How often do your children read to their teachers, and would this bother you?

[Duckie]

At Anna's school they only read to their teachers/assistant/parent helpers once a week - it's a big school with 60 in reception so I appreciate it's difficult to fit in hearing them all read, but she's not read to her actual class teacher in 2.5m, since the middle of February. Would it bother you if your child's teacher hadn't actually heard them read in that long? The last person she read to was a parent helper earlier this week but prior to that hadn't read to anyone since the 20th April. I feel like they're struggling to get her reading the right level books - she keeps coming home with books that are very easy for her, until Tuesday when she came home with a 20 page rhyming story which was a bit too challenging, and now today we're back to something too easy. I know it's all good practice but I just feel if her teacher heard her read she might be able to give her books which are just the right level of challenging without being so challenging that she gives up because she can't do it straight away . Would you say something or not worry too much at this level?

[ellabella]

she might be able to give her books which are just the right level of challenging without being so challenging that she gives up because she can't do it straight away

I'm not sure what you can do about it TBH. They are not going to be able to magically conjure up more resources so your DD can have more frequent one-to-one reading just because you say so.

I'm no expert but I imagine it is much better for confidence building and learning to read to have books you can read without too much trouble. It's not a race to see who can get to the highest level after all!

[Elvisola]

If you want to practise at home the Julia Donaldson Songbird books are good.

I got some for Ella in the book band level she is on at school and they are much more challenging and more interesting stories than Kipper etc.

It might just help you to keep her stimulated without making it too hard iyswim.

[Velvet Chain]

In answer to your question - no it wouldn't bother me at all. I read with DS nearly every day but this is only in the last 18months or so as he hated to read (could do it easily but really, really hated it) so I know that he is doing ok with his reading and that is the main thing.

[Jelly]

DS2 is in reception. He reads with a teacher or TA once, sometimes twice a week. He reads to us several times a week at home, so the frequency you have described wouldn't bother me.

The level of books would be a bit irritating and I would either speak with the teacher, or send a note back in the reading diary.

[Duckie]

I'm not sure what you can do about it TBH. They are not going to be able to magically conjure up more resources so your DD can have more frequent one-to-one reading just because you say so.

Believe me, I don't think she should have more 1-1 reading at all - I was just a bit miffed that it's been so long since her teacher has actually heard her read. I know they get feedback from me in her reading record but I'm not the person who hands out the books and they seem to chop and change the levels she's getting eg. last week she had a level 3 book which I wrote in the book was easy for her, they jumped to a level 5 on Tuesday which I said she found quite challenging, and today she's back to a level 3. I wonder why they don't just try level 4 but of course I didn't know which book she'd got till we got home so couldn't do anything about it anyway .

If you want to practise at home the Julia Donaldson Songbird books are good.

I got some for Ella in the book band level she is on at school and they are much more challenging and more interesting stories than Kipper etc.

It might just help you to keep her stimulated without making it too hard iyswim.

Actually someone else recommended these to me - I'm not sure if they've got them at school but I just ordered a set from Amazon yesterday so hopefully she'll enjoy them.

[Mrs B]

About once a week in Year 1, mainly to a TA. He had the same problems with getting the right levels too in reception, and things have improved enormously now as they let them chose their own books.

[Twistarella]

A reads to her teaching assistance or teacher once a day. I also think the book she brings home every night to read is too easy but I also recognise that it's all about confidence at this age

I think as long as you're reading with her at home then that will help lots even if the school doesn't have the resources that perhaps you'd like

[Rosa]

My sons school has 60 p1s over 2.5 classes and his reading and key words are heard every day, occasionally they don't do it, but pretty much every day.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk 2

[cheeky_biscuit]

In reception DD1 would read to her teacher or teaching assistant pretty much every day. She's in yr 2 now and it's to a parent helper, TA or her teacher pretty much daily. They seem to focus on the reading! In reception though they didn't skip a book which used to irritate me as she wasn't challenged but they've changed their approach after a scathing Ofsted report and tailor it more to the child.
Dd2 is in the school nursery and she does phonics, story telling (those wordless biff & chip books) in a "group" of 2, which is great for her.

[Lilybett]

L only seems to read to someone once every couple of weeks and to her actual teacher about once a month. Having said that, we read almost every day at home and the books that she is coming home with are the right level for her so I'm not that bothered. She is progressing quite well, if she wasn't maybe I'd be a bit more concerned.

