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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Reception school books?

29 replies

Littlemisssun · 19/06/2019 16:27

I am concerned about my dd in her reception class, she started last September and has never had a reading book?! Is this normal for some children? I've approached her teacher about it twice as other children in her class have had multiple books each week and I get the response that her group arent doing that yet. I dont really know what else to do. She says shes in green group (I dont even know what that means) she has ones in her reading group that cant speak English and with learning difficulties yet my dd doesn't and she reads biff and chip level 4 at home with no problems (which I bought her so she is reading something). Has anybody not had a reading book in reception? I dont know weather to have a word with the headteacher.

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ArnoldBee · 19/06/2019 16:29

Has she read at school? May be they think she can't read?

Original poster

Littlemisssun · 19/06/2019 16:37

She tells me she reads at school everyday. She use to come home with stickers everyday from reading too but that stopped after Easter.

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StBernard · 19/06/2019 16:41

I think I would be asking for a meeting with the class teacher to see if where she is with her learning and if there are any concerns. My ds is in kindergarten and brings home 2 reading books a week and is listened to at school twice a week. It sounds like maybe she isn't showing school the same skills as she does for you at home?

gerbilgirl · 19/06/2019 16:52

I would be checking with the teacher and asking for a meeting!

My daughter started reception last September and within the first couple of weeks was coming home with phonics sets to practice sounding out and between October half term and Christmas had done enough phonic sets to start bringing home books. They have also done letter formation, writing their names and are now having spelling tests each week (5 simple words such as this, then, chip, fish).

If you are worried then definitely make an appointment as whilst our little one is doing okay with school work, she will have trouble transitioning to her new class so will be supported a bit more in this aspect, which was arranged during a meeting with her current teacher.

CCquavers · 19/06/2019 16:59

I would take the book in that your daughter can read at home and ask the teacher if her reading can be assessed.

There are many threads on here about what reading means to the teacher as it’s not just remembering a word it’s about sounding it out, knowing what it means, remembering the story or part of what she has just read, understanding the situation in the book. At this point in the year I would expect all children to be taking books home - even ones with no words.

thirdfiddle · 19/06/2019 17:08

Is she reading using phonics at home? If she couldn't sound out words yet that might be a reason they don't send books. If it's just group based it doesn't look good. I'd try once more speaking to teacher and talking about where your individual child is with reading and her individual needs rather than groups. If that isn't making contact then yes I'd ask to speak to someone else in the school - is there an EYFS or literacy lead?

Original poster

Littlemisssun · 19/06/2019 17:21

She is EYFS with no problem with phonics, when she first started in September they gave us phonics cards to practice at home which she is fone with. She knows and understands words. She can write full sentences using oo and ee in correct places and full stops. I just dont understand, having seen her teacher twice, I feel like I'm having a go a third time, I dont want her to think we are going out of our way to find fault but I think I'm going to have to.

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bloated1977 · 19/06/2019 18:43

Our school gives out at least 2 books a week to children. Simple ones to those who cannot yet blend too. I'd seriously be having a meeting with them soon!

PepsiLola · 19/06/2019 18:47

Our school gives out books weekly, a one hour child should be able to read and one that is a family read (so parents read to kids).

We also have bought the biff and chip books from the book people website, they come in packs so level 1-3, 4-6 and 7-11.

My DS started reception (or foundation 2) in September and is just going onto level 7... he's quite advanced at reading.

Maybe you should buy a pack and see where your DD is at, it may reassure you?

RicStar · 19/06/2019 18:52

OP sounds very odd. May be your dd is not confident talking in school. I was very quiet in school for infants despite being chatty and bright at home.

I would arrange a meeting with her teacher and take a book she can read and a sample of her writing and ask what she is working on at school hopefully they will give you a better explanation.

The good thing is it sounds like she is doing ok despite school but obviously they should be supporting her learning.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 19/06/2019 18:52

When I was working as an early years teacher I would always give children a book whether they could read or not. There are plenty of wordless books I could give to encourage talking and story telling. I would be horrified to get to June and have never given a child a book to share at home. Not only is excluding her from something her peers do but it is preventing the child and parent developing a routine and expectation as they progress throughout school.

Starlight456 · 19/06/2019 18:53

Yes unusual . Maybe you need to approach a different way .

Ask where she sits on the reading scheme? What you can do to support her at home and yes maybe take in a book.

