Embarrassing children who don't read at home

[Pipistrella]

I'm not sure yet as I haven't had a response from school (have only just been told and emailed to check) but according to my Y4 child, his teachers are operating a policy of reading out a list of the children who did not read four or five times at home during the week, to the whole class.

The policy is already taking place in a different class (same year) and his teacher said they will be adopting it presently as well.

I think this is wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to begin.

It humiliates the children
It is often not the children but their parents who make the difference between home reading and not
It is desperately unfair on those who are not in a position to do this

I hope he has got this wrong but in the meantime, is this something other schools do and thus I'm going to look like an idiot for mentioning it?

Oh yes and the policy is called, apparently, 'Name and Shame'. So it is designed, if this is the case, to humiliate them.

Irvine, because not every child can read independently, and not all parents can and will help. And those that can read alone might not get chance at home. Caring for siblings or parents, no electric, running a house, finding dinner, dealing with adult problems, and all kinds of more pressing concerns.

Sorry, I got it. Thank you, Lurked.

It just seems so very unlikely - I'd certainly get it clarified. I mean, who'd call a policy 'Name and Shame' even if that's what they were doing ?

Also interesting to know how they know. My 3 were all avid readers, but none were interested in writing in those stupid reading records. The more sensible, experienced teachers could tell they were big readers and didn't fuss about it, but one of mine had an NQT once who got a bit worked up about it.

BackForGood dc3 is a people pleaser and conscientiously fills in a daily reading diary and receives loads of reading certificates for filling it in.

Dc4 could not give a stuff about the reading diary and last filled in an entry under great protest sometime in September. Has therefore received no reading certificates thus academic year.

Both read every night. Dc4 actually reads aloud more fluently than dc3 despite being 2.5 years younger

Blimey. DS reads every night but I constantly forget to write in his reading diary - at the weekends I summarise what he's read that week, in one entry. So under that policy he'd be shamed for my failure to record what we do at home daily. Nice.

What's disgusting policy!

Some parents are illiterate.

Some children would benefit more from the time being spent on other things eg maths/music/sport.

I didn't read much to dc1 when he was young.

He's now an avid reading teen.

DS1 in year 4 gets yellow carded if I don't sign his reading diary every night. I tried getting him to fill it in, but that doesn't count. Makes me quite cross as he always reads to me but I don't always remember to write a comment. Why should he be penalised for my forgetfulness.

Thank you so much for all your replies. I'm sorry I haven't been back so far.

Anyway I am glad that I'm not overreacting by the sound of it. I did email the HT as soon as ds told me.

I've said that I have taken it as half of the story and that I'm very much hoping he can reassure me it isn't the case.

I wonder if ds can have misunderstood. He said his class teacher told them that it's happening in another class now, and that she is going to start doing it too.

It was calling it 'Name and shame' that got me, I think I'd have been less shocked if it wasn't given a title like that.

How on earth can a practice such as this be a good thing. My own child reads every night, if he's in bed on time, and I say he can - he reads his own books, he's reading a mixture of Harry Potter, David Walliams and various other nonsense such as Minecraft tips

He's a really good reader, I don't prioritise hearing him read because I know he can do it very well. He always does his homework and I help him with that. I will do whatever it takes so that he isn't humiliated under this new system, because he is already pretty anxious about it, but I feel very sorry for the kids who don't have that facility at home.

It's not in a child's remit to organise that. It can't be their fault if it doesn't happen, and no one signs the book.

I hardly ever write in my dcs reading records, doesn't mean they're not reading, just that their mother is a lazy slackarse.

I would definitely complain. Poor kids.

It's generally a really good school I think; there have been a couple of things I didn't agree with and they are under enormous pressure (Ofsted is imminent for starters)

I have said I'm horrified to hear about it and hope it isn't true.

I didn't go into detail about why; I'm assuming the HT can work that out for himself.

Rest assured if it is true I will complain vehemently.

