at the end about the favourite. I would also include books the child owns or borrows from the library to make it a bit moment interesting."

This sounds like a much nicer way to encourage reading and aspiration.

Urgh no, what happens is people cheat and tick /sign whatever just to stop the moaning about not having a sticker/jewel/certificate.
We have to listen to reading every night and sign the diary. We also have an additional tick sheet which earns a sticker after every 90? additional reads. Total farce, people all understand it differently so some kids are up to about seven stickers and others haven't got one.

My children's class -Yr2- has had a reading challenge where they have to read something everyday and have it signed off in their reading diary. They then have their photo moved up in a chart on the classroom wall. Those who read every day for a month are in a draw for a voucher to be spent on books. For a short term challenge I think this worked well, unfortunately as it's been going on all year it's very much encouraged them to read as little as possible just to get it checked off.

Mine are the only children in their class in after school club till six every night. It's been difficult to get teachers to appreciate that they are very tired and often reluctant to read and that sometimes the battle is not worth it every single day as it creates a negative association. We do encourage as much as possible but it's also a challenge to catch up at the weekend given the amount of additional homework they have.

The public nature of the display puts me off too, very much singling children out. It's not my children's fault I work full time and while I can try and mitigate that, the reality is that they are tired when they get home and have less time at home to do homework.

"We will be awarding certificates from the governors"

I'm afraid to say that this sounds awfully pompous and not child friendly / child led at all . Kids are usually very happy with a sticker as a reward. Primary kids don't care /don't understand the concept of a certificate from governors, it's too officious iykwim.

How about each week a child brings in a book they have been reading (book from home, school library, other library) and tell their class about the book, what they like/don't like how the book made them feel and if they would 'recommend' it to their classmates and friends or not.

Yes my dcs school have a reading initiative. They have a reading diary which we sign off and comment once they have read a book twice.

My dcs read every night during the week. Sometimes they select their own books.

I think one of the problems is the books available in schools. I'm pretty sure DD had not brought a single school book home this year. We usually stock up on our own books. A few years ago I remember that Dd1 teacher asked the children in her class to bring in a book they would recommend to a friend for the book corner which they could then take home again at the end of the school year. Although not all DC took in a book, the majority did and were keen to "recommend" their book to classmates. I think it was a nice idea as it encouraged DC to talk amongst themselves about books. I don't have positive experiences with reading schemes to he honest. We have find them at the local library during the summer holidays. In my experience DC race trough books and read things they would otherwise not go for so they can get their certificate as soon as they can. My DDs are keen readers and always have a book on the go. I don't think I would support a school scheme that is all about quantity to be honest.

DS1's junior school use Accelerated Reader and a reading diary, but they manage it really poorly IMO. DS hasn't written anything in his diary all year and his English teacher never checks, DS simply reads a book, does the STAR test (usually gets 100%) then chooses another book. Two years ago the school decided to award a prize every half-term for the most words read . I imagine this is easily done by checking the word-count facility in the STAR tests, then a boy & girl from each year is given a small prize and a larger prize is awarded at the end of the school year. My DS has won every single time, he was reading Tolkien in YR4 so his word-count was 10x everyone else's. The whole thing seems really joyless and data-driven and while I don't think it has made a jot of difference to my how and why my son reads it must be a bit crap for the other boys in his year to see him win every time.
DS2 is moving up in September so I'll find out if this scheme actually works with a reluctant reader.

The DC's old school used to have a system where you got a sticker for reading at home a minimum of 4 times a week (and recorded in your reading diary). After so many stickers (5?) you got a certificate (presented in assembly).

It was made clear that "any" reading counted - so it didn't have to be school books.

We sign each night we read with the children. Every 5 sheets that are filled (with I think 30 signatures) the children get to pick a free book. It's a pain in the arse. It takes too long for the children to achieve a reward, even if they read every night so they forget about it in between. The "choices" of book aren't exactly "choices" - Key stage 1 get to choose from a Book People selection of picture books of The Gruffalo type of books - which is a nightmare if you have a child who is more able at the end of reception, and by the end of Year 1 (where we are now) is just ridiculous. We still have another year of these rewards before DS can go onto the Horrid Henry type of rewards, and he already says "what's the point?" It's not really a carrot.

They don't do any of this in my DCs school, I agree that whatever form it takes it is quite likely to discriminate against or put pressure on families who are already struggling for whatever reason. People will also sign boxes etc just to get the "points" without really doing the reading.

