How often does your Childs teacher write in their reading record/home-school contact book?

[elphiethegreat]

Very rarely in our case! The entire term, since starting back in January, my DDs teacher has written one comment in her reading record! She's in reception.

I write in it every evening after reading with her, often commenting on any issues we may be having with particular sounds or words but never recieve a response. I wrote last week on a feedback sheet for the school that I felt communication was lacking and she wrote me a comment back in the book saying she's 'sorry I feel that way and she will endeavour to write more often'.

She also said she does read with my dd regularly. But I'm doubtful because why wouldn't she write a comment in her reading record? I thought that was the whole point of them. I have asked dd on many occasions and she says she hasn't read at school. She only said yes last week, the day the comment appeared in her book! Which makes me think it is not that regularly.

Is this normal? I'm thinking it isn't, but dd is my first child at school so I dont really know.

Ds got one teacher comment and another comment on reading in Reception. Sometimes these were stickers explaining what to work on.
Now it's usually one reading comment a week from someone, a sticker about next steps every few weeks, but the books are checked daily by the TA so 'had nosebleed, May have another, don't panic' or 'taking Johnny home with us' gets a 'thanks for letting us know' and reading comments get a tick and house point. Actually maybe some "thanks for letting us know" stickers would be appreciated?

About once a halfterm there's been an essay and request for meeting from the teacher, and some replies from me.

TA has trained the kids to come in in the morning and put diaries on her pile, to speed up the process. :)

Redsky - because school are asking us to practice this particular skill every day at home. If they were sending home maths homework every day we would see what skills they were working on there too.

By the time I got to DC4 I actually looked in the reading record & even wrote things occasionally. With Dc1-3, however, I never looked at all.

Wineandchocolatey they shouldn't be teaching children to read words as wholes!

I certainly don't expect (or want) parents to write a comment every single day.

In reception . Every week in reading journal and homework book.

Every time he reads one of his reading books to an adult (usually once a week to teacher or the TA) it is recorded. Theyve stopped recording what sounds were taught in letters and sounds this week which annoys me a little but no big deal
I try to remember to comment on his reading every night, but have slipped recently. I also use it to ask any questions about reading or writing or write a general comment about the weeks reading so they dont have to read all my comments

Probably because they've stopped teaching new sounds. Possibke to cover all 44 in 9 weeks.

mrz - didn't explain very well. When I said word recognition, I meant that they could sound it out, and when they had learnt it they would be able to recognise it in their reading book without having to sound out. High frequency and tricky only.

I'm a teacher & we ask our volunteers to write in the children's reading records but only a record of what page they are now on. Each child does guided reading as a group & reading comprehension as a group with either the TA or teacher. We both always make a note of this in the reading record but simply 'reading comprehension with Mrs R. We make detailed notes for our own records. Individual reading withng the teacher is done at least every half term & if there are specific concerns or areas to work on we speak to the parents. As a parent of teenage children, when they were small I wanted to know that my child had read with a teacher be it as a group or individually, so I assume my parents feel the same.

Y1 DD - comment weekly when she does guided reading, whenever she reads 1:1 which is usually 1-2x per week. Comment on her weekly spelling test from TA. Weekly general comment from the teacher. Usually a response to any note I may write which I try not to abuse - maybe 2 to 3 times a term max.

But her teacher is what I would call gold standard!