Not being given reading books

[lalalonglegs]

My dd1 started reception in September. Despite already being able to read and write, her teacher refuses to give her reading books - she says that reception year is "too young". She tells me that they will be starting the Lighthouse scheme shortly and dd will have reading once a week but before that, there will be lots of emphasis on learning about books, how to turn pages, where a book starts etc. Am I being unreasonable to think that a child who has been looking at books since she was 8mo and has a collection of probably 200 is possibly a bit beyond that stage and that the teacher should be setting appropriate work for all the different attainment levels within the class?

No, you are not being unreasonable in thinking that and it is almost certainly what will happen given time. I spent most of last year worrying about my DSs reading books which were way behind what we knew he could read at home. In the end, I decided to stop worrying, do the right level of reading for him at home and leave the school to cover all the things that are really important in reception eg making friends, learning to work in groups, realising that other people have different abilities. This year, in Y1, he is almost on books that match his capability but, more importantly, he is a much more rounded person.

Chill! If you are reading with your daughter at home, does it matter if her whole class has not yet started on a reading scheme? There is so much more to Reception than reading.

I agree and I think that my dd will be fine with learning to read at home and plenty of practice here. What irritates me is that the teacher refuses to acknowledge that there is any difference between the children and keeps telling me that dd is doing really well at work she already knew before she started and refuses to build upon those foundations.

I also feel a bit sorry for the other children who haven't got the same level of home support because I really feel that they need more practice than group reading once a week (a friend's dd in Yr 2 came out of reception virtually unable to read at all).

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with a child coming out of Reception virtually unable to read at all.

It may just mean that that child is not ready to learn to read at such a young age.

Dd was reading very little at that age- and she was top in literacy by the time she got to Year 6.

Ds was certainly not reading at all, but has caught up since. He needed time to develop, too much pushing by the school would only have made him unhappy.

I have absolutely no problem with children who are not ready to read not being pushed but my dd is not only ready to read but she is reading and, according to the other girl's mother, her dd had been making progress at her nursery that was then forgotten because she was unable to build on it during her reception year. I would just like resources made available that acknowledge all the different abilities.

have to say I have one of those children who are more than ready who isn;t being given books to srimulate them. He takes dictionaries to bed desperate to look at the words, works out raod signs, spells out words last one was 'left hand' He HATES art and anything to do with it yet there seems to be endless colouring in, cutting and sticking and drawing which he doesn't like. His writing isn't great at all so I'm not saying he's einstein but he enjoys his reading yet isn't allowed to shine as all as it seems the children 'must' be kept at the same level as it were.

I am an early years teacher btw. I agree some definately aren't ready for school and shouldn't be pushed but I think those that are ready seem to be ingnored.

many apologies for the appalling spelling!

I do also worry that reception just seems to be a repeat of nursery...

I think plenty of children out there will have been looking at books since 8m and have a collection to rival yours.

I would chill about this , it's the first term of their entire school career. Read at home, go to the library and I'd say something in the spring term when you have your parents evening about this

Most of my relatives live in Scandinavia, where you don't start school until you are 6. Some of these children are extremely bright and my nephew had a library of 800 books by the time he was 6. And yet I saw no evidence that any of them came to any harm from doing nursery things for a few years longer than British children. They seem to be very good at practical things compared to our dc's, having helped to prepare their own lunches at nursery and been involved in lots of outdoor activities. And they never seem bored. Can't think this would be harmful to anyone, however bright.

I can't speak for lalalonglegs but we do read at home, every night. (not the 3 x's a week school want us too) We started the sounds books just before the summer holidays and he's finished them and is able to read simple text which he is enormously proud of himself for doing. His reading book today had 'Rosie wanted it, Adam wanted it, Sam wanted it, etc for 4 pages. The teacher's comment was that 'he did well as he read unaided'. This has been said before. If he can already read the books unaided why not give him slightly more difficult ones? His comprehension is fab as is his prediction, he's also had books read to him from an early age so he understands title, blurb, how to hold the book and turn the page etc.

I can understand your point of view cory but when you have a boy who is desperate to learn to read, what do you do?

