DD1 (8) and the terrible library books she is expected to read - I need a PLAN to discuss with teachers at parents evening next week, long and possibly v boring, sorry.

[TheHonEnid]

I know I witter on endlessly about dd1's reading but still, sorry, here I go again. Its parent's evening next week and dh and I agree we need to go in there with a plan.

Basically dd1 is NOT a strong reader. She did make it through treetops (ort) 11 and 12 but with some difficulty. After level 12 they can choose their own books from the library which are sorted 'appropriately'. Dd1's books have an orange sticker. There is one very short shelf of these - I cannot impress upon you enough the utter crapness of the books - 'Stories for 4 year olds' (mmm not many year 3's wanting to take that one), 'The Gargoyle' ok quite good story but MUCH too hard for dd1 'Little People Big People' by Malachy Doyle with lots of Irish names and slang which just utterly confuses a weak reader (and its a crap book anyway). There are a couple of Usborne (yay!) and a few Ginn 360 (v good for dd1, simple nature stories). dd1 is expected to choose her own, except she doesn't, I go in there with her and choose them for her.

The terrible books mean that our daily reading has become a terrible battle - she hates doing it and I get irritable . She guesses words, ignores fulls tops and commmas, has NO CLUE what she has just read etc etc.

There are so many good books out there for readers like her -the book people do some fantastic sets - she read and enjoyed the Sprinters series and reads the Usborne abridged classics very nicely and with interest.

I am thinking that I might suggest supplying dd1 with her own books and asking if that would be acceptable. The odd thing is that they have boxes of books in the classroom that are much better in content and style - they can borrow these but they don't 'count' towards their reading record.

Tbh, she should still be on some sort of reading scheme, but this would be very hard to implement now as she thinks she is a 'free reader'.

Need a plan that will help dd1 without utterly alienating her teacher.

I'd take in some of the books she has read and talk about what she liked, and then ask how to go forward. I'd say, she has read this and this (open book, flick through) and she liked them because of this. I would refer to the fact that the school books were not to her taste and you really wanted to encourage her to enjoy reading

I'd have done an 'unofficial' reading record for a couple of weeks to bring in and show the teacher with some of the good books you have chosen

and then I would bring out the flattery big guns and say you were thinking of getting this book next and this book but wanted to talk to the teacher to see what she thought because she will know what challenges you should be setting better than you because you are just a lowly parent

so basically I would go in looking like super parent but then make it sound like it was all in the teacher's control, so as not to hack her off

I can't see why the school would object to you using your own choice of books. Perhaps you could show a few books to the teacher and get his/her agreement? My ds has been reading his own books (i.e. not from school) since Year 3.

Would you be in any position to buy a few books for the library? That way your dd would have a better selection to choose from without it being obvious that you were sending in "special" books for her, and it would benefit the others too.

do you mean the school library?

At our school any reading counts in the reading record book. Ds sometimes chooses a book from the appropriate bok in the classroom, sometimes one form the school library, sometimes one from home. Whatever it is, any reading can be recorded in the book and 'counts!"

One boy in his class is currently working through the Match annual as his reading book.

Could you suggest that they relax the rules a bit? Take in a book that you like and consider suitable and ask if that could be her official reading book?

Then go to the PTFA and ask for money to buy more books!

Yes Id be mroe than happy to buy her more books then donate them to school library

would that iriratee thme though

PTA has £3000 in account

will ask for more books

I wouldn't give them to the library

sorry but I wouldn't if I had younger kids

if she was youngest fair enough

it is a school I will bake cakes and spend life savings on tombola but won't give them books

don't have a clear reason why

ah but then dd2 and dd3 can use them in library when their turns

They would have to be mad to be irritated by the offer of free books, surely?

dont know

they can be quite...controlling

Why aren't they allowed to read the other books which you feel are better? Can you ask why these books don't count?

At dd's school any library book as well as the reader gets noted on their reading record.

I have a similar problem; my dd is a good reader but she refuses to look at the reader at home as it's too easy and therefore boring, plus their library books are also either too easy, too hard and just basically limited.

Does your school have a Literacy Co-ordinator?

Oh, sounds difficult, then, but nothing to be lost in offering, I suppose.

mercy I know that dd1s close friend (fab reader, v high reading age) also finds the books for her limited too.

There seem to be a lot of Catherine Cookson in the older bits is that NORMAL?

No, seriously - Catherine Cookson? In a primary school? How odd.

I don't understand - surely the child should be reading whatever she wants to? At our junior school we have to provide the day-to-day books for their reading, and theschool provide a 'class reader,' where they all read the same book.

that sounds soooooooo much better

I've given tons of books to our school library - ones dd has finished with, duplicates, ones I've found in charity shops and boot fairs - can't understand why it would be a problem

Catherine Cookson???? How bizaare.

I think you need to get on the PTA and influence from inside!

I would ask to have a chat to the teacher about the reading. She may well agree that the selection for your DD's level is lacking. So asking can she count the books from the class or any that you either buy or borrow from your local library should be ok.

DS is bad on the writing front and the teacher has sent home writing practice sheets which to be honest I struggle with as he just tries to do them as fast as possible as they are boring. But I do tell the teacher that honestly and make sure she knows when he has been doing lots of colouring and/or lego - all equally as good with developing his fine motor skills/grip.

Actually Enid I don't think that the library books are really the issue here. I think that you need to discuss the difficulties that your dd has in reading, and why in spite of her current level of achievement they have moved her off a scheme to be a "free reader". I would also want to know what strategies they are putting in place to strengthen her reading. And I would ask how best that you can work in partnership in the school to improve her reading - then you can discuss types/styles of books/what goes into the reading record etc. But from what you have previously said, I've got the impression that they've almost indicated that she's "good enough" and so are giving less input and leaving it all up to you.

ys you are right ladymuck - they have decided she is good enough (although in bottom reading group - of course someone has to be I know)

i will start with that

the reading books do not help however

oh and my dd (Yr2) recently went back to structured reading after some free nancying about which got her nowhere

she really responded to it and we gave her treats eg after reaching end of a stage this half term we bought her a bedside lamp for her to read her books at night; she has been working towards it for weeks

she is actually really responding to the structure and the feeling that she is improving and moving up

so maybe your dd would not react so strongly against being on a reading scheme if it was done the right way?

capp that would suit her down to the ground

will try and work something out

at the moment I feel like putting together my own reading scheme and just telling the teacherst aht is what I am doing they can go hang

ahem

am pre-menstrual so please ignore any violent outbursts

Could you make a list of the books you would like to see on her shelf in the library, and give that to the school, maybe with a donation of the first 2 books or something like that, and (very tactfully) explain that the books she is reading atm are doing nothing for her reading?

Failing that, I would just abandon the school reading, and use your own books at home, because the important thing isn't her reading record, it's the learning to read, and learning to enjoy reading!

torty I would love to do that

unfortunately they give a chocolate to you if you get three stars - you get a star if you read aloud to your parents five nights in a row - so dd1 is very keen to get her bloody chocolate, so therefore we have to do the school books and have no time to do our own as well

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr