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Original poster

Whoops - Reading reminder from teacher

28 replies

julienetmum · 09/10/2006 23:27

I havn't looked much in dd's reading record book over the last couple of weeks. I noticed that she has had approx 3 books pre week and read/discussed them in class.

At home we have been doing Jolly Phonics as and when we feel like it (she asks for her books when she wants to practice her letters/sounds) and we have a bedtime story most nights, though at weekends she is put to bed by grandparents while we are at work.

Tonight I read through what the teacher has writtne her book. Twice she has written "please sign the reading record to indicate that you have heard her read"

So I wrote a comment back. Due to a busy couple of weeks we have not read any schoolbooks at home. Couldn't really say I hate Biff and Chipper so have decided to ignore them and do our own stuff!

She is in the top reading group by the way and is only in reception.

Got parents evening next Monday

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cece · 09/10/2006 23:29

How old is she?

Original poster
julienetmum · 09/10/2006 23:34

She was 5 last Thursday. It is one of the reasons we havn't read much. Birthday celebrations, doing after school stuff, plus 2 days a week she goes to care club and isn't home til 6pm-6.30pm

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cece · 09/10/2006 23:36

Teacher is jsut doing her job, just explain what you are doing at home. She doesn't know so is probably assuming you are not doing any reading with dd.

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julienetmum · 09/10/2006 23:40

Her teacher is absolutely lovely it does have to be said.

I guess it is one of the downfalls of being a working parent. Sil is a bit more pushy and sends her dd round to her mother on a Saturday (my mil) with all her dd's homework and instructions on how to do it.

Both my mil and mother who help look after dd whilst I work do lots of stuff with her, reading, sotries etc but it just doesn't get written down.

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Loshad · 10/10/2006 09:28

julienetmum , you really need to work with the school on this - if your DD start realising that the work sent home by the teahcers is optional, and mum will just do something else with her then imo you will be storing up trouble for later years. If she is good at reading then how long does it take to read a few pages - 2 minutes, 3 minutes hardly any more than that. you can continue doing jolly phonics as well if you wish but personally I would really recommend doing the work that is sent home, then your children know from the start that school and parents are on tune together. you could even read in the monrings if you really can't find 3 minutes at nighttime. and remind your parents/mil to make to a note in the book, or if you know they have read with her then make the note for them.

Bozza · 10/10/2006 09:47

TBH I don't really understand why you are choosing not to do the school reading books with her. I work (albeit only 3 days a week) but DS still reads his book to either me or DH every night - even those when none of us are home until 6. Yes do your own thing - DS also has a bedtime story every night- but read the school book or at least a couple of pages of it as well.

foxinsocks · 10/10/2006 09:53

mmm so you send her to school and then choose to 'ignore' the school books and do your own stuff??!!

honestly, if you carry on with that sort of policy, you'll confuse the poor child. It's also a mixed message to her if she's reading these books at school and then you're telling her not to bother.

As bozza says, it only takes a few minutes - especially if she's a good reader.

joelallie · 10/10/2006 11:07

Talk to her teacher. She needs to do whatever it is that you are doing. No reason why you can't abandon biff and chip and do your own thing - she is your child after all - but you need to let the teacher now that. I've done that with DS#1 since he was in Yr1 - he was a slow reader but got so bored by the easier school books that we started reading more interesting challenging books together.

Original poster
julienetmum · 10/10/2006 14:22

The reason she is such a good reader is Jolly Phonics which is an excellent reading method. Bif and Chip is allowing her to learn words by memory. She reads the story once at school, then memorises the whole thing (I have commented as much in her reading record)

I chose the school for many reasons (no SATS & placing importance on non academic subjects too being the main ones) and thought I can live with them doing ORT to a point whilst I teach her how to decode words in order to gain these other things.

This started off as a lighthearted bad mummy thread, I didn;t really want an indepth discussion of what I should be doing, I am happywoth my approach. Other parents have said they don't believe in homework for reception children at all and I respect that opinion too.

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julienetmum · 10/10/2006 14:24

And for her birthday she got the whole set of JP readers for us to work through.

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Bozza · 10/10/2006 16:24

sounds simply like a word with her teacher about what she prefers doing is in order. Maybe at parents evening.

