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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

What sort of comments do you put in your child's reading record?

72 replies

mumtoone · 17/01/2009 22:08

My ds started reception in September and the reading record book appeared in his book bag just before Oct Half Term. I've been filling it in but I'm not entirely sure how much use my comments are. There's been no letter to give guidance on what they expect us to do so I've made it up. Do you ever ask for your child to be given harder books or do you just leave that to the teacher to decide when to move them up? We've got a parents even in a months time so I'll ask then but in the meantime I'd be interested to know what you do.

OP posts:

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thecloudhopper · 10/02/2009 19:30

I would would just ask in the parents evening about what your child is reading, and how well your ds reading. Is she sounding out the words well ect. As a TA I often hear readers, and its nice to get a comment back from parents however long/ short it is. Comment on if she read well, and any words she found hard ect.

FuriousGeorge · 11/02/2009 15:15

Dd1 brings home the same books over and over,and despite my writing in her book,that she has read it fluently,possibly because it is the 3rd time she's brought it home,she still seems to bring the same old books back.She says she has read all the books in her section now,so I'm letting her read books from home/library books instead now,and sending them in her book bag/writing in the reading book about them.She read a book entirely of her own accord by herself for the first time last night,and it wasn't a school book.

Oh well,parents evening is coming up.We shall see what can be done.

melissa75 · 11/02/2009 15:42

From the teaching perspective, I use the reading record as a communication tool between the parents and myself. We change books three times a week, and my TA checks the records every morning. If there is anything specific that a parent has written or something of concern then she passes it on to me to respond to, otherwise I write in them when I do guided reading with their child or if I have individually read with their child or if I have something else to pass on to the parent and I know I will not have an opportunity at the end of the day to meet with them.
We also do not change reading books if the parent has not signed that the book has been read at home. In reference to having the same book twice, my pupils choose their own books, so if they choose a book they have already read, then that is done of their own choosing. Neither myself or my TA have the time to look through the reading record to see if the child has had the book previously. We consider the children responsible enough to make the choice themselves.

saadia · 11/02/2009 18:35

When ds2 started Reception in September his teacher wrote in his reading record that she was starting him on a certain level and to let her know if it was appropriate. I don't think she has time to listen to all the children so relies on parental comments.

Last week I asked for him to be moved up to the next level as he was finding the books very easy. She then said she had tried him on the next level but he found it hard. But she did give him one book from the higher shelf which he read perfectly at home so I said that he might be shy about reading at school as he read it very easily at home. She then said she would test him and then wrote that she agreed with me, and moved him up. The following day she moved him up two further levels. So in three days he went up three levels. My cousin, who is a Reception teacher also said that sometimes in the hubbub of the classroom children might find it hard to read as well as they can.

So, in answer to the OP I would definitely ask for harder books if you think they are necessary.

MollieO · 11/02/2009 19:16

At least you get books with WORDS! For some reason I still can't fathom (I am trying to 'trust' his teacher ) my ds has gone from getting books with words to books with pictures. I write essays in his reading diary which mostly aren't read (or at least not acted upon) unless I actually show the diary to the teacher. We do homework in less than a minute and then do reading together, which ds enjoys. I figure he is probably similar to me (I read before I started school at 5 and pretended at school that I couldn't).

KerryMumbles · 11/02/2009 19:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

amidaiwish · 11/02/2009 19:22

i just initialise it.
well once i wrote "she got this book last week but we enjoyed it again"
and that is it...
she's a very good reader though (reception), the teacher knows it as took her off the reading scheme so i don't have anything really to say.

lunamoon2 · 11/02/2009 22:12

I think it is important that a child can actually read the book, and not struggle over too many words.
I mentioned how my dd reads much harder books at home than the ones she brings home from school to her teacher. She replied with a very valid point that adults are not expected to read books which are "difficult" but read for enjoyment.

nomoreamover · 11/02/2009 22:19

usually I end up moaning that the books are not challenging DS and he is bored..........

BUT new school and new teacher appears to realise he is actually very good at reading so I now get to write comments like "DS was so excited about what was happening next we had to finish the story over breakfast" or "Well done DS - good sounding out of tricky words"

Its as much about praising DC to get them pleased wiht their efforts as it is lettign the teacher know how much they have read and whether they need new book etc

techpep · 11/02/2009 22:24

These are the questions we have in the front of the reading record:

Before reading:

What do you think this book is about?
Why do you think that?
What can you see on the front cover?
What writing can you see o the front cover?
What sound does it start with?

During reading:

What do you think will happen next?
Why do you think that?
What is happening in the picture?
Who are the characters in the story?

After reading:

Did you enjoy the book?
What did you like/dislike?
Who was your favourite character?
Which was your favourite page?
Why? What did you like about it?

