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!

Yes it all sounds very scored and intense. I imagine it’s that aspect of things that the teachers are concerned about.

When you say you hope someone can help... surely YOU get him books he will enjoy and read with him at home? I am a teacher and hate Accelerated Reader - it seems to have been invented by a maths teacher, gives lots of print outs and graphs but is crap in my opinion. But school isn't everything, take responsibility and get books for him. Library? My daughter was similar, I remember one of her reading books she brought home was all about chairs. A different chair per page with a word line big, green etc. Way to turn a child off reading. We read it, in silly voices for each page, I signed the reading log, then we got on with reading the book we were enjoying together.

Unfortunately, accelerated reader is very expensive - the school are probably commuted to it for a few years. Most schools drop it after a couple of years. Don't get me started on all the great books they could have bought with that money.....

I don't understand all the angst? I can't remember the last time I looked at what reading book my (y3) dd had in her school bag. I buy whatever books she wants (as long as the content is age appropriate) and she reads them, that's it. I haven't bothered with the school books since around y1. Dd reads them if she wants to, but that's rare, I think they are probably quite boring tbh. In reception she had specific reading books and we had to record her reading but that stopped sometime in y1 I think. By then she was reading whatever she wanted at home anyway.

I've always seen it as the school teach them the basics of how to read (letters, phonics etc) because that can be tricky for a parent who doesn't know how to teach that. But then it's up to parents to instill a love of reading by encouraging reading every day and providing a variaty of interesting books.

While I agree that there is no need for angst regarding what they’re reading at school if they have access to appropriate reading material at home, it’s still nice to show an interest in the books they’re bringing home. It doesn’t have to be one extreme or the other. I both provide books they want to read (and take them to the library) while also showing an interest in the books they’re bringing home from school (sometimes they bring one home that they really enjoy and ask me to buy the sequel for example).

For me the 'angst' is about the fact that so-called education professionals are trying to tell parents it's 'not safe' and the child may 'damage his brain' if he reads something they think is beyond his age. Talking about research that says he will damage the receptors in his brain if he does so.
I'd seriously challenge that. Wouldn't you?

Just get him books and read at home. They are clearly very much mistaken. I read adult books as a 9 year old and have not damaged my brain!