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Primary education

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

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Original poster

When do they normally get their first reading book?

27 replies

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 20/09/2014 22:24

I'm not worried, just interested really, as ds hasn't brought a book home from school yet however I've seen a lot of people on here saying their reception age children have already brought books home.

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ReallyTired · 20/09/2014 23:11

When a child is given their first reading book depends a lot on the school. If the school is using synthetic phonics then they will not send home a reading book that uses sounds that your child has not been taught. In the early stages your child will have simple decodable books with sentences like like "Sid sat on a pin." Often schools prefer children to practice their letter sounds than to attempt to read books which are beyond them.

overmydeadbody · 20/09/2014 23:15

I am not planning on sending books home till after half term, unless a child asks for one. They are 4 years old, I'd rather they focused on the characteristics of effective learning at this stage.

They can borrow any of our picture books that we have in class however. To share with their parents or have as a bedtime story.

6031769 · 21/09/2014 07:58

ours have been bringing a book home, the first few were very simple reading books and then the one DS brought home on friday was more of a book i would read to him, they go onto actual ORT books when the teacher thinks they are ready, apparently this can be anytime from october half term to spring term next year

bonzo77 · 21/09/2014 08:00

Ours get books after half term. Though I have been warned, some kids get books without words.

Blondieminx · 21/09/2014 08:08

Our school offers a "term ahead" booklet for parents which covers the timetable, topics and common queries. Apparently it's unlikely we'll see any reading books for our reception class DCs till after Christmas...

mrz · 21/09/2014 08:11

We send reading scheme books home when the child is able to decode simple words using the sounds that have been taught but we send home books for parents to read to their child right from the start.

hiccupgirl · 21/09/2014 08:39

My DS started bringing home books without words on day 3 and these get changed every day if we've written in his reading record.

He was a bit disappointed that there were no words for me to read but it is getting us all into the habit of reading his book every day.

JoandMax · 21/09/2014 08:44

We start after half term with simple reading books. At the moment though they get to choose a library book once a week to bring home to read together (this carries on, my Yr 2 still does it). Also a poem book once a week, this week was Twinkle Twinkle and we are asked to encourage them to look at the words, decorate the poem, draw a picture, talk about the poem etc. This consisted of DS2 emptying around 8 tonnes of glitter onto the page!!!

CharlesRyder · 21/09/2014 09:16

My DS has had a new book every day since day 3 and has gone through pink band (which he already had under his belt really) and is now on red band. They also have a library book and learn a poem every week which comes home at the weekend.

My friends twins started in another local school and are also now getting books although one has the book changed regularly and the other doesn't (different classes).

mydaftlass · 21/09/2014 09:21

They don't generally give them out at our school until after Christmas when they've covered some basic phonics but I think do make exceptions if any children are really ready.

Original poster

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 21/09/2014 09:41

There's lots of variation then, that's good (means I don't need to be concerned ).

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StripyBanana · 21/09/2014 09:45

Gosh I'm really glad our school wasn't one of the change-book-every-day bookbag type ones!

We didn't get books home until after Christmas (apart from the library book once a week to read together.) And even then I think it was once or twice a week. No reading record. THey area fantastic school though, with a real emphasis on foundation stage sstill being foundation stage.

She finished reception reading brilliantly, as she had read when she wanted to. I think it really is too early to do the daily-homework style reading. They should want to/learn to love reading rather than a daily chore.

louisejxxx · 21/09/2014 10:25

We were told to expect them "later in the term" so I suppose that's purposefully ambiguous as some children will no doubt be ready to start before others.

Since ds started full days he has bought a library book home on Mon, Weds and Fri.

Last week he also started bringing a couple of sounds home to learn, and then a sheet of the ones they'd done in class to practice too.

Doodledot · 21/09/2014 11:24

Ours stated in week 3 and change once a week. My DC started on level 2 as they just got it and was able to read at that level. I am sure those who haven't done phonics at nursery and are not ready must get appropriate ones for them etc

Doodledot · 21/09/2014 11:26

I know 2 other schools that start everyone on books with no words and another that does a book at day - all outstanding schools but different approaches

nannyj · 21/09/2014 20:29

Ours did them after half term.

CrazyTypeOfIndifference · 21/09/2014 22:04

DS2 has just started reception.

He started on the Biff and Chip books when he was in nursery, after Xmas and got through most of level 1. He was one of about 6 or 8 of them that the nursery teacher deemed ready. Since he's been in reception though he's not yet brought any home, which i'm not thrilled about.

I thought i'd give it to the end of the month and then speak to the teacher, because he was comfortably progressing through stage 1 (on a reading and understanding base) but it seems as though the new teacher has a blanket policy on when to start books (which clearly isn't yet), which seems at odds with their nursery teacher.

StripyBanana · 21/09/2014 22:07

There really isn't a hurry to get reading books though. THey are learning so much and you can read to them at home, and they aren't going to fall behind by settling in in a term.

At our school a lot of them started on level 2 in jan/feb and some were at 5/6/7 by june. All the groundwork had been done and they were able to progress as they were enjoying it too.

CrazyTypeOfIndifference · 21/09/2014 23:12

It's not so much the delay in reading books for me. It's the inconsistent approach between nursery and reception. Delaying starting until X month, term...I get it, the teachers may have another focus. Just not starting them on books, reading regularly for 6 months then completely stopping.

CharlesRyder · 22/09/2014 06:54

Stripy you seem to thinks all the kids reading now are being forced to and hating it.

That is certainly not the case for my DS. He loves reading and is so proud of himself that he is reading by himself.

He is only just 4 and struggles more socially- he freely admits finding playtime hard and confusing! I am pleased he is able to work in his area of confidence as well as having time to adjust socially. If there was no reading and maths he would probably feel like the whole day was a struggle.

Doodledot · 22/09/2014 07:33

Charles I think that is a really good point. In our case DC was desperate to read and just got it. I am sure the novelty wears off but it's about what is right for each child

StripyBanana · 22/09/2014 08:28

He can read at home then, Charles! You don't have to wait for bookbanded books - he can read with you, read every other word/ words he knows for a Julia donaldson etc.

I think they can love something to begin with, but when something becomes a "must do" each day when they're so small it can easily become a chore a few months in, and that's a sure way to kill any love of reading when its just associated with a scheme rather than for pleasure.

Let them read while they are excited about it - and if that's every day, then that's great, but if that's every weekend that's fine too.

2cats2many · 22/09/2014 08:37

After half term is normal in our school. They have to be taught some phonics sounds before they can use them to decode books and so much of the first fewweeks are spent settling in and getting used to school routines.

CrazyTypeOfIndifference · 22/09/2014 09:30

Do some schools only teach phonics in reception? DS2 has been learning phonics right from the start of pt nursery, the day after he turned 3. I thought all schools did tbh.

StripyBanana · 22/09/2014 09:36

Not all areas have pre-schools/nurserys attached. In our area the schools don't and people have a choice of pre-schools/nurserys.

We purposely chose a pre-school that didn't focus on phonics early as I think it's better long term educationally :) They still did a lot of learning through play and it has paid off for my daughter.

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