School denying access to reading book and telling me hard books will damage his brain

[3boys1girlandnotime]

Hi, hope someone can help, this is my first time posting. My primary school is not allowing my son access to appropriate reading books for his ability. My 2nd son is in yr 2 and very bright, he's got the reading age of a 9 yr old and the school is using the accelerated reader scheme (tested via iPad rather than reading with child directly). In yr 1 he had a great TA who read with him every week and he was reading books like Dick King smith sheep pig (to level 4.9AR). This year despite reading and testing on his last 2 books he chose from home of Dahl Matilda and the BFG (level 5.0ish AR) they are refusing to let him have a school book above a 4.0 e.g. the enormous crocodile. When I ask why as he had them last yr and he wants to be challenged and enjoys reading a lot they told me it's "not safe" and he may "damage his brain" if he reads something too hard. They tried telling me there is research he will damage the receptors in his brain and will not be given harder books. All I want is what he read last yr plus a bit. He's taken a star reader (to do with AR system) test which this time came out with a lower level than last year. Even though I've asked for them to read a harder book with him manually to prove his reading has improved and not gone backwards they are refusing. How do I deal with this? All I want is a book to challenge him. I've met with the assistant principal who was the one refusing. His teacher is new and just told me to go to the assistant principal!

My DS was like this, we just read what he wanted at home. Although are you sure she didn't mean the content was inappropriate, that's always been an issue for my DS and got very pronounced now his in year 6 as he's capable of reading and understanding young adult/some adult books but the content wouldn't be appropriate.

It's great that he is an advanced reader, but if I were you I'd concentrate on making sure to prioritise his access to books that he enjoys, if your aim is to nurture a lifelong reader. If you start obsessing about reading levels and making sure that every book he reads is stretching him then he might lose his enthusiasm.

As reading levels increase the complexity of the plots increases along with the difficulty of words, so I think it's quite normal to 'stagnate' for a while, as a child's understanding catches up with their decoding - and staying at that level will help them get the most out of books!

The brain damage thing is batshit though!

What the school's excuses or the parent thinking the only way her child can get a harder book is through the school??

Our school uses the AR Star Reading tests which are basically online comprehension tests that also looks at the child's ability to infer information from texts as well as just read the words. The problem with these tests, IMO, is that they rely heavily on the child's ability to focus and not get distracted by other things going on in classroom etc. They're also quite long and for a young child, can be quite heavy going. I wouldn't worry in the least about his reading age on the Star Reading test going down as it is not a precise art and depends on so many things. I'd keep on giving him 'free choice' books , don't get hung up on how hard or easy they are, and celebrate the fact that your DS loves reading - that's all that matters at the end of the day, not his reading age! As for damaging his brain, what a joke...

This.

I have a Y2 Dd and she also reads well. She has her own library of books in her room and picks up a book whenever she wants to read. She's currently reading and re-reading kids versions of the classic stories eg the railway children, pride and prejudice, Shakespeare etc which are entirely her choice. (Most are from usborne reading libraries so a very good mix of stories)

I also take her to the library at least once a week and she picks a few books there too.

Reading is all about the enjoyment. We were told at this level whatever book we give her she can read. It's more about enjoying them and comprehending them to a deeper level.

This. I would not allow such batshittery to go unchallenged. Maybe it's just that one teacher's idiotic ideas. He should read whatever he wants. Reading can only do you good and should be encouraged.

Forgot to add, she also reads what she brings home from school. In fact she looks forward to reading them and getting a new book the next day. I don't comment on the reading level, really doesn't bother me.

I ask her lots of comprehension type questions for her school reading books and not so much on the books she chooses at home. That's to make sure it's not all about testing her comprehension skills and give her some freedom in reading which she enjoys.

I'm so old that we didn't have reading books to bring home. The only thing I remember about learning to read was a teacher holding up a card with a word on it, and then turning it around to show a picture of the word. I remember my aunt would buy Sunny Stories for me each fortnight. I have a letter I wrote to her when we were evacuated thanking her for sending it to me (I was 7). I was hooked on Enid Blyton from an early age. Whatever critics say about her, she had the ability to create a narrative which compelled one to carry on until the end.