Our school encourages children to do the one at the local library every year, so we dutifully do it, but the DCs inevitably pick short easy books to get their numbers up. Last year they picked audio books, which was fine (although it was quite funny when we got them home and one turned out to be on cassette, they'd never seen one before).

I think encouraging them to read anything they can and discuss it, be it the information on cereal packs, labels and signs in shops, comics, annuals, instruction leaflets, BBC website, whatever, is the way to go. Maybe get them to come in and talk about something interesting they've read, no matter what the source.

ours seems to be different in each class. in R if they have their reading records signed 3 times a week from home then they move up a chart and get a certificate and little prize when they finish. In Yr1 they go up per book. DD1 therefore read the shortest books she could get away with, she was very upset when she discovered that because she was reading books over 100 pages she could only realistically expect to go up once a week when everyone else was reading 32 page books and were going up 3 times a week so she refused to read long books. defeated the object in my opinion. When she does the library reading challenge she picks the shortest books there too, she started book track but they wouldn't let her read her own books, had to be ones from their very poor selection so we abandoned that too. Not sure what they do at school in Yr2.

I wouldn't go with number of books read. and actually we hate these kind of things anyway, they cause angst in my children if they are off ill on the day it is done because then their 3 times a week or whatever isn't recognised even if they had done it.

if children (I don't believe in this obsession that boys need encouraging but girls don't as having worked in schools it often isn't really that different) are reluctant readers then often it is type of book offered.

I personally would suggest if you want something then it is kept to stickers and each child has a personal reward card to put these on, not publicly on the wall or in assembly or anything. Some children just aren't interested, some parents just aren't interested and some families just can't do it.

I agree with MimsyBorogrove - the "rewards" or "gifts" can be a bit useless. Our Infant school did a Santa's grotto and each child got a book. DD is in Y2 and got a picture book. Nice drawn but useless for a gold-band reader.

I think peer influence rather than competition works for many children. So one child recommending a book leads to others trying it.

Some kids are motivated by stickers and certificates but as a parent I could see the angst (and self-defeating behaviours) as described by previous posters occurring.

Would a book swap scheme be an interesting one off? Ask for any reasonable condition books that kids recommend to be handed in and you can take a new-to-you book away. You would need a float of books to start but maybe some governors/parents would be glad to offload some.

I've just seen that Vanilla Honey has but a better idea forward (but that is classroom based - so i'll still post!)

DD's school tell you from the start of school that you are expected to hear them read every day and write in their reading diaries in reception and KS1 (although in reception it is acceptable to write 'x was too tired to read tonight' so long as you don't do it too often) no idea what happens if you don't do it but the teacher was very clear that it is expected and the children know it. in KS2 they have to write what page they are on each day, a sentence about whats happened so far on a friday if they haven't finished the book and a review of each book when they finish it, they lose playtime if they haven't done it.

DS' school do a book club, they pick the book they want to read together, agree a page to get to by the next week, read it at home and then discuss it during registration, they also do 'recommend a book cards' where they write about any book they've read and the cards are kept in a box in the library so other people can use them to pick a book. In KS1 they were expected to read to someone at least 3 times a week and you had to sign their reading diary, if it wasn't done the teacher would speak to the parents and find out why.

In both schools those staying for after school club have someone read with them there to make it easier for working parents and the only reward is a house point each week if they've met their reading targets.

Oops, forgot to say DS' book club isn't as a whole class, they are in groups of 5, set by the teacher so are similar reading abilities and don't need to have 30 copies of the same book.

The aim is to get more boys reading, the teachers and school secretary don't want an increased workload so it can't be too involved

OP, sorry I had asked upthread but it probably got missed. Is this an all boys school or a co-ed? If co-ed, and the aim is to get more boys to read! why not the girls? Would this system penalise girls who may no Ike the pressure/ competitive aspect of this?

I'd be really interested in others' opinions on this. Thanks.

May no like the pressure....

Our school doesn't give out rewards or any other incentives for home reading. I like it this way

Book club sounds interesting, Adika, but to my mind nothing ruins a perfectly good book like use of it as a class reader.

I loved Secret Garden and Carrie's War when I read them myself. Then we read them aloud as a group of 30... Smaller groups and read it yourself and discuss together sounds a huge improvement.

Class reading ruined the Secret Garden for me too. DS says the book club is okay, depending on who is in his group, he loves reading and isn't very patient so gets cross if people don't understand things he thinks are obvious.