Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Mumsnet poll - have your children started getting reading books home (state schools only please)?

61 replies

themumfromdelmonte · 29/10/2009 13:16

Yes or no??

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

susiey · 29/10/2009 20:05

we don't get reading books at all
we get fun books I guess library ones that we change every day

DwayneDibbley · 29/10/2009 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

LivingLaVidaLurker2 · 29/10/2009 20:20

Yes, we got three a week from second week. Started off just pictures, then two weeks in on to simple words and now books plus flashcards.

Oh, and a library book once a week.

(Off topic - My dd claims her favourite bit about school is the 'green boxes'. Her friend's least favourite bit is the 'green boxes'. When questioned, neither of them can elaborate as to what is in the 'green boxes'. A mystery indeed.)

Reallytired · 29/10/2009 20:26

My son did not get reading books until he had been in reception for a term. During that term he learnt strageries like how to blend and segment words.

What is the point of giving a child a book if they only way they have of "reading" is to guess from the pictures?

However my son had letter sounds to learn and word boxes of words to practice blending.

Being given books late did not hurt him. At the start of keystage 2 his read age was tested. he had a reading age of 9 years and 10 months at the age of 7 years and 8 months.

mrz · 29/10/2009 20:34

I remember a mum approaching me in January She was worried because her son didn't have a reading book. His reading age was tested when he moved into Y1 as 8 years 4 months (reading white band books) as Reallytired says why give reading books until children have the skills needed to read them?

henryhuggins · 29/10/2009 20:37

reception - no only books for 'sharing' not reading books for her.

after half term

Pitchounette · 29/10/2009 21:20

Message withdrawn

Original poster

themumfromdelmonte · 29/10/2009 21:39

I think your point is very good Reallytired BUT what about the ones (probably only a minority) who do already have the base skills?

DS is able to read reasonably (well given he's only 4) as per my other thread, should I ask if we can have reading books home even if the class as a whole aren't getting them or will that sound pushy motherish?!

Presumably the idea of sending books home to be read together by children who can't actually read yet is to ensure that all of them are being read to at home, as not all families read with their children?

OP posts:

FuriousGeorge · 29/10/2009 21:58

yes.

jellycat · 29/10/2009 22:46

Clary · 30/10/2009 00:02

In the FS2 class I help in yes.

Some without words, some with.

Only in the last 3 weeks tho.

Cannot see the point of sending a 4yo home with a new book each night from day 1 unless they started school reading??

choosyfloosy · 30/10/2009 00:11

Reception - reading folder provided straightaway; ORT book box from wordless to stage 3 or so available for us to pick from; change or not as often as you like. No checking up on us or anything. I liked the flexible approach. They could have given us a book every night but we certainly wouldn't have managed it.

SolidGhoulBrass · 30/10/2009 00:43

Yes, from about the second week. After a week of one-sentence-a-page books DS teacher said they would move him up a level (late September birthday so is 5 now and can read well already) and then another level until they found a level that challenged him - they all get three books a week and on the Friday they are allowed to choose for themselves.

jaquelinehyde · 30/10/2009 00:57

DD bought a book back from day 1.

All books thus far have been picture books. We have been asked and encouraged to allow DC's to explain what is happening in the pictures, and make up there own stories.

The books with words will start to come home as and when each child is ready for them, no set date or timescale.

BrigitBigKnickers · 30/10/2009 01:27

DD1, who was young in her year(june birthday) started school in the January aged 4.5(so not a full year in Reception) had picture and library books from the start and proper books after about a term. She was reading fluently from age 5 and a half and onto things like The Worst Witch and Enid Blyton from a few months into year 1. She acheived level 3 reading in KS1 SATs

DD2 (September birthday) was into reading books after two weeks but was not IMO ready for them, became very frustrated and didn't really start to read fluently until the middle of year 2. She also achieved level 3 in reading at the end of year 2.

They all make progress at different rates.

Don't be too keen to push them into to formal reading before they are ready.

mrz · 30/10/2009 07:33

Birthdays aren't important the first child to get a reading book in my class this year is a late August birthday so he is just 4.

seeker · 30/10/2009 07:49

Why does it matter if a child has lots of books at home?

SolidGhoulBrass · 30/10/2009 10:34

Seeker: if a child has lots of books at hime and there are lots of books in the house, the child is apparently more likely to see reading as something enjoyable and worth doing (ie the parents do it). If there are no books in the house then it's likely that the adults in the house are not bothered about books so the child will probably be less interested at least at the start of learning to read.

Niecie · 30/10/2009 11:19

SBG - I think what Seeker is saying, is that what does it matter what books a child brings home so long as they have books at home. I don't think (though I could be wrong) she is saying why bother having books at home?

mrz - what skills does a child need to start looking at books? Surely learning phonics, if that is what you mean by skills, only has any meaning if it applied to reading a book. That is certainly the experience I have had with my two.

mrz · 30/10/2009 11:30

Niecie children don't need any skills (other than the ability to focus on what they are looking at) to start looking at books.
But to begin reading books a child needs to understand that print carries meaning. That we read words not pictures. That we start at the top left moving left to right top to bottom. He/she needs to know which letter symbol (or combination)represents which sound and be able to blend them together to make a word and expect what they read to make sense.

Original poster

themumfromdelmonte · 30/10/2009 12:04

"Don't be too keen to push them into to formal reading before they are ready"

If that was in response to the OP, they are wise words and I agree but ds can read already so not an issue.

So MRZ what should I do? Could I gently ask the teacher if he can have some books now? I feel he isn't making any progress at school with reading. Would it also be fair and reasonable to ask if one of the assistants can do a short spell of one on one (or in a group with others who can read) reading with him as at the moment they are only doing the start of JP letter sounds.

OP posts:

Pollyanna · 30/10/2009 12:27

she has been bringing books home since the beginning, but they don't do reading books/biff and chip at all in her school (dd2 is in y2 and doesn't bring any home either).

kif · 30/10/2009 12:43

We got regular books for me to read to her in Reception.

Now in Y1 we're getting reading scheme books that she's meant to read to me ( {dullsville emoticon} - we both rebel and substitute in more interesting books from our own collection )

Kathyis12feethighandbites · 30/10/2009 13:29

Inmyhead - I agree it's no worse than Peter and Jane but it's hardly something you'd read for pleasure is it?! And Peter and Jane does have fab (though sexist ) pics - I can't imagine art galleries will be putting on Oxford Reading Tree shows in 40 years time (though I may be proved wrong I suppose...)
I think our problem is that dd doesn't understand why she has to 'read' (we're still on the ones without words) the boring school books when she has so many better real books of her own that have wonderful rhythms or are genuinely funny. Maybe once there are words it will be more worthwhile. I can see that getting children used to following stories in books is a great idea for those that don't get read to at home, but it's a bit superfluous for her.

Madsometimes · 30/10/2009 14:22

Yes from day one (when in reception), and a different book each day.

If children could not read the book, then parents could read it for them. The reception books only had about 20 words in them in total.

Flip

1 2 3