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Year 3 reading help

7 replies

Snuzzle · 12/09/2021 12:24

DD read with her teacher last week at school and has graduated to free reading.
I’m not surprised because she’s been confidently reading chapter books at home for a while now but I’m confused as to what I write in her reading log now.
She doesn’t read aloud anymore, likes to read a chapter in bed most nights and doesn’t want to go back to reading aloud with her school books.
I still ask her about the books and the story to check her comprehension but I don’t know how to fill her log in every day now

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Pinkflipflop85 · 12/09/2021 12:26

In our school the children write in their diaries themselves (unless there is a genuine reason they can't).

My son writes which pages/chapters he has read and sometimes a comment about it.

Rosesareyellow · 12/09/2021 12:30

I would still encourage her to read out loud for a page or so and then continue to read on her own. Although she is a free reader she’s still only 7/8 years old and there are bound to be words she won’t know or understand (if not the books are not challenging enough and won’t help her progress). Best of both - she gets to read independently if she prefers but you can still keep an eye on how she does and know what to put in the book.

Snuzzle · 12/09/2021 12:37

School have always previously expected parents to fill in the reading log and haven’t sent anything home to suggest that’s changed. I can’t speak to the teacher because I don’t do drop offs and he’s not available at pick up without an appointment.

She does ask me about words she doesn’t understand or know but she’s been reading Roald Dahl books and the Harry Potter series since the beginning of the year so has become quite good at deciphering even strange, nonsense words. The first book she has brought home from the school library is the hobbit so I know she’ll still be asking me about it sometimes.
I’ll try suggesting she reads a page aloud to me now and then so I can see how she’s getting on with it.

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PawsNotClaws · 12/09/2021 12:53

For my DC i used to write something like:

"DD read x pages aloud and the rest independently."

"DD read chapter 3 and talked about what had happened so far."

"DD needed help with reading character names but otherwise read independently."

The school are mainly looking to see that she's been reading at home. As long as you've signed to verify that she has, it doesn't really need much detail.

Snuzzle · 12/09/2021 12:55

@PawsNotClaws that’s perfect thank you, exactly what I was looking for

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LetItGoToRuin · 13/09/2021 10:22

I agree with Rosesareyellow that reading aloud is still really important. We still make sure our DD (Y6) reads to us at least a couple of times per week.

A good reader can get in the habit of skimming through to get to the next 'good' bit, and missing some meaning. It is easy to miss a word or assume what the next word/phrase will be.

There is also the skill to develop, of reading a more complex sentence out loud with correct nuance, first time round.

You can stop periodically to discuss what that phrase really meant, or why a particular word was chosen, and to talk about what might happen next.

Vocab you assume your DC understands might not actually be embedded, and it's easier to spot these words when reading together.

It also helps them to learn how to pronounce unfamiliar words, that they might only have read, and not heard spoken. (I remember many from my childhood, such as assuming 'sow' (a female pig) was pronounced the same way as sowing seeds ('sew'), and names such as Hermione and Penelope).

Oh, and learning to speak clearly, slowly, assign different voices to characters etc.

There is so much to gain from reading aloud! It's worth persevering despite a few complaints as your DC gets older.

In terms of filling the reading log, I would ask your DD to check with the teacher. A couple of years ago the teacher wanted the children to write in the book. This year the teacher has asked the children to ask their parents not just to write 'read well' but put some specific things in. I like what PawsNotClaws has suggested.

Snuzzle · 13/09/2021 13:58

@LetItGoToRuin thanks that’s a big help and gives me something to think about as she gets older. I know she doesn’t skim read at the moment, it’s easy to tell from watching her concentrate on a page but I want to make sure she doesn’t start as she gets older.
Think perhaps I’ll tell her the teacher has asked them to still read aloud once a week as she thinks he’s great and will be eager to please him

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