Picture only school book

[Sammy04]

My daughter has been sent home from reception (first week) with a book containing only pictures and no words. We thought that we were doing very well with her reading. Lots of other children in the class are reading word books. What should I do?

Enjoy the book with her. Talk together about the pictures, ask her what she thinks might happen on the next page etc She’ll be learning lots of skills and enjoying time with you. I’m pretty sure they’ll send her home with a word book very soon. It could be that they all have to take turns if there’s a limited number of books.

Reading is about comprehension. Reading words can be taught to anyone, but they need to comprehend and read situations. Picture books are absolutely right to teach them these skills. Find a challenge for your child with the book given ... whatever you think about the nature of the book sent home. Don't brush it off as a "failure" for the teacher or child.

There will be more to the story than a few 3-letter words. It’s a good way to develop literacy skills. Have you been given any ideas/explanation of how to use picture books?

Thanks for the replies, no proper explanation. Just that she’s not ready for word books.

My DS was already a fairly fluent reader when he started reception. The teacher still sent him home with a book with no words - because she was clueless! Eventually after some months of him being given work well below his ability they tested his reading age and he was more than two years ahead. Sometimes the teacher is just not very good and maybe a child who isn’t chatty is quietly excelling without being noticed.

Thanks everyone, feel much better now I was so worried for her x

Teachers may not yet have had the time to benchmark all the children? New class may not have settled in entirely? Don’t worry to much about readinglevels yet - you’ve got plenty to come 😁

No need to be worried! It’s very early days. Enjoy the book together and continue to foster a love of books by reading good quality picture books to her as often as you can.

This happened to my DS. In fact it still is as at school he's getting books below the books he reads at home.

We just read the school books and supplement with books from the Reading Chest. I do comment in his reading journal that he reads the books fluently / easily, but I don't feel like making a big deal about it.

Home reading should be at a level the children are able to read, you don't want children struggling to read their home readers, it should be enjoyable and at a level they can comprehend and read. Remember, not all parents are diligent about reading at home, and so teachers don't expect teaching to be happening at home. If you're worried, talk to your child's teacher.

It's generally because their comprehension skills are behind their decoding skills -- so they need to learn how to describe the plot of a book, answer inductive questions, talk about what might happen next... before they are ready to move ahead with the more technical aspects of reading.

(Now, obviously shyness or an unwillingness to engage could be misinterpreted as a failure of comprehension skills -- so if your DD is easily able to display these kinds of comprehension skills at home then it's worth having a chat with her teacher)

My DD2 started with a couple of books with pictures. DD1 who was younger when she started YR didn’t. Different teachers and expectations. The teacher should know what each child can do if the Nursery records are correct. So no excuse really. Just wait a week then ask for words in books. Some DC will have done phonics in Nursery and are very ready for books.

Yep I didn't like these either, but I get the point. There are often guidelines at the back of the book as well. Can the child tellthe story, talk about what is going on, who are the main charecters ect. The thing a lot of children know this before receptionbut maybe not all.

It’s not all about being able to read the words... it’s about understanding the story, knowing “why Biff was sad” etc. I can ‘read’ French books quite fluently but I don’t understand what I am reading.....

As hard as it may seem try not to compare her to other dc. Even within my dc they all learnt to read at different ages, but end up at the same point. Some dc teach themselves to read when in preschool, others have to be cajoled into reading. If you feel she can do more then read the school book first then go onto your own/ library books.

Like others have said you really need to worry less about it. By the end of reception there'll be a massive gap between the children in reading ability, you might find yours is on level 5-9 while others are barely able to blend. Then by the ned of Y1 or Y2 the others will have caught up or even surpassed your child. It's really not worth obsessing over. Read every night, and read to your child every night, enjoy books and don't worry.