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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

Does it matter if DC not given right reading books by school?

33 replies

BeccaBean · 30/05/2021 09:35

My DC is in Reception and is reading quite well. School acknowledge this but send home a book that is way too easy each week. The teacher said they don’t have any more difficult books but have some on order and she could ask the year 1 teacher if she could borrow some but she hasn’t because my DC has told her that we regularly get reading books from the library which is true. I haven’t been too bothered except now my DC is close to the end of Reception and there is no evidence in her reading log of reading more difficult books which surely means the Year 1 teacher will not have any idea of her real level next school year and presumably she will have to carry on working up the levels from where she has ended reception per her reading log.

I know (from the teacher) that there are other good readers in the class but don’t know if they are given the same books. Although DC is a good reader she is not off the charts. For context, she easily reads Turquoise although she chooses what she wants from the library and brings home some purple/gold books from the library which she reads well. School have stopped at blue.

I knew after the return to school there would be other more important things for school to focus on so never said anymore after the initial chat with the teacher about why she brings home books that are too easy for her each week. I am now bothered about her going into Year 1 on books that are too easy and also I lost my job last year but hoping to return to work soon and won’t have quite so much time for library visits as it’s not that close to home.

Do you think I should leave this and see how she gets on in Year 1 or speak to the teacher again and ask if she can borrow books from the Year 1 class? Thanks!

OP posts:

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SE13Mummy · 30/05/2021 10:10

It's unlikely that the Y1 teacher will look at the home reading record to work out what reading level your DD is on as the school will assess reading in school. If it is important to you that the school sends home books from the Y1 class, just ask for that to happen and explain it's something that matters to you. I wouldn't mention the library/future work issue until you have actually started a new job.

Original poster

BeccaBean · 30/05/2021 10:49

Thanks SE13Mummy. My concern is around her not starting off from the right in Year 1. We’ll carry on getting library books over the summer holiday. If the Year 1 teacher will do his own assessment and not rely on the reading log, then I’m happy to not follow up with the Reception teacher now. I’m sure the last six weeks of the school year are a particularly busy time for teachers and I don’t want to create any extra work.

OP posts:

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/05/2021 10:53

My experience is they reassess in September anyway. And also the books they bring home may not reflect their actual ability... (My 8yo reads normal books at home and gets full marks on the quizzes on them... But school books are easier as apparently she has low stamina on reading out aloud, expression etc)

CaptainCallisto · 30/05/2021 11:02

The kids will be assessed for reading/phonics levels at the start of Y1 (and again for Y2) so that shouldn't be an issue. We always find some children have read lots over the summer and jumped up a level or two, and some won't have picked up a book for six weeks and slipped back a bit.

Also, even if DD is finding the actual words easy to decode in the level she's on, she'll still benefit from reading aloud, working on fluidity and expression, and observing the way different types of punctuation work in practice.

Erictheavocado · 30/05/2021 12:55

@CaptainCallisto

Absolutely this. I am a junior school TA and we definitely assess reading at the beginning of each new school year. I can't tell you how many parents complain that their child's book is 'too easy' because the child can read the words efficiently. Unfortunately, many of those children have no expression when reading, do not 'read' punctuation and have no idea about the content of the text they are reading.

HSHorror · 30/05/2021 17:58

Its likely dc will be moved down in sept to show progress.
Im on dc2 and have been ignoring the school books.

Now yours is doing so well they are probably close to mainly reading normal books.
We just order from library and pick up. Or you can do Reading chest.
We have just restarted that for reception age child. As school only give 2/week. So it's more than doubling. Also of course it means making progress during holidays.

Feenie · 30/05/2021 18:44

I am a junior school TA and we definitely assess reading at the beginning of each new school year. I can't tell you how many parents complain that their child's book is 'too easy' because the child can read the words efficiently. Unfortunately, many of those children have no expression when reading, do not 'read' punctuation and have no idea about the content of the text they are reading

However, the NC states that children’s reading books must precisely match their decoding level. During an Ofsted Deep Dive on reading, the first thing they do is to read with children to check exactly that.

Expression, comprehension, etc should be taught alongside - but you can’t hold children back like that.

HSHorror · 30/05/2021 19:00

Someone was saying their y4 was stuck on the scheme due to lack of expression etc.

Clusterfckintolerant · 30/05/2021 19:54

It sounds like you're being given excuses, computer says no, etc. I'd not be happy about the situation either.

Our DD(4) is in similar situation. She has books from another class, end of. She only gets 2/week, and no matter what we've said, they won't consistently give more. We've given up and got on with it ourselves. We source scheme books privately and have considered Reading Chest as well. We still might give that a go. If you try something like this, you'll know where she's at and keep the momentum going. I wouldn't worry about September though. If they fail to provide appropriate support at that point, you're already on top of it and can raise it as such.

TreaterAnita · 30/05/2021 21:19

This has been the case for both my children tbh. My Y1 child is currently on Orange but can read every word, with punctuation and expression and understands the text. Her teacher told me at the last parents’ evening that she’s working at greater depth (if that’s the current terminology) in reading, but we still get books that don’t challenge her. I’ve assumed this is just the norm so was a bit surprised by @Feenie saying that they should have books at their decoding level. As you do, we just let her pick library books that she wants to read and fill in with those.

HopeValley · 30/05/2021 21:23

A reception child who can read gold books is very unusual so it's not surprising they don't have them in the classroom - they are kept in KS2 in the school I teach in. Agree with others that Y1 teacher will reassess.

