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Primary education

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Reading to teacher in Y1

71 replies

JustFuckingReally · 11/03/2017 15:19

Please can I ask you all how often your Y1 child reads to their teacher and for how long / how many pages each time.

I'm particularly interested in the difference between state and independent.

OP posts:
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JustFuckingReally · 11/03/2017 21:56

RainbowChasing Fuck load of assumptions there regarding parenting responsibilities!! I'm not even going to justify myself to you by explaining the time we invest in our child Hmm

OP posts:
ihearttc · 11/03/2017 22:41

Im a TA in a primary school with a high percentage of EAL and SEN children. There are 28 in the class. All are heard read at least twice a week-Once in guided reading and once by me or the class teacher. We also have a group of 6 children who we hear every day. This is done first thing in the morning or just as others are going to lunch.

JustFuckingReally · 11/03/2017 23:37

Thank you iheart, how much would they read on average during a one to one session?

OP posts:
libertydoddle · 11/03/2017 23:50

State primary here. Guided read once a week, class teacher for individual reading about once every 4 weeks. Parent volunteers as and when available. We listen to her read every day, often both morning and evening. I'm very happy with her progress. I think the school's job is to teach and the daily listening is the parents job. I'd much prefer the trained highly skilled teacher was doing what she does best and not wasting up to 7+ teaching hours listening to reading (30 in class, most have English as second language, lots of SEN)

MooMooTheFirst · 12/03/2017 00:38

We have our pupils read at least three times a week, with either the ta or the teacher. We are a state infants school... we have a 'home' book and a 'school' book and we record all sessions (for want of a better word - they are only a few minutes per child) in their reading records.

CountingToThree · 12/03/2017 00:54

My son reads his school book (biff & chip) to me most nights. When I feel he is finding it easy to read, I write a note in his school diary to say that his reading and comprehension is good. His class teacher then listens to him read, and so far, has then put him up a level.

He may (and probably had) been listened to in between but may not be as confident in a classroom setting and it is my role as a parent to listen to him as well and to feedback. Much easier for me to listen for 15 mins every day and flag up progress then for a teacher or Ta.

Jellybellyqueen · 12/03/2017 01:08

OP, is he struggling? Or do you think he doesn't have enough time with the teacher because he needs moving up a level?

JustFuckingReally · 12/03/2017 04:24

Jelly, far from it, I just don't think he has enough time reading at school. He ability is higher that the books they provide and we've had more than one discussion about it.

My curiosity was to how the amount they did compared with other schools.

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shouldwestayorshouldwego · 12/03/2017 05:48

In my experience it varied by child. Dd1 absolutely refused to read at home so was listened to at school 3-4 times a week during the months of strike. School were very supportive. She finally gave in and became fluent soon after.

Dd2 struggled with reading and I think she would have benefited from more time at school as well as at home, she had 1-2 times a week often in guided reading.

Ds was listened to very rarely. I made it clear early on that l did not expect him to be a priority in class he read and could understand Harry Potter and The Hobbit in reception. I saw no reason for him to have extra time reading when children like my dds were struggling. It was in his interests too that the rest of the class caught up with him. He will happily read for ages by himself at home and reads to us every night. We are able to discuss the pronounciation and meaning of words and google any we can't explain just as well as a TA or teacher.

In terms of reading material I have been somewhat rebellious. I have found that once they reach a certain level they are much happier following their own interests than reading 40 year old school books. Nowt wrong with classics, but we have probably all encountered the sort of books I mean. Once they can read fairly fluently (old ORT levels 11/12) then many books are available to them. I have been fairly open in my refusal I have made it clear that I don't mind what they read in school (within reason) because I understand that in guided reading they need to read as a group, at home though they won't waste time read books which don't interest them so we will provide our own. If they wish us to then we will write down what we have read together in a reading record. To the children I have just said that we don't need the boring and sometimes inappropriate school books because we have lots of our own and would just lose them they all know my mad library book dance .

I should say that the only one who enjoyed the repetitive chapter books was dd1 and with her we would give anything (even Rainbow fairies) to her if we knew she would read it. For the others reading books have varied between atlases, encyclopedias, star wars 'information' books, Harry Potter, Narnia books, David Walliams, Enid Blyton, etc. Basically anything that they find interesting but which challenges their reading ability sufficiently.

If your son is fairly happy and confident reading then you will probably do a better job (as long as it isn't an area which you struggle with yourself) than a hassled TA grabbing 10 minutes whilst the class rage around them. I would just refuse to have school books if they still send them home then just write 'Harry decided to read war and peace instead of Biff and Chip find another magic key tonight, he read 15 pages and we had a good discussion about the term vexatious'. Substitute as appropriate. Have confidence in your ability to know your son and to support his reading adventure. He probably won't thank you if you try to get his teachers to make him read the same boring books even more often at school. Especially if there is no new vocabulary. Sometimes they will take in a book from home and the teacher might listen to them read that.

