Reading records in Year 5/6

[AugustRose]

I'm just curious to know if your schools still using reading records for the older children or more able children.

DD2 (10) hasn't really used hers since Yr4 as she is a very able reader, doesn't read to me (although we do talk about the books she has read) and her Headteacher knew she read a lot of books at home so she wasn't bothered about it. They do guided reading at school which is recorded by the teacher.

We got a new Head last year and he was surprised that some of the older children didn't use their records and wanted them to but didn't really force it.

This year he is insisting that they use them. DD and others in her group are advanced readers and I don't understand the need for them. I know reading records are helpful for younger and reluctant readers.

Do your children still use them? I know it's a minor issue but it is one of a few and maybe I'm just nit picking.

Our school seems to be with ds1 though they didn't a couple of years ago with dd.

DD's year 6 teacher was a stickler for having them filled in, despite the rest of Y6 not requiring them.

I just let her make something up fill it in on Friday and then sign it.

DD has just finished Yr6 and they all had reading records.

They were expected to write down the book title and which pages they'd read.

Yep . school yr 3-6 have to be filled in at least 3 x a week or kept in at lunch, 5 x a week to get end of term treat and 7 x for a housepoint.

The kids can fill in whatever they're reading at home but it needs a parent to sign.

My ds's school does. But school isn't fussy about what they read, as long as they read everyday. So, ds just writes down the title of the book and how many pages he read, writes some comments if he feels like it. And I just tick the parent check box.
From what I've seen, teacher ticks teacher box once every week, and SLT checks and comments once every term in KS2.
My ds is a advanced reader, but I still listen to him read daily, and school insists we should.

I dont listen to my yr4 daily. She reads to herself a lot and has done for a few years. I try to occasionally though!

(Oh and yes still used for advanced readers in our case. )

Our school still checks them, and they still read in class.
I think it's important to hear them read aloud, so you can pick-up on spurious pronunciation. DH still points out words I say, having only read them, and am pronouncing them incorrectly.
DS has come out with some corkers.

He said in all other schools he had taught at they used reading records until year 6 and your replies seem to reflect that.

DD doesn't like reading to me any more because she said it 'spoils the flow of her book' ! She's like me and likes to snuggle up and read for hours undisturbed - not that I get to read that way any more

Pizza DD said he mentioned a reward system for those filling in their records, although I'm not sure what the rewards will be.

My ds picks books( or sometimes I suggest) specially for homework reading. So it's different books from his reading books for pleasure.
Sometimes he choose to read not from the book, but from online articles or magazines. Basically I don't disagree to what he reads to me as long as he does, but it was very weird when he chose to read me a coding book or first aid manuals.

My daughter is similar to yours August and squirrels away to read. It's a fact but we just record roughly what she's reading (ch 1-3 of x) but as long as somethings down in not too fussed if it's vague!

The treat is usually a movie either for those that are consistently reading or the readers get popcorn etc.

I can kind of see they want to motivate the students but it is a faff. I think it's quite common now though.

Our school expects the reading record book filled in every week day and it is checked at the end of the week - read every day and you get a merit. Mine are both avid readers but I think this has helped build that habit, even only one or two pages a day helps. They also don't really like reading to me as it spoils the flow but they do like being read to occasionally.

Both hate the guided reading in class again because I don't think it flows well and can take a whole term to read a book.

That made me laugh irvine. She does read me jokes and questions from a quiz book, maybe I should record those?

DD hasn't filled hers in since around Y4, but she tends to.go through 5 library books a week, so I'm not really that fussed.

Ds1 spent year 5 in an argument with teacher. He refused to read school reading scheme book. I didn't make him. ('Stop reading and come and do your reading' seemed pointless to me) eventually they let him go to free reading, reluctantly. Every parents evening/ report I was told that he needs to stop reading under the desk in school!
Same teacher in yr 6. He read books from school library beneath his ability for school. And continued to read at home. (Hunger games in a day, Lord of the rings in a week etc.)

Ds2 in year 5 (different teacher, conscientious child) has been insistent that he must do 3 signed reads a week, but they don't make him read reading scheme books. And this has continued to year 6 (DS1'S old teacher). However, he is not so good a reader so I am happy to hear him

Yes, my ds has read me joke books too, and he recorded in his reading records, and made a comment. And the teacher actually responded!

my youngest said reading records suck all the joy out of reading. I take very little notice of them, sign it once a week (instead of every day) and tell them to write anything just to fill it in so they don't get told off at school. pointless by their age in my opinion

I have dcs aged 9, 12 and 14, and they went through same primary.
how the reading records are used seem to be the domain of the teacher, but the older two both had teachers in year 6 who insisted on reading record signed every day and times tables practice done every day. They had to stay in a break if not. Ds knew his tables inside out and back to front by end of year 4 and was veyr frustrated at haveing to have it signed each day.
They allowed kids to fill it all in, but needed paretn signature.

dd has just started year 5, last year her teacher was veyr strict about it, agian, no signature, stay in and read. I found it frustrating as dd was reading high level books and reading lots, but she would read a lot on say Monday, and then nothing on Tuesday due to brownies and late bed. In the end I just signed it off every morning with the title of the current book she is reading, and no page numbers. Over the week she had read a whole book, so I averaged it
Thye have never had to read aloud though since they were free readers, they just read in bed at night.

We get a prize for every 30 reads, and dd does count down to the prize - mostly pencil type prizes

I was more frustrated over the times tables. They had to learn them by writing them down. In vain I tried to suggest we would do them orally and I would sign off, no, they wanted proof.

really no need for them to read aloud to you, it is a record of reading, not reading aloud.

steppe, I think either reading aloud or just general reading depend on school. My ds's school clearly states "children are expected to read to parents at least 5 times a week." and sign when they did. There's no punishment or prize though.

DD's teacher hasn't stressed reading aloud so at least that's something, he just wants something written in the record.

When children read for pleasure independently I don't understand the logic of the reading records and the Head (also her class teacher) couldn't give me one, just that he wants them to do it. It makes it sound more like a tick box exercise to prove that they are encouraging reading in and out of school.

Yes, I did think that it maybe for ofsted, but there aren't any implication for not using reading records at my ds's school(one of his friends mum told me she never does.) , so I'm not sure. They keep repeating same thing every year, so they must believe there's some benefit in them.
As for us, it just became a routine since reception, so no big deal.

I know is dds class last year (year 4) there were a numbe rof children who never read and whose reading was below where they coudl be. These children have never read regularly at home since reception and none of the previous teachers had found a way of getting them to read at home. (I have helped out in class since reception)

By making EVERYONE read or stay in at playtime, she made sure every child had at least 10 -20 minutes reading practice every songle day. Now I stopped helping in class last year, so I don't know if this strategy helped those kids or not. They weren't always the worst readers, some were bright kids who never read, but I think the idea was that every should make progress. It is impossible to say Oh kid y always reads at home so he doesn't have to stay in.

But I just played the system and signed it regardless.

But by making children stay in to read at playtime it is making it a punishment for everyone rather than teaching them that reading can be enjoyable. You can't force children to read and if they are missing playtime I think it would make them grumpy more than encouraging them to read at home. And to be honest I wouldn't want to read some of the school books either, they are very boring. Ours is a small school and some of the books are very old but they can't afford to buy new ones regularly.

I think DD's class has some reading time at the end of the day (maybe not every day) where they can bring in a book from home or one from school.