Allgirlskidsanddogs · 30/05/2021 21:39

PFB?

It doesn’t work like that in any school I’ve worked in. Teaching staff know what the right amount of challenge is for a child and will move them on when appropriate. Children don’t make steady progress, sometimes they make rapid progress, sometimes it’s slower and sometimes they regress - especially over holidays. Teachers are used to this fluctuation and account for it when hearing children read. It’s also not just about the words they can decode but how they read (accuracy, fluency etc) and how much they understand and recall from what they have read.

When a child enters a new class all these things will be considered when allocating an appropriate book. When hearing children read the teacher will continue to reassess and move accordingly.

Feenie · 30/05/2021 22:14

A reception child who can read gold books is very unusual so it's not surprising they don't have them in the classroom - they are kept in KS2 in the school I teach in

Why? To even be at 'expected', a Y2 child has to be reading beyond gold.

Yellow85 · 30/05/2021 22:29

I don’t know if it’s the same thing where I am (Oxford reading tree) but my DS is an advanced reader, he’s reading at the level of the year above and then some. The school did let him go a few stages ahead, but because there is comprehension work attached to the books, there was a cap on how far ahead he could go as the reading only takes them so far.

I bought him books to read at home which are more challenging and he does get free reign in the library for his chill books each week - always picks something more advanced.

TeenMinusTests · 31/05/2021 07:28

Do you as parents get to write in the reading log?
If so then record the books he reads, not just the school ones.
Include comments such as 'read well with expression, could recount the story well at the end, no difficult words except 'incredible' etc.

EastWestWhosBest · 31/05/2021 07:37

The year 1 teacher isn’t going to sit and go through every child’s reading log. The chances are that they will get a list of children and their levels from the reception teacher. Then they will reassess as some children will have changed over the holidays. (Not to ‘show progress’ as suggested up thread.)

One of the main things to hold children back in my experience is comprehension. I’ve known children who could read every single word of a book but not be able to tell me one single thing about it.

Legoninjago1 · 31/05/2021 10:22

Absolutely the teacher will reassess. A lot can change over the summer holidays and there'll be lots of kids in the same situation. Reading levels and who's ahead / behind changes hugely in Yr 1 so they will be continually assessing. Be careful about pushing up the levels though. My DS used to come back with some really inappropriate content when he was in Reception and had access to the other years' books. Much better to introduce books at home to stretch them. Maybe try the easier Roald Dahls to start with.

MargaretThursday · 31/05/2021 10:23

Having had 3 good readers I wouldn't worry at all. Dash through the school one (or don't bother if you can get away with it) and let them read their own thing. If they're a good reader and you read at home anyway it's more important that they enjoy the stories.

You know they're understanding it when they come to tell you excitedly about what they've read. You can often tell by what they say if you ask if they enjoyed it how well they've understood it.

My favourite quote was from ds, when he was in reception and his older sister had persuaded him to read one of her beloved Rainbow Fairy books. He did not do fantasy. He wasn't even that keen on fiction, but he wanted to please her. So he read it, and she excitedly asked him if he'd liked it.
"When Jack Frost appeared, it was nearly interesting," was his review.

ineedaholidaynow · 31/05/2021 10:30

Do you talk to her about the books, to check her comprehensive skills?

LetItGoToRuin · 01/06/2021 12:05

I remember my DD coming home at the end of the first week in Y1 with a reading book that was 10 levels lower than she'd been on in Reception! It was quickly sorted without fuss, but had we needed to push, we had useful evidence in the form of teacher notes in her YR reading record.

It might, therefore, be worth asking whether her YR teacher would assess her reading level before the end of term. You could say it's to help you to make sure you're on the right track with choosing suitable books for her during the summer holidays, but really it'll be something you can refer back to, if they just start sending ridiculously easy books home at the start of the new term.

I also agree with a PP who suggested recording everything she's read outside school in her school reading record (unless school have specifically told you not to, in case start your own in a separate notebook). Make notes on new vocab, any words/concepts she struggled with, and any interesting conversations you have with your DD about the books, such as what she predicts might happen next.

HopeValley · 01/06/2021 19:52

@Feenie

A reception child who can read gold books is very unusual so it's not surprising they don't have them in the classroom - they are kept in KS2 in the school I teach in

Why? To even be at 'expected', a Y2 child has to be reading beyond gold.

Really? Not a Y2 teacher so couldn't say except that as I understand reading levels aren't linked to the national curriculum. Some Y2 children take books from the KS2 selection but not many. We have had 100% reach ARE in Y6 SATS in recent years (pre 2020 obviously) and are rated Outstanding so obviously what we're doing is okay.

InTheDrunkTank · 01/06/2021 20:52

I'm surprised they don't have more difficult books available. There were a few in both DC's reception class who were already reading small chapter books so it's not exactly unprecedented. We always found the school books very straightforward (and dull) so we'd just quickly nip through them in 2 minutes then read whatever the DC actually enjoyed.

ineedaholidayandwine · 01/06/2021 20:57

I’d ask for y1 books, my 4yr old is on y1/y2 books as she’s gone through the other levels so fast they are now challenging her (and me wi

ineedaholidayandwine · 01/06/2021 20:57

(And me with the phonics!!)

stuckinarutatwork · 01/06/2021 21:05

My experience is that they will reassess in September. Some kids make huge progress over the summer, others whose parents park them in front of a screen for 6 weeks will fall behind. Therefore it makes sense not just to continue with wherever they were at the end of reception.

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