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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

Reading Diaries... What is the purpose?

25 replies

MrsOnTheMove · 31/01/2008 20:43

My eldest started school in Sept and on Day 2 we were given a 'reading diary' (blank text book) We were told to use it to record our DD reading abilities at home with any comments. We have filled it in every day since yet there is not one comment from a member of staff, when I asked a friend with an older child they said the teachers don't read them and nothing changes as they move thru' school. Why am I writing in this book every day? Surely we should get some feed back or am I being a 'pushy mother'?

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Hulababy · 31/01/2008 20:47

Is it just a recordlist of what your child has read with you and of any particularly difficulties/strengths you encounter?

Or is it where our child does a short summary of what they read/liked in the book?

soapbox · 31/01/2008 20:51

The DCs teachers have always written comments in the book as well, whenever they read with them in school. They would also write little comments so that we could focus our efforts when reading with them at home, e.g. 'A read very well today, but needs to pause a little longer at full stops.'

Does your DC's teacher read with her in school?

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 31/01/2008 20:57

We are supposed to record anything we feel is relevant - so in the early days it was whether or not she enjoyed the book, or if she told the story to pictures etc. now that they are doing phonics and learning 'tricky' and 'common' words we are asked to comment on any strengths or difficulties eg. DD gets confused with no and on.

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spudmasher · 31/01/2008 20:59

There should be some guidance in the reading diary for the parent about how to read with a child.
A blank book seems rather lazy of the school to me. Schools can buy - very cheaply- pre printed reading diaries with ideas for guiding a little one in reading and guidance for the parent as to what to comment on.

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 31/01/2008 21:02

I'd like to think the teacher reads with her at school (I accept that they don't remember everything, when you ask!) but when I ask she says the teacher never reads with just her only the whole class at story time

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saadia · 31/01/2008 21:04

Ds' book has suggestions for what to write - eg words they struggled with, if they were too tired to read, if they are making good guesses, just recognising the first few sounds etc.

In Reception his teacher was very good and did respond to my comments eg when I said he wasn't interested in a book she said she would help him choose one that he would find more interesting.

Now (in Yr1) I just say that he has read and understood as the current teacher never responds to comments.

spudmasher · 31/01/2008 21:06

Not even a guided reading session once a week in a small group? Might need to ask the teacher...Even in Year Six they should be heard to read at least once a week... Should be a lot more in reception. Are they settling new arrivals at the moment?

Hulababy · 31/01/2008 21:09

Our book is a two way communication regarding DD's reading. Teacher (or TA) hears her read daily and writes down what page she gets too and any comments - might be things to focus on, or simply well read - and then we do the same each evening.

ja9 · 31/01/2008 21:11

it should be a home-school link. teacher should be commenting in it too... i would ask her about it at first available opportunity.

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 31/01/2008 21:12

The whole class started in Sept so no new starters. I feel I should say something to the teacher but DH thinks I'm being 'pushy'

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Janni · 31/01/2008 21:13

My DS has one and we get a tick from teacher every day (but no feedback). I have to say it really makes me hear him reading for about 10 mins every day so it's a good discipline. I'd hate it if the teacher wasn't looking at it though.

spudmasher · 31/01/2008 21:14

You are the customer. You have a right to ask. The school is accountable to you. You must ask! You have paid your taxes (or your fees!)

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 31/01/2008 21:19

Will see the teacher tomorrow - had started to think it was just me, though friends with children at other schools said they would feel the same. I spoke to 2 other parents from her class who didn't seem bothered by it!

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FlameNFurter · 31/01/2008 21:23

The teacher comments in ours too - we had a veiled bitching session at one point

After the same book for the third time I said that it wasn't reading so much any more as it was memorised.

The comment came back that she knows the words when individually pointed out too.

