Quick Poll: your experiences of reading books and reading records please

[Overmydeadbody]

I have concerns with regard to this with DS, but I don't know what is the norm, so:

1. How often does your DC's reading book get changed/how often do they bring home a reading book from school?

1. Do they have a reading record that you fill out and does the teacher look at it and/or leave comments in it too?

DD is 7, P3 in Scotland, she gets one book a week, 32 page Ginn ones, with a h/w diary asking her to read certain pages, for certain days, which we sign. DD usually reads it the whole way through the day she gets it - reads lots of other stuff at home.

So your DS is Yr 1 and a free reader OMDB?
When my DD1 was the same, the same thing happened. Once the reading scheme books were done, she occasionally brought a book home from school, but not regularly. It was as if the school thought 'our job here is done'.
Luckily DD1 is a bookworm, but I did feel it was poor of the school to ignore her needs just because she had met the KS1 target early.

madrush that is good.

Ingles if it was his responsibility I'm pretty sure he would be bringing books home daily. He's somehow getting overlooked

It seems from the responses most children get a new book at least once a week.

I wouldn't even care what type of book it was, just as long as there was evidence that the school where actually monitoring and encouraging his reading.

right, yes you should rightly be fuming, but it is important to try to keep a good relationship with the teacher, so be cool at first and let them put it right.

In Y1 regular reading practise is so vital, I expect the head would be fuming too. It actully makes up part of their homeowrk, see here for government guidelines (page 9 i think) There should have been some mention of their commitment and your commitment to homework in the home school agreement you signed when your dc started at the school and they should have a homework policy you can ask to see which should detail this (no reason why it couldnt be produced on the spot at your meeting tomorrow, they should have them to hand and be up to date) HTH

dd is yr R and gets a new book/read with every 2 days. We read book that night and then read other books the next night. I write comments in when she has read the book.

GreenEggsandSpam that is exaclty what I am worried has happened. That the school think that now that he can read their job is done, but he would still benefit from being able to show his teachers and enjoy books and get new reading material regularly surly?!

I am not happy.

1. It comes home every day, and is changed when he finishes it. Nowadays that could be every day or as long as a week depending how long a book he has chosen (he is Y2) but it has been the case since Reception.

1. Yes, reading record always comes home. Someone hears him read every day, and always writes at least what page they got to and usually a comment as well. Unless I am feeling particularly communicative my comments tend to be limited to a page number. Again, this has been the same since reception.

(disclaimer - this is an independent school and so may not count for the purposes of your poll)

Thank you plusonemore. Although I am fuming I will definately keep my cool, I'm not good at showing I'm angry anyway, am a bit of a pushover (can't help feeling like if I'd been pushier as soon as I noticed this it wouldn't have gone to this stage)

My kids are in Year 1, their books are changed 3 times a week. Now they are reading longer books they are not required to read one book a night but they'll be given 2 new books each time, provided their books have been marked as read in the Reading diary. If I make specific comments regarding a problem, she always adresses my concerns - but unless it's a fairly minor point, I prefer to address concerns directly with her.

Teacher listens to them once a week and makes notes in their reading diary that they have read, makes contructive comments if needed and suggests next reading level for book changers (parents).

Dd is in Y1:

1. Twice a week. She reads with the teacher or TA on Monday and changes her book then, and she had guided/group reading on a Thursday and changes her book again.

1. Yes. The teacher / TA writes in it twice a week, after Monday's individual read and again after Thursday's group read.

stealthsquiggle thanks. It all helps, I need to know what the norm is so I feel justified at being let down by the school.

That's good dancingbear.

The last comment left in DS's reading record was by his teacher in R, so last year! No comments have been left this year.

BTW, when I have had exceptional readers in Y1 or 2 they choose books freely from the library, maybe you could ask if they could do this?

yes, I will plusonemore.

Maybe it's miscommunication OMDB and ds doesn't realise. Maybe they don't have suitable books in his classroom so he needs to go into another class or library to get one and doesn't get the chance.
I would make an appointment to see the teacher but not go in all guns blazing. It's not great I agree, but it's not a huge problem as he is such an avid reader.
Ds1 has always been way above average and it has been left to me to continue with his reading. I can understand this though as ds2 has struggled and has had and needed lots of support at school.

DS is a free reader and it is his responsiblity to ensure his book and reading record come home and get changed when needed. My ds is a bit forgetful and I check when I pick him up and send him back in if he forgets. He does group reading once a week and gets a comment from teacher or TA.

No comments in reading record all year is bad form and I am for you

Ds gets a book every night that he has to read and there is a space in his prep book for his recreational reading. We don't get to see the reading record (unless we ask) but he is tested at least twice a term. Unless you mean me recording the reading - which I have to do daily.

"The last comment left in DS's reading record was by his teacher in R, so last year! No comments have been left this year."

WHAT??!!! that is shocking, the head needs to be informed, in my opinion. You should be hoping for a comment every 1 or 2 weeks, every 3 weeks at worst!!! And some teachers may manage a couple of times a week, especially in Y1. Ask if they do guided reading and if it would be possible to have a comment in the book after that.

ingles2 I agree there is probably an element of miscommunication involved, but that it has gone on since january without being picked up on is rather alarming.

He has a TA, 1 to 1 at least some of every day, so why hasn't she helped him get new books from library/other classrooms if this is the case?

sorry for the rant over two threads. I won't go in gums blazing, it will still be a struggle to get it across that I am very concerned and upset and feel let down.

If you don't mind, can I ask why he has a 1.2.1 OMDB?

DD is in Y2.

Reading books changed twice a week or more often if the child wants - it is their responsibility to change them and write it in their reading record book.

We write comments in the record book after hearing her read, we are supposed to comment on comprehension and what the story made them think about etc. as well as how well they read.

The teacher reads these and occasionally writes a comment - typically when they go up a stage. There are a lot more stages after the Chip and Biff ORT levels - DD is on colour levels now.

They also have free choice at the school library once a week.

Hey, some of us don't get reading records at all you know! Only updates are through parents evenings twice a year. I am amazed how school practice can vary so much tbh. OMBD's school does seem not to be meeting his needs, for whatever reason, so it does warrant being addressed.

plusonemore I'm glad you find it shocking too. I don't want to wait till tomorrow now, I want to go in there now and speak to them.

Oh dear.

The head is a new one, just started this term. I think I will make it known to the SENCO though, as well as speaking to the teacher tomorrow.

I do wonder if they ever actually listen to him read, if they even know how well he reads

ingles to be honest I am not sure, I don't know why the school feel he needs it, as he is such a good easy child at home. He finds large groups, noisy situations, and lots of things going on at once really hard to handle, so he has his own workstation in the classroom where he can do his work and the TA helps keep him focussed and on task when he would otherwise crawn under the table and stay there.

I worry that the situation is at least partly created by the school though, rather than DS.

I don't know what to do.

OMDB, sorry to hear this, it sounds totally out of order.
My ds is in reception and has 2 books which he changes daily, one from reading scheme and one from library as he is pretty well free reading. We have a reading diary, we fill it in and the teacher often comments in it, at least twice a week. My dd in Y3 has long chapter books and changes them when she's finished.
Hope you can get to talk to the teacher about it, it is not good enough.