My son isn't ready for writing yet we've been told he's already 'behind' in writing as he can't write his own name. He Knows he's not great as he knows through his reading exactly what writing should look like. His vocabulary is amazing so when he does start to write he's got a lot to write about!

I can't always understand why it is that it's okay in this country to let children play instruments early, go to ballet, learn to horseride yet when a child actively wants to learn to read we think that it is 'pushing' them to help them.

because people are making money from those things muppetgirl. am cynic

If no child in the class has had a reading book home yet then I can't see the problem. Use this time while you can to let your DD read her own more exciting books, rather than prescribed reading scheme ones.

If whe they do start bring a book home occasionally and you feel it is the wrong level - well, then that is the time to be concerned and ask questions IMO.

TBH I know many many children who have 200+ books of there own. My DD has that and more, despite me having gotten rid of all her books she grew ot of. DD didn't read before she started school, but has gone on to pick it up quickly and read very very well for her age.

muppetgirl on Wed 19-Nov-08 17:58:31
"I can understand your point of view cory but when you have a boy who is desperate to learn to read, what do you do?"

Two things:

you let him learn at home.

(The teacher is not actually standing over him in the evenings, forbidding him to learn in his spare time, is she? Why would her not giving him reading books mean he can't learn to read? I taught myself to read two years before I started school, and was learning foreign languages at home before my mates had even learned the alphabet. No concern of the teacher's.)

you disabuse him of the idea that reading and writing are the only valid forms of learning.

(I am not at all happy with the ridiculously narrow definition of learning in this country. Why should it be assumed that somebody is not learning if they are not reading? What about natural history and sewing and cooking and baking and clay modelling and woodwork and basic electricity? IMO a well educated 6yo ought to have a basic grasp of all of these)

True! But the activities can be passionately enjoyed by children too.

Cory

He does learn at home. He's 4, it's very hard for a 4 year old with an interested parent not to learn.

I didn't understand the term 'disabuse', please could you explain it as I've never heard of it before.

How, by reading with him for 10-15 mins a day, am I giving him the idea that reading and writing are the only forms of leaning? Most children watch tv for hours but that's fine as it's nothing academic? I think you need to remember my son wants to do this, it's not something I have to stand over him to make him do.

I also could read before I went to school. The school could not cope with this as they had a meeting with my parents in which they asked them to stop reading with me at home as I was too far ahead. I LOVED books and still do and I think my son is the same.

I think I tend to see reading as one of a great number of activities that all go to enrich a child's life and shape a whole person. And they are all fun! I did enjoy learning about German grammar when I was 6, but I also enjoyed the fact that I could bake good cakes (sadly, no talent for sewing, which upset my mother).

But what I don't get is the idea that a child must be held back because he is not taught something at school at that precise moment. You can read, can't you Muppetgirl? Then teach him! If he is both bright and eager to learn you'll probably hardly need to do any teaching; just keep bringing him books.

disabuse someone of an idea means tell them it's not true

"How, by reading with him for 10-15 mins a day, am I giving him the idea that reading and writing are the only forms of leaning?"

I never meant that you would be giving him this idea by reading with him at home.

But if you think he is held by back because he is not doing this particular form of learning (out of the many available) during the few hours he spends at school during his first term in reception- then it does sound like you do give an awful lot of weight to it. That's what I meant. By all means, do your own reading at home, but leave the school to it for the time being.

Cory

I have taught him, that's the problem. The school don't recognise this and give him simple text that have no story. That's the other problem.

I'm glad you feel that reading is one of a number of activities that enrich a child's life. We are in agreement.

Also it's something that my son and I can do together where we actually meet with mutual enjoyment. I was a 'cellist, I can sew, am arty which are things he's impressed with but doesn't want to do. He's not into cooking, playdough, sewing really a lot of 'enriching' activities. I suppose what I'm saying these activities are enriching if the child actaully wants to do them. He sees colouring in as a form of punnishment!

Cory
I do agree with leaving the school to it but ds is being told different things by different people which is not a good base to start from. School tell him to look at the pictures to find the cues to the words. I tell him to look at the text and when he does, he reads very well.