MrsDrSpencerReid · 12/03/2017 06:20

My DS was in year one last year. He read to the teacher 5 times a week during literacy groups. The class was broken into 5 groups based on reading level, and the groups rotated around 5 literacy activities over 1 hour. One of the activities was reading to the teacher. Each child in the group would have the same book and would take it in turns reading out loud, they'd have to follow along in their head until it was their turn.

They also read to a parent helper every afternoon. The teacher encouraged parents to come in 20 mins before the home bell, and the kids would read their home reading book to a parent. There were usually enough parents in that each child got to read.

Everyone's reading improved so much Smile

This year in Year 2 he still reads to the teacher once a day during literacy groups and they do 10 minutes silent reading every day after lunch, to get them all calmed down after playground shenanigans Grin They also have one parent helper on a Monday and Thursday afternoon who will read with the kids who are struggling.

We're at an Australian public school Smile

user789653241 · 12/03/2017 07:13

Why do you think fluent reader reading chapter books and reads regularly at home needs to read to teacher at least 15 minutes each week? Is it necessary? I would rather teacher spent time doing something more advanced, than checking the child can read fluently.

mrz · 12/03/2017 07:17

What books is he reading in school OP?

kesstrel · 12/03/2017 08:29

The teacher encouraged parents to come in 20 mins before the home bell, and the kids would read their home reading book to a parent. There were usually enough parents in that each child got to read.

That sounds like a really good idea. Perhaps it should be more widespread?

mrz · 12/03/2017 08:43

That's a time I use for teaching.

bigkidsdidit · 12/03/2017 08:48

Four times a week in a group with the teacher , once a week one to one with a TA

State primary (Scotland)

user789653241 · 12/03/2017 08:52

Our school does it sometimes.(not a regular thing.)
But only few parents turn up. Most of them to do with work, some I think just won't, and those parents are the parents of children who are failing. Also it's not managed well. Children who's parents turn up read with parents. Others read with ta as a big group.Teachers aren't there.
So it's just creating divide between children who's parents turn up/ doesn't.

JustFuckingReally · 12/03/2017 09:20

shouldwestayorshouldwego THANK YOU, you have put a completely different slant on this and had his teacher come to me with this explanation (and others) I'm sure there wouldn't be the feelings there were. I'm not in the slightest worried about his ability (he reads all sorts at home) but more the teachers grasp on where he's at. I will admit I have been a bit of a dog with a bone with this but I'm certainly going to come at it from a different angle now Smile

mrz currently treetop all stars, white band

OP posts:
mrz · 12/03/2017 09:30

I'd probably hear 5 or 6 pages a day in class at that level

Mumtobe12 · 12/03/2017 09:36

I currently teach a yr1/r class and we aim to hear each child read 5 mins every other day (me or ta) but this is a small class of 16. When I have taught a class of 30 or more I would hear them read once a week and those that we know don't read at home we would read to at least once more.

I would love to hear children read more but there isn't the time reading is not the only thing we teach you wouldn't want us to produce fantastic readers but children unable to add? 15 mins per child unfortunately is not achievable.

user789653241 · 12/03/2017 09:52

If you think white is too low for your dc to read at school, I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think there's much difference in difficulty after that sort of level. It's more length and more difficult inference etc needed.
So as long as he reads what he likes and enjoys it at home, he will keep progressing.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 12/03/2017 12:05

Our school is another who invites parents to come in and read with their children. But ours is fifteen minutes three days a week if you want to but before school.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 12/03/2017 12:06

That is for reception and year one.

Boiled7Up · 12/03/2017 16:19

Inviting parents in can be really problematic if you aren't in a lovely big building.

30 kids plus 30 parents (unlikely in my area tbh but the general point stands) plus younger siblings that will be dragged along = far too many people in the one room.

goingmadinthecountry · 12/03/2017 19:25

I teach Y3/4.Many of the Y3s were very weak readers when I inherited them in September - everyone reads to an adult in class at least twice a week, at least once with me. Often the target is not fluency for more able children so it's not time wasted. They also do paired reading. Those who need it read x4 with an adult (working on specific targets). Reading is such a key part of everything you need to do at school that it's certainly worth it. The improvement has been amazing, and at last I teach children who can read my feedback, read instructions and questions.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 12/03/2017 19:43

In our school I don't think many people take up the offer. I don't with DS but I think that is because he wants to run around before school and we read every night anyhow and is already ahead of the class.

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