Reading journal - losing the will...

[Ragusa]

DS is a young 5, in reception. He seems quite able to me and seems to be doing well with phonics. We have a reading journal we're sipposed to fill in and I'm going to be very honest here and say I find this pointless, joy-sucking and irritating. AIBU to just not fill it in?!We do read by the way, and do practice writing etc. Not necessarily every day as DS is sometimes too tired, but regularly.

Surely you just write "read 'Bob's Bag' at home"? How is it joy sucking?

I agree, it tedious. But.....it is a good way for you to look back and make sure progress is being made, it gives you written proof that you may have flagged certain issues that havent been addressed.

For ds1 (yr2) i write things like 'we like this book, tricky words. Needs help with 'gh' sound. Or 'far too easy, different books please'

Also, ds gets reading certifcates for doing 15, 25 and then 35 reads each term, so he likes the journal

No, we are expected to write a narrative about the DC's reading every day. But I rebel and write the same thing every day, unless there is anything actually notable to say.

I never bother writing anything in, can't imagine the teacher can be bothered reading it either! She hears DS read once a week in school and teaches him phonics so she has a good grasp of how his reading skills are.

I just scribble in it once a week. Can't be bothered with every day.

Just write a v brief comment and sign it. No big deal.

I'm a teacher. I write a couple of words if I feel like it in DD's (year 2) or just initial.
'Pleasant to listen to tonight', 'xxx lacking in stamina as she's tired after swimming', 'nice expression today'; 'needed help with 'ough';

Etc

I'm a TA in year 1. It is supposed to just be a record of what they've read, you really don't need to agonise.
"Page 6 next"
"Read 2 chapters"
"Book finished"
Mostly so that whoever reads next with your dc at school (teacher/TA/parent helper) or who has the delightful task of changing all of the reading books (usually me! ) knows where they are up to.
Not writing in it at all is pretty unhelpful though.

Ha
After 15 polite comments starting from read perfectly, then... found fairly easy to... this is too easy.....
I've been very indiscreet this week....
Dear teaching assistant
Could you please ask teacher to check DC reading level as this level is too easy. Thanks.

DC actual teacher hasn't made any comment in record book since Er..... Ever. Just initialled by TA twice a week.
For that alone I don't know why I bother.
Yr1. Have an older child. Also help with reading in school and attended their course on progressing reading.

Face palm. And pray to god next years teacher is better.

We are now reading 4-5 levels higher at home. And nobody has noticed.

I'd mention it to the teacher rather than writing endless notes.

I just tend to write things like
Book read
Read
Read well
Read with difficulty

I hate this too. In fact I didn't do it at all till I realised there was a plan to shame the kids whose books weren't filled in, and then after complaining, and getting a good response (ie plan abandoned, reading between the lines HT wasn't aware of it) I also got the school to let ds's own books count for the reading.

So now he reads stuff he enjoys every night, tells me what page he's on, I sign it. He gets points at school. We do it in the car in the morning or before we leave. He brings me the record, and I do it.

Much less fun when they are 5 and you have to do the pursuing/read ORT.

I have realised however that now his home reading is allowed to count (ie not the school book) they don't read with him at school any more, at all, ever.

I write "book read" and no more. My husband feels the need to write more but I doubt TA cares if he enjoyed it.

I just write the basics too; which book, the date and what page they read to. Takes all of about 10 seconds.

I put in own/ home/ library books too. Or books read to little brother. No infant teacher REALLY wants children to only read reading scheme books!

I hate this too. It turns reading into a chore rather than a pleasure. Ds1 (9) hates reading aloud to me and I can't bring myself to force it more than a couple of times a week. I read to him still, and he reads alone in bed every night, and I think that's fine. The incentive for him is that for every book he finishes, he writes a review for it and wins a raffle ticket, and then there is a raffle at the end of each half term with a prize. So everyone has a chance to win, but the more you read (and write!) the better chance you have. I think this is genius.

I stopped writing in my daughters book when the teacher said she never looked at it and it was for the parents benefit!

I get DS2 to write in his. He writes a sentence about what happened in whatever he read (or similar). I got fed up thinking of something to write and decided at least he could get some benefit from writing in it. He's super keen to have what he reads recorded so he can get certificates at school.

I like reading journal for memory purposes. Especially the reception one, those early years, children progress so much everyday. And also good record of the books ds read in the past.

DD is in reception, gets 3 books home a week. I just initial the diary so they know they've been read.

We neither read the school books nor signed the diary. Teachers were always fine about it.

Thanks everyone for uour feedback. Will discuss with class teacher tonight as it is parents' evening.

DD in reception. I don’t mind filling it in, but I only fill it in when she’s finished a book or before Monday/Friday, when books are changed – not every day. For school books I might write ‘read and enjoyed’ or occasionally ‘hesitated over --- (word)’ or ‘she guessed that it was the dog’ or ‘she was very worried for the little girl’ (showing comprehension: anticipation, empathy). I also record books she reads at home.

Mostly the teacher writes simple meaningless comments like ‘great reading’ or puts a sticker or stamp in the book, but on the odd occasions where I’ve written anything more lengthy or asked a question, she has responded, either in the book or had a word with me. I therefore find it a useful way to keep in touch with the teacher on her reading (she doesn’t often read to anyone at school) without having to ‘have a word’, and also think it is a useful historical record. I don’t mind it at all.

I do think it would be useful if teachers could indicate what sort of things they expect parents to write, and how frequently. It took a while for me to find a ‘sweet spot’ where I feel it is useful both to me and to the teacher.

I put ditto marks, and mentioned when ds read me one of his own books and how that went, but generally only filled it in once a week (book title per day), just so he could get stickers or whatever.

Now in Y2 I check the thing weekly just to see if there's any comment I need to see and write about as often, eg "liked book X - more similar ones please as he's never wanted to read chapter books before"