Is that so? It didn't occur to me that Ofsted would disapprove - I assumed the school is doing anything it can think of to get its reading levels up because of Ofsted.

I'm encouraged if this would be looked down on.

Thanks, I'm really glad to hear that. I've asked ds again - he probably has ASD and is very long winded, over-accurate and obsessed with getting things right, so I don't doubt that he is telling me it exactly as he understood it.

It's only whether he has understood correctly iyswim

He says some of the children are nagging the teacher to do it and chanting 'name and shame!' at her, and she has so far refused to do it - it appears it was their TA that explained this new protocol to the class last week.

it just gets worse the more I find out tbh.

Wouldn't surprise me. Took my kids out of a school that started a Wall of Shame! We have a reading challenge at school - children are rewarded for 10 reads to an adult. TA/ helper/I make sure children don't lose out just because they don't get to read at home to an adult. They all read to us lots in school.

Would take the chanting with a pinch of salt, but there again I remember the Brownie leader who got the others to boo children who didn't turn up to church parade. There are some odd people around.

I agree with everyone else- the idea is disgusting. Reading at home IS really important and should be strongly encouraged- I'm all for stickers, praise, certificates for reading etc. But teachers should always understand that not all families are able to support the children, for so many different reasons.

I've been teaching for many years now and I have always been aware of the children who aren't reading at home. I make sure they read regularly to whoever is available- myself, the TA, volunteers. 'Naming and shaming' would only ever have a negative effect.

I don't think it's the children's fault really, if they have been encouraged to think about this in such a way - that's exactly why it is a poor idea.

I'm not sure what is really going on because as far as I can recall, the teacher he mentioned who is already doing this is the deputy head.

So it isn't like the HT won't be aware of it.
I'll update when I get a response.

If he stands by it then I really don't know what I will do - ds has only just got settled after changing schools a year ago. It would be awful to have to remove him again.

Oh she isn't the deputy head. Just checked the website.

So that's a small glimmer of hope then.

My dd gets 2 house points if she reads 3x per week. They aren't read out though - she just pits her book in a different box so the teacher can see. she's only managed to do this twice though as she's a strong reader I'm not pushing it

The name and shame bit is in poor taste. But I'm not sure why saying 'xxx why didn't you read last night?' would be humiliating? Ofsted actually dictate that homework should be set, and in primary, a large part of this is daily reading. By y4 children usually read alone (or certainly can), sign their own reading record and take books from school so no financial or parent involvement is needed. But I agree, the name is ridiculous. The purpose shouldn't be to humiliate, but to remind children that reading at home is important and something they need to make time to do.

slkk, it's wrong if they do it so that other children can hear. What is the point of that?

Having a word with a child in private is fine, but naming and shaming deliberately is utterly uncalled for.

By the way - I have checked already, and his reading at home by himself is not acceptable in terms of their requirements, and also he is not permitted to sign the book himself (though they were happy enough with his signature on a consent form for something else, which I'd refused to consent to - that's another thread)

He has to read TO an adult, at home, at least four times a week.

My DS class has something similar, not sure if they are reading out the ones who have not written in their reading diary or not but they definitely get told off if they haven't. It is a total chore now whereas before he read for his enjoyment, now he reads for the diary. So he will read a few pages and write in his diary. Not read a few chapters and then write in the diary. They have to do it every day! In a way it has worked as he does read everyday but still not sure about the enforcement of it

Yes it sounds a bit counterproductive, doesn't it It was bad enough when they had to do the ORT and it was SO DULL it felt interminable.

Those reading scheme books put me right off reading as a child, I'm only starting to recover now tbh. I hate the thought of that happening to other kids.

Have seen and spoken to the HT and class teacher this morning on the way in. Neither has mentioned it at all.

So I'm still waiting to find out what's going on from their POV.

Yours sound worse than ours though, my DS can choose whatever book he wants and he doesn't have to read aloud so I leave him to it tbh, he is so scared of being caught out not doing it though so he will do it!