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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

reading books

32 replies

LumpyB · 13/04/2010 18:28

My DS got one reading book in his book bag to bring home for easter( Oxford reading tree red), he now knows it off by heart.Is this usual,he 's just started in reception, I thought they would send at least a few.I've tried the local library but they seem to have nothing at this level(librarian not helpful)I do read alot to him but he seems to find the non scheme books really tricky.Any ideas?

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siblingrivalryisrelative · 13/04/2010 18:54

When you say he 'knows it off by heart' do you mean can read it or has he just memorised it? And what do you mean by 'is this usual'?

Just making sure I understand your post before replying!

redskyatnight · 13/04/2010 19:14

DS's school don't send reading books home over the holidays at all.

In terms of getting him to read, Red Nose readers are good and at a variety of levels, otherwise let him pick any book he fancies and pick out words he knows or try to get him to read the odd sentence. Depends on his ability really ...

Seona1973 · 13/04/2010 19:50

dd didnt get any reading books home for easter and she is in the year above. We read to her at home though and she has a go at reading ds's (age 3) books too.

PatriciaHolm · 13/04/2010 20:34

i can't imagine a lot of schools having enough books at the right level to send every child home over Easter with "at least a few" books, tbh. DD has one, as usual, and we have bought a few more and found some more at the library. Try him on some of his very early baby books - very simple, few words?

Cazzybabe · 13/04/2010 21:45

I am always looking for more books for DS ? sometimes buy from www.thebookpeople.co.uk . You can get a big pack of Oxford Reading Tree books but not many of them are at the right level. I would have a look at www.readingchest.co.uk which has saved me this holiday. You rent books instead of buying them and get as many as you like at each reading level.DS likes it because he can choose just non fiction ones.

ShoshanaBlue · 13/04/2010 22:23

We got one reading book for over Easter - it's a bit too long to merely memorise though. I'd have thought that was just normal...we have plenty of books at home as well as visiting the library.

gleegeekgleek · 13/04/2010 22:31

I think holidays are a time for them to have a break from school work. At best we've looked at some normal books and ds had read bits of those but we haven't done reading scheme ones.

DreamTeamGirl · 13/04/2010 22:35

We got 2 as usual, and like you, DS has thoroughly read them

We bought some others from the Book People tho so we have a good stock for when he is bored of whatever school have sent home- we have this set

Any other libraries near by? You can use your card in any in the same county

Original poster

LumpyB · 13/04/2010 22:37

Thankyou, will have a look at bookpeople and Reading chest. Buy 'is it usual' I meant do some schools send more books home for them to read in the holidays, but it sounds like I'm lucky to have any books home from school!Why would a school not send anything for them to read in the holidays?And he knows it off by heart because he has read it so many times.

OP posts:

siblingrivalryisrelative · 14/04/2010 17:11

'why would a school not send anything'....well probably because they're 4 and 5!! They're only little, still in reception class and school holidays are for fun and relaxing right?!

Saying that, DS brought two home over the Easter holidays - and I've only just realised after this conversation made me check his book bag

The Superphonics collection from the Book People is really good too if you were thinking of buying some. Makes a change from Biff, Chip and Kipper!!

beezmum · 14/04/2010 17:43

Its a pain when you take time to read with your child each evening however busy you are and then over a holiday they forget all they've learnt - a bit disheartening for you if not them! I've always kept mine ticking over by buying some reading books online sometimes ebay is good - dd1 didn't get on as well with our home story books as they were never quite the right level. DD2 seems much happier coping with home story books. At least I've found that I can re-use the books and I've lent the ones i've bought to various friends also, so they've had some use.

MrsDinky · 14/04/2010 23:36

I have to make sure I ask for extra ones for the holidays, otherwise we normally have 2 at a time, consecutive ones from the same series. Yr 1 BTW.

DS is considerably less interested in holiday time than in term time though!

BirdyArms · 14/04/2010 23:44

Don't think that I had any books sent home from school with me as a child until I was at least 9. Seems to be quite a recent phenonemon. Surely it's not too hard to find things for them to read? My reception child is reading books to his younger brother, odd sentences in longer books, road signs, library books, football programmes, top trumps cards etc etc. He read his school reading book once the night he brought it home.

piprabbit · 14/04/2010 23:44

Why would you keep reading and rereading the same book unless your child is begging you to? We read school books once, and then look through our bookshelves (or take a trip to the library) to find somethingelse DD would like to read.