I keep these questions in mind when going through the book and answer a couple of them in the reading record book. I also sometimes quote what ds has said about the book as it can be photocopied and used as evidence for the EYFS guidelines.

techpep · 11/02/2009 22:25

the fallen madonna - i agree, it isdefinitely more important to read with your child than worry about writing in the record. If you only have time to initial each page then do it.

plusonemore · 12/02/2009 07:33

why does everyone think learning to read should be a battle? Whats wrong with books being 'too easy'??? I think about levels of books being like traffic lights: green where they can read fluently, amber where there are occasional words to sound / comprehend and red whre there are many words to sound or the coprehension is harder. I think children should be given a range of these books all the time, so green for a few days, the a couple of ambers, a red...etc. Because surely its more important for them to love reading?

As a teacher i like reading comments that point ot either anything great or any problems you have noticed; and also anything interesting or funny eg 'we laughed when dad got wet' or 'peter liked the rollercoaster and hopes he can go on one too' or 'we think floppy is like our dog bruno' because then i am able to talk to the child about this comment, they remember reading / talking about it at home which then makes them more confident at school.

Oh and sorry, but if you dont write anything at all then yes i do think you just cant be bothered

Madmentalbint · 12/02/2009 07:41

We enjoyed this book.

Read well.

Read with interest.

Very fluent.

Struggled a little.

Lovely reading.

Read to the end. No problems.

singersgirl · 12/02/2009 09:52

DS2 is 7 (Y3) and still has a reading diary. It went missing in November so the last two comments were: from the teacher,'Glad to see your reading record's turned up' and from me 'Yes, I was wondering where it had got to too. He's currently on book 6 of the Lemony Snicket's and enjoying the humour.'

Apparently DS1 who's 10 and in Y6 still has a 'reading card' but I've only seen it once.

SlartyBartFast · 12/02/2009 10:01

read with great expression.
we took turns reading this fun book.
enjoyed this book.

ad infanitum variations on above.

Hotcrossbunny · 12/02/2009 10:19

Plusonemore - I love you Your post says exactly what I've been trying to explain to the other mums in Dd's class, but a lot more succinctly.

Our school doesn't have a reading scheme, which I think is fab, and have a dd who will pick up any book, and rummages through the box to choose the ones she likes the look of. Sometimes there are only 8 words in the entire book, but the story told in pictures is hilarious, another day she might choose a 36 page book which takes a few nights to get through. Last night she brought home poems I think she is learning to truly love books and reading and she isn't afraid to have a go at anything.

The majority of the parents hate not having a structured scheme with targets etc. They don't like not being able to compare their children with others.

Anyway, THANK YOU! I'll try to remember what you said, next time they get started

BTW - I tend to write how much of the book dd read, whether she's enjoying it and anything she found tricky/easy.

Wordsmith · 12/02/2009 14:43

I spend most of the time writing "PLease give him another book, he's had this one for weeks and read it zillions of times."

plusonemore · 12/02/2009 14:52

hotcrossbunny thanks! glas someone agrees

wordsmith might just be worth checking he's not supposed to be taking responsibility for changing his own books

melissa75 · 12/02/2009 15:48

plusonemore...what a great way of putting things, I love your idea of the traffic light system! I might have to steal that idea!

Fizzylemonade · 12/02/2009 18:07

I like that traffic light system too. I always write in the reading record, discussing the book and the story is always good.

Sometimes we look things up on the internet especially factual books. So we had one where a frog's tongue was really long and it had just stuck to the insect it was going to eat so we found something on youtube showing it in motion (can you tell I have a son?)

We had one called batter splatter about pancakes and my son was killing himself laughing everytime they tossed a pancake and it went SPLAT on the ceiling/floor/walls so I wrote that in his record so his teacher can see what he finds funny.

I write about words he struggled with or if he read fluently (means it was easy peasy to use his words)

Maybe I have too much time on my hands

amidaiwish · 13/02/2009 09:49

you'll be glad to know that last night i wrote "we really enjoyed this book. the mix of short stories, poems and factual information were perfect for x" vs my usual initial sign off...

this thread has been really helpful, i hadn't even thought of commenting re enjoyment, just if any difficulties or areas the teacher needs to follow up. so thanks.

and yes the traffic light idea is great - i think the reading scheme/levels give the impression of progression which us parents get focused on. how are they doing? are they being challenged? do the teachers realise that my little charlie can read harder stuff than this etc. etc...

Surfermum · 13/02/2009 10:00

I've only ever written "well read" or similar, and will write if we've done the sight words and if she's struggled with any, but after reading this thread I shall ask dd's teacher what would be helpful.

He has told me that they get much easier books to bring home than they have at school.

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