I was strong and didn't reply saying that if she knows the bloody words then my point stands that she doesn't need the go kart book ever again!

lottysmum · 31/01/2008 23:17

Tt seems that all schools operate differently. At my dd's school, the reading record book is filled out everyday by the school teacher/volunteer reader and then the parent has to initial that they have either re-read the pages or read on to the page indicated. There is a comment everyday...but the record is purely school reading books and not the books she reads at home.

cat64 · 31/01/2008 23:49

This reply has been deleted

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coppertop · 01/02/2008 11:20

LOL at Flame's bitching session!

At our school the books are changed less often than at most MNers' schools but the Reception children still do guided reading once a week and individual reading every couple of weeks. This is recorded in the reading diary each time.

As others have said, the comments usually include things which we can do to help ds2, so it's not pushy to ask for some feedback.

fedupwasherwoman · 01/02/2008 11:33

We have a preprinted book with space to record comments after each book is read. It is interspersed with the teacher's comments on ds's reading done in class.

I am currently trying to get across in a subtle way, via my comments in this reading record, that he probably needs to go up a level as the ORT level 2 books he is bringing home take him about a minute and a half to read with no problems. It looks as if there are 18 books in total, at level 2, and as we get 2 books a week this means he'll be stuck on this level for another month. We are currently reading an extra book each night (fortunately he got lots of suitable books for Christmas) to keep him progressing rather than marking time on ORT level 2.

Cappuccino · 01/02/2008 11:35

if we didn't have the book we would never know what page we were on

dd has been known to blithely read the same bit with her SSA at school that she has read with us when we have forgotten to fill the book in

katepol · 01/02/2008 11:49

Ok, that isn't great, but compare it to my dd's school where there is ;
just one book a week - sometimes none come home.
children are heard reading (by a TA/teacher/parent helper)at best once a fortnight (my dd is in reception and has been heard twice since Sept, while my Yr 2 dd said she 'thinks' she has been heard since the start of term, but in a form where the children all read aloud at the same time
there is NO reading record/diary at all. No communication between home and school at all.
Now that really is pants. The school is outstanding btw

MOTM, if the school has a reading record, though, I would have thought it entirely reasonable for you to ask the teacher what the purpose of it is, and if she isn't using it, then there seems little point in you filling it in surely?

aintnomountainhighenough · 01/02/2008 12:05

We were given a reading diary butnot told what to do with it. I started writing lots of stuff in it however soon realised that actually it didn't matter so now I just note if we read the book/s or not. In order for things like this to be effective everyone needs to understand how and why they are being used. The system at my DDs school is that they will go through every book in the series before they get moved up - what is the point then of commenting in a book.

stealthsquiggle · 01/02/2008 12:10

To the OP - it does seem strange that they expect you to write in it but don't do it themselves.

DS's reading diary is used by both sides to record where he has got to in a book and any comments - generally he gets positive comments from teacher/TA every day, and "read to page x" from me - except when I feel moved to comment on the book, which I think keeps the TA sane as I usually get similarly sarcastic comments back from her!

Anchovy · 01/02/2008 13:14

For comparison (DS is in Year 1), he gets 1-to-1 reading pretty much every day and a comment in his book - usually what words he needed "support" with etc. They also comment on things like "we are practising reading with expression" wtc. We then are expected to go over the book with DS and have to fill in a block to show this - its actually easier when they have started you off because you only need to say "read with great expression!" or similar.

Its quite 2 way - DS isn't keen on cutes-y tales so I put things like "read well but not hugely interested in subject matter" and they find him more factual books and will put a note in saying "I know you are going to enjoy this" or whatever. So for us a real 2-way process.

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 01/02/2008 13:15

Mine have reading records and the teachers have written in them when they have heard the children read.

AutumnMists · 01/02/2008 15:27

Ours is a real 2 way process too - the teachers always manage to write an inspiring comment for the dc's, and ds often gets stars too which he loves and makes him do even better

As they know ds so well they invariably choose books he likes, dd chooses her own

I rarely manage anything better than 'read to page x' or 'enjoyed this book'

They read virtually every day to a teacher or TA so I can get a bit lax about reading school books at home - altho they will always read something - especially as we have spellings to contend with too

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