I think my dd sounds very similar to muppetgirl's ds - she really wants to learn to read more and I would like a bit more guidance on what books to give her that might work in partnership with what she does in school. Unfortunately, muppetgirl, the school isn't even giving simple text, just making them repeat sounds endlessly which she could do 12 months ago.

BTW I'm not boasting about her library attendance or number of books - I'm just pointing out that lessons on how to turn a page etc aren't that applicable to her.

Oxford Reading Tree - Biff, Kipper, Floppy characters - are nice ones to start with. Usborne do a set too. Pre-reading stuff like Jolly Phonics and Letterland are good for getting the letter sounds. Jolly Phonics has actions associated with each letter whereas Letterland has characters. I find it easier to remember Letterland but my ds likes the JP actions.

Also I-spy, reading car number plates, street signs etc are good intros. It is worth talking to the school to let them know your concerns. My ds could read before he started school but pretended he couldn't (his mum did the same so it must be a family trait!). Only now is he getting 'proper' reading books sent home.

Thank you - that's really helpful. We had got hold of a couple of the Floppy books which she likes but hadn't heard of Letterland.

Speaking to school seems pretty hopeless as the teacher just spent the whole meeting telling me that I should better appreciate the efforts she was making and she feels really saddened that other mothers and I don't recognise all the hard work she puts in (we do but we don't like having her take credit for getting them reading and then refuse to help them progress with it).

Lala it doesn't sound as though much will change however tactful or persuasive you are. I wouldn't worry about her reading falling behind though, as you sound as though you do so much with her at home.

I would be a bit more concerned about her losing interest a little bit, becoming demotivated. Cory's got it a bit off whack with saying "tell her it's not the only valid form of learning" because as you know, when you can read, a wonderful world is opened up, it's not just about academic pushiness.

I would carry on as you are and not let your daughter know that you are concerned about the fact that she's not being given books or being listened to by the teacher. Can you explain it to her in any way that she doesn't start thinking there's something she's missing out on?

Setting differentiated work for 25+ 4-5 year olds is asking too much. But perhaps say to the teacher: I accept you don't read at school but it would be great if my dd could bring in a book she's read at home once a week, just to show you (and hopefully get an Oh how smashing).

Sooner or later she'll be assessed and will go on to books that are her level. I honestly don't think this is something you'll be able to change.

I think the reading books is a red herring here.

My reception-age Dd2 can read quite well (will happily read ORT Stage 8/9 with little or no support) but gets sent home with ORT stage 2 or 3, cos all the reading is assessed by a TA who, frankly, isn't the brightest spark in the fire, and hasn't thought to give dd2 something a bit more challenging.

I don't give a stuff about this atm because the reception teacher is ACE and is doing the most amazingly imaginative things with them in class. They've done a topic on senses, learnt about sweet, salty and sour (with tasting sessions) done African dancing, made African necklaces, learnt some Italian songs, built their own story corner, gone on trips to the park to collect leaves and learn to make compost etc. They are now doing a topic on animals, for which the teacher today took them to a nearby petshop where they bought (apparently) 'a bouncing rubber mouse and a dog bowl'. They don't have an actual dog in the classroom (obviously), but are apparently going to build a life-sized model dog (to go with the bowl, presumably).

This is all bonkers, in quite an inspired way, though it seems to lead into learning actual subjects -- the animals topic has inspired a wall display on size, for example. This is what I think Reception kids should be doing, and frankly I'd pay good money to have my child taught by her current teacher. And because I think what goes on in the classsroom is great, I'm really not that fussed about the reading books, as we have plenty at home left over from the older dc for her to read. If she was spending all day doing letters and numbers worksheets, and learning how to turn the pages of a book, then I would be concerned, as I think it's really demotivating for a child to be forced to spend time 'learning' stuff they can do already.

So you need to decide whether what you're dealing with is a good school that are a little lax wrt reading levels (which is fine) or a school that don't have the insight or the inspiration to do anything with the kids that exceeds their narrow understanding of the curriculum. Only you can decide that, it really isn't ultimately about reading books.