And sorry we all got the wrong end of the stick.

Gobbledispook · 10/10/2006 16:28

julienetmum - so are school not doing JP but you are doing it at home? Just wondering. I don't know really how you help them to read unless they learn the 'sounds' and learn how to 'decode', along with using the other cues of course.

Gobbledispook · 10/10/2006 16:29

So therefore I think doing JP at home is great.

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julienetmum · 10/10/2006 16:40

Yes thats pretty much it gdspook

Oddly enough the nursery attached to the school started JP last year after a visit from a literacy person so in effect I carried on from what they were doing.

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cece · 10/10/2006 16:41

They must be doing phonics scheme though. Might be worth asking which one at parents evening.

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julienetmum · 10/10/2006 16:43

Yes thats pretty much it gdspook

Oddly enough the nursery attached to the school started JP last year after a visit from a literacy person so in effect I carried on from what they were doing.

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LunarSea · 10/10/2006 18:55

Oops - got told off by ds's teacher today. They've switched (without telling us) from changing books twice a week to every day, and guess who hadn't done the new book on the first day, thinking we'd got three nights to do it in

robinpud · 10/10/2006 19:23

julienetmum- you may not particularly like the Biff and Chip books but your daughter may. For what it's worth, whilst the initial books obviously allow the child to memorise, the later books don't and encourage the use of a range of strategies including phonics.
By all means stick to your approach but some other have pointed out some potential pitfalls.
You sound fortunate in having a committed and caring teacher who deserves your support.

pointyfangedWeredog · 10/10/2006 19:52

Nearly all kids memorise their earliest reading books without anyone pushing them in to it. This happens even when there is a strong emphasis on JP.

AH, just as robinpud's said.

LIZS · 10/10/2006 19:55

Whilst I understand what you're doing at home, it may be that they are using the ORT books for whole class work (there are associated extension activities and workbooks) and your dd may be missing out a bit by not doing the reinforcement at home.

willowcatkin · 10/10/2006 22:01

FWIW I think you are doing exactly the right thing in doing JP. I would try and read the ORT stuff with her but make a detailed note in the reading record of what you are doing and how it is affected by the books she gets.

For my ds who has just started in Reception I make copious notes when he has a book that says eg 'here is the diver' when they have not taught the 'magic e' and say that I explained it to him, but he has not really understood the concept as his other sounds are not fully embedded yet. I also keep asking for fully decodable books (I know they have them) but so far to no avail - they want to focus on the keywords .

I still work on the JP stuff at home - have you seen the Jelly & Bean series which my babes love.

Original poster
julienetmum · 10/10/2006 22:32

Thanks willow, I have been doing exactly that, can't remember the example as her bookbag is in her bedroom but I explained the only word she got stuck on was because she hadn't learnt a certain rule yet.

And the poor child is only in reception. Reading is such a small part of what she should be learning and to some extent I am guided by her

eg last night she wanted to go to the park, whilst there we collected leaves for her to take into school to put on the nature table. She told me all about them changing colours and the weather in autumn.

She asked me what the rest of her address was, (already knew no and street. Today she got a sticker for knowing her full address.

Today they went sketching in the school grounds, she now wants to do some more sketching of trees and other stuff.

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julienetmum · 10/10/2006 22:33

And please DON'T mention the phrase Whoops a Daisy Angel!!!

I have a feeling I will know that song backwards by Christmas.

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willowcatkin · 10/10/2006 22:42

Sounds like she is having a ball, and you are abolutley right to expand into other things - autumn is a wonderful time for children.

Not heard of the phrase you mentioned but can sympathise. My two (dd is Yr 1) have Harvest Festival on friday and ds says a small sentence - which he is repeating (loudly) every 5 mins to practise!!!

And I knew all the songs in the Christmas play last year, so no doubt will know them even better this year with 2 of them in it

Original poster
julienetmum · 10/10/2006 22:52

Whoops a Daisy Angel is the title of the nativity and the main song from the show.

Dd told me she wants to play Whoops a Daisy herself. I did explain the part will probably go to a year 2 child.

I reckon I might order the music and CD, I can get it from our suppliers, she will enjoy that.

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