Do you pop in or ask for a meeting . I would request a formal meeting

widget2015 · 19/06/2019 18:56

Our school didn't give kids books until they reached a certain level in the reading scheme. It is unusual though, kids at other schools in the area were all given books to take home early on in reception

SmellMySmellbow · 19/06/2019 19:02

Weird. We have a box of books for each book level. We can take as many as we want for their level. Ds takes home enough for one book a night (he reads one to me then I read him a chapter from a story book). The teacher sits with him approx. 1 x per week to 'benchmark' him and see if he needs to move up a level. He was sat on a level reading it easily for 7 weeks and I could see from his reading diary they'd not read with him for 5 (fair enough, they are over worked and busy with the ones who are struggling more) but I did raise it and they benchmarked him up a few levels and have gone back to once a week. Sometimes you need to be a squeaky wheel. But odd that you're not given the option to take books home for the level she's on. Does she have a reading diary at school you can ask to see to check progress?

SmellMySmellbow · 19/06/2019 19:04

And bear in mind, when reading at home, that it's not just 'reading' the words but comprehension too. So they need to read it and then understand it - ask questions on the story at the end to see how much went in! Then working on expression based on the punctuation - speech marks and so on.

sanityisamyth · 19/06/2019 19:12

My DS gets 4 different books a week, and a school library book once a week. The library book might be one he can read, or one I can read to him.

He's on ORT level 4 (supposed to be for year 1). He's in reception but above average for everything.

Original poster

Littlemisssun · 19/06/2019 19:32

Thanks everyone, I'm glad it isn't me going crazy, I will see her tomorrow. She is on level 4 biff and chip books, I'm just glad we have been doing these with her, we also visit the library every other week for books for us to read to her, she loves David Walliams and Roald Dahl. We haven't really gotten on with her teacher since day 1 so I dont know weather it's a factor is dd progressing. She's hasn't moved up a group this year, she is chatty, loves reading and writing so it just doesn't add up. We will see tomorrow I guess. Thanks again

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Helix1244 · 19/06/2019 21:28

Are they the phonic ones though?

Pollaidh · 19/06/2019 21:40

DS is in reception. They start them on Read Write Inc phonics, and he's at the end of the orange set (set 4), which I think is at the higher end of the year group. They start them on the Biff and Chip books only from level 4, and after they've been doing the Read Write Inc phonics books for quite some time. He's at the end of level 6 there.

He brings home 4 books a week. They hear all children read twice a week (we're supposed to do nightly, or nearabouts at home). Struggling children read at school every day.

You should definitely talk to the teacher. If she can manage level 4 Biff and Chip she can read. You might find it's something silly like she won't read at school, I knew a kid that pretended not to be able to read, even though at home, they could!

birthdayblues31 · 23/06/2019 06:25

My reception dd is on green (level 5) in reception. She brings home 4 books and 2 library books a week. She is listened to every day by her teacher or TA.

Patchworksack · 23/06/2019 06:48

We've had books from day 1, starting with wordless ones. They are changed when they have been read at home 3 times. We also have a library book which is not at a level the child can necessarily read themselves, changed once a week. My daughter seems to read with teacher or TA once a week and they check her level, plus some group guided reading. I help a half-day a week and I change all the library books then read with as many kids as possible. It's very sad how many children are never reading with an adult at home, and therefore don't get a new reading book for weeks on end. It seems very odd to have a parent who is keen to provide support at home and not facilitate that.

iwantittobesunny · 23/06/2019 08:07

It just sound odd, if she is on green level, she is definitely able to read, and teacher must know that too, otherwise she wouldn't have progressed through reading levels.
Does she understand what she is reading? Meaning of the words, etc?

thirdfiddle · 23/06/2019 12:30

May not be green level, it may be "green group" in the sense DD was in "sharks group" or whatever it was.
Any luck speaking to them OP? Fingers crossed.

Pud2 · 23/06/2019 18:57

That is unusual, yes. Definitely a good idea to arrange a meeting with the teacher so that you can better understand the system. In the meantime, just keep reading library books with her and teach her yourself so she’s ready for Year 1.

Original poster

Littlemisssun · 24/06/2019 07:44

I spoke to her teacher who looked at me confused and said no they are definitely meant to have books, she should have 3 a week, let me talk to the group leader and get back to you. Needless to say the next day all the kids in her group came running out with books. I'm really disappointed in the school

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