Reception reading silliness

[kippersyllabub]

Dd can read her school books pretty accurately: perhaps needing help or making a mistake on one word per book, or doing the whole lot without making a mistake.

For the past few books, she has refused to read the books properly and inserted silly words in the sentence. She's reading everything on the page but saying fart, poo, bum, toilet etc as well. (Think "the magic poo key began to fart glow") My approach so far has been to say "no extra words, please, just what's on the page", but this hasn't stopped her. I'm sure I can up the ante and give her more of a telling off but I don't like making mountains out of molehills.

Should I ask for her to be moved to some more challenging books or will her teacher think I'm batshit crazy? Should I simply wait for this to pass? I think her comprehension must be pretty good as she tends to insert the inappropriate words in appropriate places.

I just think it's bad idea that parents tell the children some books are too boring so you don't need to read it. If you really think that's the case, you should really need to sort it out with school. Otherwise I think you are teaching children to disregard school work. In later years, they might need to read boring books if they like it or not.
We actually had loads of fun reading those early short books. There's so much to talk about than just boring story line.

mrz the books are mainly Ginn 360 with the odd biff and chip if we're lucky and some late 1970s / early 1980s if we're not.

The Ginn books make me want to weep: each level has the same set of words in each story: just in a different order. I can't see the point in sending new readers home with these to practise their whole-word recognition skills when they do phonics in class. There seem to be a million in every level, too. I have a loathing for Liz and Digger. I think dd may be fed up too.

My DD does this too when bored. The school only give them one book per week. She will read it 2 nights then make it up from memory as she has lost all interest.

She also has a book of common words from the school and I use them to make silly sentences, then she finds words to make her own.

My DS2 does this occasionally too, he's 4 and in reception. He inserts his brother's name instead of Biff/Chip/Kipper and then giggles at it as it makes the story more fun for him. I know that he's capable of reading whichever name he decides to substitute; and it makes him read with enjoyment, he understands the story etc, I don't have a problem with it! It's not a 'reading error', it's him being a bit silly and livening up a story he might otherwise not want to read.
I did notice he only does it with the books he perceives as 'easy', not the harder ones where he actually has to concentrate/ focus to decode the words. So it might be to do with the level. But tbh I'm not that bothered; important to me is that he learns to read; and that he develops a love/passion for books and finds enjoyment in them.

Would totally ignoring it work? And by totally ignoring I mean don't mention it at all. If she doesn't have an audience that gives any reaction then it might stop being funny.

Failing that, something maizie suggested on an earlier thread might work. Could you turn it into a competition. You get a point for every sentence read incorrectly, she gets one for every sentence read correctly. Might backfire if she's keeping score though and thinks she's far enough ahead she can chuck a few in.

If Biff and Chip are the highlights of the selection then you really need to get some books from elsewhere. I won't let my DD pick them as they are tedious - repetitive and without challenge compared to the others that the school have put in the same band. And I'm not the only parent to take that stance.

I think it may well be a fair protest given how dull the books are.

Hmm, my 8 year old does that. Although the books aren't boring and she is a very good reader. With a few behavioral issues!

If you know she can actually read the word I wouldn't worry

So school are sending home ancient Look and Say reading scheme books. Books that were written with lots of repitition and requires the child to learn whole words and fill in the gaps 😱 The curriculum says children should be reading decodable books that match their current phonic knowledge!

Do they send home tricky words to learn by sight too?

While she's still doing it I'd stop her after every sentence she's inserted a word into, don't mention the word but in a very emotionally dull tone just say 'not quite try again' you'll then get 'the magic poo wee key' and just repeat 'try again' and keep making her read the same sentence without any reaction from you apart from 'try again' until she reads it correctly the do a 'well done' but not too over the top well done.

I'm interested in asking about this approach kittyandteal because it sounds to me like this would really be a way to put a child off reading? However you state you are a teacher so you have a lot more knowledge in this area than I do! Is there a harm in a child adding in extra words and a parent just ignoring it, if they clearly can read and comprehend?

Do they send home tricky words to learn by sight too?

Do tell me about this as a friend's DS is in Reception (August birthday, oldest of our crowd of August through March babies, so our Jan DS is not at school yet) and was saying they did this and I thought "well that doesn't sound like phonics as MN phonics experts describe it".

IME a lot if not most schools are still sending home lists of words that can't be sounded out.

Suggesting that you teach reception children the tricky part and how to sound them out is met with horror.

I shall bring the lists on here then if we get them (it will be a different school). I'm pretty happy with the idea of tricky parts/sounding the rest out (have just looked at the Alphablocks website).

Yes, the school have the words for Ginn level 1 on cards, and the children have to learn them by sight before they're allowed to take home a reading book.

Fortunately, I'm now on dc3 with this method of teaching so I simply plough on with the phonics and sounding out at home until they get past this stage. Most of the level 1 words can be sounded out easily: can, I, help, we, hide, yes, no, on, is, it,...

It really is outrageous that so many schools insist on continuing to use these kind of methods. Evidence has consistently shown that a phonics approach is superior. It's just so unprofessional.

I'm not sure it's unprofessional. I think it's a lack of good training.

And letters and sounds seems to have fixed the idea that you teach one spelling per sound on reception and alternatives in year 1 and that can't be deviated from. I think most of the teachers sending listshome would say they are teaching phonics.

It's not so much individual teachers as school headteachers I am thinking of. They are responsible for ensuring that the best methods are used in their schools. Doctors are expected to keep up with current best practice, and in my opinion headteachers ought to do so as well.

That too. And there probably are a section of teachers who would dismiss the evidence on the basis that 'all children are different'.

The Rose review promised so much. It's quite frustrating that 10 years on we don't seem to have moved forwards all that much. At least the amount of phonics that is being taught in most classrooms has probably increased which will have benefited some children.

We subscribe to the reading chest to get more interesting non fiction books for ds.

I will admit I did lol at the OP. I would tell my DC that I'm going to write what they said in the reading record to stop them doing it.

Of course first reading books are boring! DD thought they only got interesting when they had some kind of story. DS is completely turned off by them.