[Faith]

I have no idea :badparent:

How do you know how often a teacher hears her read if you're not there to see it? Do you ask who she read to every day? Are you taking your child,s word for it that she's not read to anyone? Or do you ask the teacher?

I don't bother with the books they send home either. It's always biff chip and flipping kipper, which I hate and she hates. She's not capable of any harder though, so we choose our own books. She likes non-fiction best for some reason.

[Duckie]

L only seems to read to someone once every couple of weeks and to her actual teacher about once a month. Having said that, we read almost every day at home and the books that she is coming home with are the right level for her so I'm not that bothered. She is progressing quite well, if she wasn't maybe I'd be a bit more concerned.

We read nearly every day too and she's doing really well - the reason I'm concerned is just that they can't seem to get the level right. It's either too easy or too hard, but it was only through looking back through her reading record book I realised the last time she read to her teacher was in the middle of February.

How do you know how often a teacher hears her read if you're not there to see it? Do you ask who she read to every day? Are you taking your child,s word for it that she's not read to anyone? Or do you ask the teacher?

They ask that we always write a comment in the reading record book whenever we've heard her read, and they do the same which is why I know she hasn't read to her teacher for ages. It's not like she hasn't read to an adult at all, but not her actual teacher for 2.5m. She herself tells me very little about school, but I think she's feeling a bit bored and unchallenged - she's really looking forward to going in to year 1, and says she works really hard every day but no-one seems to notice (in specific reference to a couple of boys who have had 'star of the week' twice when they've been the trouble makers all along, and she feels that she works hard all the time). With the reading, yes, I know it's only reception but I do think she could do with being encouraged a bit more, especially as they just don't seem to get the level of the reading books right. We do read different ones at home if they send home something too easy but I don't know how 'acceptable' that is writing in her book about a completely different book not sent home by them.

[cheeky_biscuit]

Reading diary Faith.

[fifitrix]

In J's reception class they read three times a week, sometimes to the teacher and sometimes to the TA; the teacher sets the books and we get comments in the reading diary, and put them in ourselves if only just to let them know we've read the book. It seems to be enough I think; she's progressed quite well from the beginning of the year

I agree with ellabella though that they need to be reading books that they are comfortable with, and not just moving up the levels. J very quickly loses her confidence if she's faced constantly with harder and harder things, and it's more important to us that she just enjoys it. In fact the set she is on now I think are a bit easier than the last set, but she really loves the stories and I assume the teacher knows what she's doing. At home we read a mix of similar level, and easier books; she likes series of books that are predictable IYSWIM and again I think it's about familiarity

[Chell]

Ask about how they chose the level of book. I don't know about reception as DD was in year one when our system changed. The children chose a book that they think they can read/would like rather than following a set level.

DD is now in yr 2 and doesn't like the choice of books at school. She has the box set of Roald Dahl at home and a set of Rainbow Fairies books. She tends to take one of those to read.

[Jelly]

At our school they have to read through the levels regardless of where they are at. It's a PITA, more so with DS1 than with DS2 as he was a more competent reader at that age.

[DillyDally]

If she's finding books easy/hard, I would just have a go with them when she's reading to you, write it on the reading record thing, and maybe mention it at parents' evening if you feel it's been a bit inconsistent. Is it possible she's being allowed to choose her own book when she's finished? I was a parent-helper for years, and used to check the children had picked a book from the level they were on (the school graded a variety of different books into their own reading scheme, far better, imo, than sticking to ORT and bloody Biff, so there was always a range of type of books, including some non-fiction). Then find books she likes to read at home - I emphasise like rather than buying books from some other wretched reading scheme, which can be very formulaic and dull. Far better she tries to read something she's interested in. Obviously, all of this is my opinion, but I do think rigid adherence at home to levels and schemes makes reading some sort of thing to achieve, instead of a joy.

/rant over

[Miss Frosty]

Robbie twice a week . Once with the teacher and once with the teaching assistant !

Blair manages only once but that seems to depend on if she turns up ( always off sick ) and she can be bothered ! I read with them both every night though .

[Squeaker]

Every day and group reading a couple of times a month. The levels move about a lot and he often goes from difficult to easier then bloody hard but this keeps him on his toes and boosts his confidence.

A lot of parents just write 'done' in their child's homework books whereas we have a bit of a dialogue going with the teacher (which she probably finds really annoying) but it does mean that when I've said he's struggled with 'th' or 'ch' sounds etc, he is then given a book specifically focusing on digraphs for homework!