DD, her teacher & the reading diary

[KatyMac]

DD reads
Voraciously
Large amounts of books, wide range of subjects

She has since about 7 - she is 11 next month

Her teacher wants me to write in her reading diary - what & how much she has read. DD can't write it in herself because she only gets teacher credits if I write it in

This could be 2 or 3 books a night (if she reads horrid henry type) 15-20 (if she reads to the babies that's not my....) or a chapter

I find it annoying & irksome

She occasionally reads to me - so I know she can pronounce the words she reads. I also read a lot of the books she reads to check for age appropriateness and also so we can discuss the books

TBH the whole situation annoys me irrationally & I'm not sure why - I guess it seems a pointless exercise

My motivation for reading diaries completely dried up when ds got a book from the shelf, lay on the sofa, covered himself with a blanket and read the whole 6 chapters. He's 5.

I figured at that stage he didn't need the motivation of a reading diary, so I went very minimal with my contributions.

The thought of still doing it at 11. Oh please no!

But the teacher in me understands really. I guess you must be near the end of having to do it - so I guess just smile and wave.

What are teacher credits?

If she gets enough she gets a commendation

So in this house she gets one if she pesters enough to get the book written in without annoying me so much I throw it across the room - I'm not exactly sure what she is being rewarded for

Sounds crazy to be doing that for an 11 year old keen reader. We stopped at Year 3 with my daughter when she became a free reader.

It just seems very futile

Can't you just play the game and make it up?

Well I can

It just seems kinda odd

how many does she have to read to get her prize? just put that number down.

You do the reading diary and she gets a teacher credit??? Sounds a bit weird to me.

Is this in a school policy or is it the teacher's brain wave?

I stopped when dd was reading freely on her own for pleasure

with ds we carry on since he struggles and doesn't read for pleasure (yet)

I have decided that DD can write it in & I will initial it - if I think she has read what she says (which tbh she normally has - I spend my life confiscating books so that teeth cleaning/tidying up/homework/tea can be done)

& if the teacher doesn't like it she can write me a note

AIBU?

I still keep a reading diary. And I'm ancient. I jsut like to remember whether I've read a book or not adn see how my tastes progress through the ages and seasons...maybe teacher is the same??!!

Does seem futile to me too (for you)

Good idea.

no!

God, this might be a first. and AIBU, and the answer is 'no'

I have been having galloping guilt about it the whole term (so far)...as you can probably see from the time I started the thread ?

I think my solution is fair & reasonable....well I hope it is

I think it's a good compromise, and one I shall copy shamelessly with ds, who according to his grandparents is now reading Famous Five books without having them read to him first.

It sounds very odd, at that age I would expect them to write in it themselves. I read everything and anything at that age-my mother would never have kept up! I should take it up with the school.

I will at parents evening (weeks away)

Thanks - I thought it was odd

Our school expect them to write in it themselves from as soon as possible. But I'd have thought a parent initialling in it seems a good idea.

can you get her to write it and you signature it to say its true - surely any teacher would be satisfied with that.

I teach and would be ok with that - also might make it a nice record for her of what books she has read? Tell her to write BIG and be asking for a new book every other week he he might make it clear how much she reads.

DD 11 just fills in her diary and I sign it.