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Original poster

How many Biff, Chip and Kipper books with no words are there?

19 replies

TheSkiingGardener · 22/10/2014 05:55

Because we are on book number 4 with no words and I'm losing the will to live. He's even read the books already with the teacher/TA so just tells me the story.

Please tell me they are going to run out soon.

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louisejxxx · 22/10/2014 07:19

I think there are Wordless Stories A and B, both with 6 books in (according to the back of the book). We are also currently on our 4th but thankfully with the last 2 we've had the very first couple with words in.

louisejxxx · 22/10/2014 07:20

Hit sent to quick: we've had the very first couple with words in as well as the wordless ones.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 22/10/2014 09:34

perhaps they are just doing them with everyone until half term, then after half term will start to move them on? hopefully for your sake...

starlight1234 · 22/10/2014 09:36

The books with no words are for understanding the story. they are designed to help with comprehension of the story rather than just learning to decode the words if that makes sense

mrz · 22/10/2014 18:09

Far too many ??

nancy75 · 22/10/2014 18:11

The books with words are just as dire...wait until you get to the magic key :)

Original poster
TheSkiingGardener · 22/10/2014 18:47

I understand the reason for the books with no words, although has been telling me book stories for a year or two now. I was prepared for one, maybe even 2 but 4!!!!!

Then we have the worksheets. Gahhhhh

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Original poster
TheSkiingGardener · 22/10/2014 18:48

I was looking forward to the Magic Key. I understand they actually have a narrative!

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BramwellBrown · 23/10/2014 09:25

Lots, on the plus side the stories he makes up round the pictures are almost certainly more exciting than the next ones, the Magic Key is slightly better but you have the Read with Biff, Chip & Kipper books first which are terrible 'there was some mud. floppy jumped in. floppy got muddy. Oh no, Floppy.'

mrz · 23/10/2014 17:17

I'm a teacher and literacy coordinator and would be interested in what people believe is the purpose of these books (beyond making more money for the publishers)

MizLizLemon · 23/10/2014 17:22

My DD loves the magic key books! Fortunately she reads them to herself and we do reading practice with something more interesting. We only ever had one of the wordless books, if I recall it was about a hedgehog. It mystified DD because she couldn't work out why there weren't any words.

Original poster
TheSkiingGardener · 23/10/2014 20:54

That's the thing, I thought we'd get one. But we're on number 4! Oh well. Maybe we'll get some words after half term.

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tobysmum77 · 23/10/2014 21:29

having just ploughed through a stage 6 'magic key' with 4 lines of writing over each of 24 pages you can have some of our words.

I remember a wordless book in reception about rabbits shagging having babies. Now that was truly Shock

LittleMissGreen · 23/10/2014 22:41

Mrz good question! Because making up a story is different to reading a story, so it isn't really a precursor to reading. It could be said it is good for children who haven't been read to at home. But if they have never been read to I don't think suddenly asking them to tell a story from pictures is a great introduction to books. A child who has been read to will expect words on the page whether they can read them or not. They could as easily tell a story from pictures if there were words on there. My real feeling is that they are an inherited throwback from look and say that if you taught a child to read the pictures before you showed them words, then they would continue to read the picture when there were words and it would look like they were reading those lovely decodable words that ORT throw in like circus or gymnastics.
So glad that out of 3 children only 1 has once come home with a no picture book.

mrz · 24/10/2014 17:12

It doesn't explain why you need wordless ORT books rather than high quality picture books which provide the same if not better opportunities to make up stories, develop language and explore books.

CindyLou · 24/10/2014 17:22

As a parent, I used to love these books - they were ingenious - try to see them though a child's eyes rather than an adult, but if you can't see the humour in them, forget it, you just won't get it, just trust the school to do their job.
DS got through them rapidly, and the school refused to allow more than one a week, so we supplemented with other books - why not do that?

Original poster
TheSkiingGardener · 24/10/2014 18:24

We do have other books at home from other learn to read systems. And DS does find the books funny. I just want to actually, y'know, help him learn to read and was excited about him doing so through school books.

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3pigsinblanketsandasausagerole · 24/10/2014 18:27

We are now on stage age with year 1 ds 2

Sooooo many words

32 pages to read in two nights with a good few sentences on each

I miss the no word days

3pigsinblanketsandasausagerole · 24/10/2014 18:28

Stage eight not stage age

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