As a teacher I would seriously consider moving my DC school if another teacher spoke such nonsense about reading - how ridiculous! Agree with other posters try the library if you can. A love of reading is the most important thing!

Join the club. I was reading my mum's Agatha Christie's at 7 or 8. My damaged brain got me a degree in engineering and to 50 years of age, so I think I can live with it!

I do not understand why comprehension matters so much. Obviously they need to understand some of what is going on. But I was reading a lot of the classics at 11 years old. Some of the themes went over my head e.g. incest hinted at but not explicit, etc. But I enjoyed them. What did it matter if I did not understand all of the adult themes - although I still understood more than the adults probably realised. Plenty of adults read classics and do not get all the themes in a book.

I think it really does matter though. I was encouraged to read a lot as a primary-aged child in the 1980s and to be ahead of my age reading-wise but nobody was very interested in comprehension and whether I'd actually understood what I was reading. I was reading Dickens and Austen aged 9 or 10 but I was reading the words without much of a clue what was going on.

Whereas I can see DD is getting a lot more out of it in a much more thoughtful way because of having to do the comprehension, even though I find the questions to go through with her really annoying!

Of course comprehension matters. Otherwise you will have children reading the words but having no real idea what the book was about. It’s great for books to introduce children to new concepts, but they have to be able to comprehend the words they’re reading.
My 9 year old is an advanced reader so often comes across new concepts/situations in books which she’ll bring up with me and we’ll chat about.

Okay maybe it is more of an issue with protected children now. Because I do not remember not understanding concepts in books, it was hints or broader themes e.g. analogIes I missed. I can't imagine reading Dickens and not knowing what was going on. They are fairly straight forward stories.

My youngest could read before nursery. We rarely read the School reading books and provided a big selection of age appropriate books at home and from the library. That sounds bonkers though.

Well no, most children are able to understand a range of concepts. Some struggle a bit more. The point of the accelerated reader programme is to ensure that children are reading and understanding the subject matter. Not sure it’s anything to do with children being ‘protected’, it’s just a basic educational concept.

They said 'the receptors in his brain'. Maybe it's MY comprehension that's off, but that doesn't sound much like 'offputting, daunting, counterproductive'...

OP, I'd write to the school board and say you're interested in seeing this research, have asked for it and nothing is as yet forthcoming, so you'er having to escalate it.

Both me & ds must have severe brain damage then. I had read right through the reading scheme before I left infant school & was free reading whatever I wanted. I was reading long chapter books like The Chalet School age 7 & understanding them & by 9 was reading books from the teenage section at the library & the occasional adult fiction. Ds was bored stiff with the reading scheme at primary, he was reading chapter books like Paddington or Humphrey the Hamster age 6/7 & by age 8 had read all the Harry Potter books that were out, by the time he started secondary school he was reading adult books that interested him like books by Jack Currie & non fiction on buses, trains & planes,the day he went for his Autism Assessment he had to take something he enjoyed reading with him & he chose a magazine my dad bought him every month about commercial aircraft, he was 9 years old & could discuss with the psychologist & speech & language therapist which were his favourite aircraft & the differences between them.

That's bonkers! I'm not sure they can control what they do on AR though can they? My boys frequently read their own books and then take the quizzes. Most mainstream books are on there. All the Roald Dahls are as I recall plus David Walliams / wimpy kids books - Harry Potters etc - absolutely loads. I'd just crack on if I were you and do the readers they give him on the side!

A lot of kids fudge the system by choosing books that have been filmed.They don't read but can easily answer the comprehension questions .

‘Reading well’ in school doesn’t just mean comprehension it means the ability to perform / present the information well aloud. If your son isn’t paying attention to punctuation or recognising questions / exclamations or missing out vital connector words in his rush to finish he might not be showing his best to the teacher. Get him reading aloud & try listening to audible books together as you read one or enroll him into a drama class out of school. It all helps.

I found the opposite actually - definitely for the Harry Potters anyway . There are 20 questions and they're specifically around content that isn't in the films. No easy win there!

Glad they've plugged that gap then!

Yes, it all sounds very scored and intense. It’s that aspect of it that the teachers may be concerned about.