On the odd occasions that school have not sent any books home, there is never a problem finding something for DD to read and enjoy.

School books aren't the be all and end all of learning to read. Nor are reading scheme books TBH. There's a world of fantastic books to enjoy.

Original poster

LumpyB · 15/04/2010 08:59

My ds reading skills aren't fantastic and he does struggle (so I would like to keep him ticking over during the hols), the school reading books with just one or two lines in he finds ok and they really have boosted his confidence.I think if your child is a much more confident reader football programmes and the tricker books we found in the library would be fine. At the moment anything like that just seems to put him off.I Have been looking at a website called reading chest it looks really good is anyone a member?

OP posts:

MiaWallace · 15/04/2010 09:13

I'm a member LumpyB. I would highly recommend it.

Dd loves a routine and has got in the habit of reading to me before bed every night. We do share a lot of books together but the reading scheme books help her gain confidence because I know they are aimed at the right level.

We don't have ORT books from the reading chest because that's the scheme dd has from school. She is really enjoying having a break from Biff and Chip and reading other books at her level.

piprabbit · 15/04/2010 10:28

BTW LumpyB, your DS might enjoy 'You Choose', it's got next to no words in it just loads of different scenarios and tiny details pictures e.g. What pet would you choose? and lots of different animals from mice to crocodiles. The idea is to read the book together and talk about what you would choose to do.

It's really fun and can make reading something to look forwards to, while taking away all the pressure of the actual words.

Builde · 15/04/2010 10:51

We never get round to doing anything school like in the holidays.

I think in reception we weren't given any books over the hols.

However, children need to play and I've noticed that my dds reading improves whether we read or not!

All playing contributes to learning. We don't have a TV so I never feel time is being wasted.

lottaluvin · 15/04/2010 12:31

We get two books a night for DS from his reception teacher. I asked for some over the holidays and she gave me two boxes (12 books) we haven't read them all, just as and when we feel like a snuggle and a read. It only takes 10 minutes to read a couple of books so not too painful a task. I love the closeness of it, it's my favourite time of the day....

I would say next holiday or weekend just ask, or put a note in the home/school book. I can't see a teacher denying you the opportunity to progress DC's reading?

hocuspontas · 15/04/2010 12:43

Any book will do! You read the page/line and then ask him to find words that you think he will know. You read most of the sentence and he can read the simple phonetic words. Predicting the next page etc.

gleegeekgleek · 15/04/2010 17:25

Agree - any book will do and why not write some silly messages to them etc. yourself.
Sometimes I do this and send them wirelessly from the PC to the printer in the other room and ds skips off excitedly to collect his special message

There is so much other stuff to practice reading other than reading scheme books so why not let them have a break from these for a couple of weeks? I honestly think the more different things my ds reads, the better his reading gets.

DreamTeamGirl · 15/04/2010 22:50

Thats fair enough if yours arent worried or dont get much out of scheme books, but some kids do and want to keep reading during the holidays

My DS devours Chip & co and when he tires of those wants the Snapdragon ones so he can show off his 'reading'
He struggles with other stuff still and then declares himself as 'stupid' for not being able to read it after grabbing it from me.
Little things like the 'a' being written like this instead of the way it is written in his scheme books makes it harder

Its fine if it works for you, but it isnt far to say any book will do- yes it will for reading TO him, but for him to read to me he wants his scheme books and I am not about to knock his confidence by saying no to him
Sorry but it just annoys me a bit when people make out that you are lacking in something if you enjoy using the scheme/ school books with them

mrz · 16/04/2010 08:48

Sorry DreamTeamGirl but the argument you have just given is the very reason why some children need to be encouraged to read books other than scheme books, especially if the school uses a single scheme such as ORT. Children can progress through the familiar format (and font etc) but when faced with a much easier book from another scheme (or non scheme book) they really struggle or get into the type of panic you describe.

MumNWLondon · 16/04/2010 13:43

My DD's school usually send home 4 books over easter / christmas / halfterm.

lovecheese · 16/04/2010 14:34

My DD's reception teacher once gave her 15 books for the Christmas holidays.

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