Reading in reception

[thegrammerpolicesic]

Ds's class are not getting reading books until after Christmas. Ds can read reasonably and is very solid on letter sounds etc. So should he have to wait until they finish all the letter sounds after Christmas or should he get some books now? I can do stuff at home but don't see why I should and want him to chill out after school.

As background he isn't being listened to reading at school at all as far as I know.

I know about the Foundation stage being about play but shouldn't he be moving on gently and with his reading as every child matters and all that?

He isn't learning anything new but is having fun. Very happy for him to go over letter sounds but want him to make progress too.

I think that if you are worried about this then reading with him at home for 15mins everyday won't hurt, just make it enjoyable, you don't want him to see it as a "task".
My DS is in reception and doesn't read or know letters yet (he has special needs), but I always read to him after school.

I agree with you, the school should be streching him a bit more if he is ready for it.

Just because you aren't getting books home may not mean he isn't learning anything. In our class some children have only just started taking books home but since the beginning of term have had phonics, a literacy writing 'lesson', shared writing and shared reading every day with a group guided reading session once or twice a week.

Reading books that come home (in our setting anyway) are just to consolidate what has already been learnt, not a learning exercise in itself.

Speak to the teacher if you are concerned.

Hocus - as far as I know they aren't doing anything other than phonics (and even that's been very slow). No guided reading etc.

They are teaching them all the letter sounds (they've done about six).

Now of course ds will be learning other things e.g. how to be at school but he doesn't seem to be doing anything at all to help with his reading.

So do I haveto just sit and wait until the others all catch up, say by the end of the Spring term or is it fair and reasonable to expect he should have a little bit of work at his level (and the level of any others who can read as I know he isn't the only one)?

Reception isn't generally very strong on doing lots of reading, esp individual reading on the whole.

You DS can be reading every day at home with you now. He won't be doing that at school even after Christmas anyway - will just be bringing home a school book for you to read with him, as well as doing weekly group reading with his teacher.

It doesn't matter what you read with your DS. It doesn't have to be reading scheme books - real books are just as good, if not better.

As the year goes on they may decide to group them for phonics; however this is less likely in Reception. It is not really how reception works - which is all focused on play, not structured learning sessions.

My DD has been bringing home reading books since week 1. She is now on Oxford Reading Tree Stage 2. I think I would be concerned in your position as she was pretty much reading when she started school and was excited to do more

On the other hand the daughter of a friend went to a school where the priciple was no structured learning until 6 and that was when she started learning to read. She now loves reading and always has her nose in scarily grown up books.

I dont think it does any harm for them to learn to read a bit later - in fact doesnt the evidence support this? But I understand your frustration.

Surely you can just read with him at home. I say this because DS2 was reading pretty fluently at the start of Reception and they didn't get books home till after October half term, so he would just read to me after school (when he would have been reading school books, if they'd sent them home) and to himself whenever he wanted to. It was actually better than when they first started sending books home, as at least he was reading at the right level and what we both thought looked fun. Later, when his teacher had realised exactly how well he was reading, we chose books for him together.

I could and do read at home with him but think he should be doing some at school too?

DD started on the ORT books straight away - but for the first couple of weeks there were no words - so they had to "tell" the story by looking at the pictures. Now that they have realised she has good comprehension we have started with words (although she was reading similar level books at pre-school).

They choose a library book weekly, and can change a book from the boxes in clas sas often as they want.

I have always read to DD (we are all bookworms) and we go through a dozen library books a week!!

She's learning phonics and knows most of her letter sounds. She has even started sounding and spelling words out herself.

I would be concerned if my DS had to wait til after Christmas for a reading book. The reception class he is in got a book in the third week if they were ready and as far as i know it has been staggered and once ready for one they get one.
To date, all the children in the class now have one. DS's group do guided reading twice weekly so are stretched by that but as far as DS says he doesn't read individually to the teacher it is all guided and then the book is then sent home for him to read with us.
The less able read once a week and then the SEN children consolidate the phonics that has been done that week.
If i was you i would voice your concerns and if no joy i would just continue doing what you are doing with his reading at home.

I think the teacher's whole philosophy is that they should do all their letter sounds first and then will get books. But this ignores the fact that some know theirs already so is just a bit and lacking in addressing individual's needs.

Ds has known all letter sounds for ages, can spell out words, read pretty long sentences if easy to decode and key words and is therefore more than 'ready'.

In a way more than reading scheme books for home (as I can use our normal books) I would like them to be doing something appropriate for him at school at least occasionally (as I appreciate he's one of 30).

Also I don't want him to come home from school and then have to do the things he should be doing at school but isn't, when he could be chilling out!

But they'll have all sorts of chances to use their skills in play at school - I'd bet your son does more than you know. I'd say talk to talk to the teacher and ask what the school philosophy is. I'm sure they'll have a plan and put your mind at rest. I honestly wouldn't worry about it though. If it helps at all, our school didn't have reading books until yr1 and lots of parents got stressed about it. Children could bring as many books as they wanted home, but there wasn't a designated reading scheme. It was a deliberate policy and it works well for my son. Remember lots of other countries don't start formal education until six or seven and their kids do fine and overtake our standards.

I know what you mean about reading at school, but he's going to be at school for a very long time and they do lots of other lovely (and educational) things in reception. I guess at your DS's school they see the first term as a gentle introduction to a long school life. If he had been in a final term of nursery or preschool this term, you probably wouldn't have expected him to be getting reading books and would have carried on reading with him at home (as I'm sure you do anyway).

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think it's a problem of perception rather than reality. It won't hurt him to go over letter sounds - DS2 enjoyed it, in fact, as it's usually only a few minutes at a time. And it won't disadvantage him in the longer term, as education is a marathon,not a sprint.