Calling all primary school teachers - summer reading for year one

efrieze

My daughter has just finished reception. I wanted to keep her brain ticking over in the holidays (and i admit i am a pushy mum!) so i have bought or borrowed more reading books on her reading scheme. She finisehd reception on stage 7 of oxford reading tree and i have already read with her about eight books from stages 7/8/9 in addition to many other library books etc.

My question is whether it is appropriate for me give the teacher a list of all the ORT books we have covered in the holidays to show her the level we have moved to and to avoid duplicates coming home in the first week. If you had such a note from a parent on the first day or term, would it annoy you and make you label the mum (and possibly the child) as a pain in the a@se or a trouble maker.

Before anyone tells me that kids need a rest in the holidays etc, i just don't want to lose momentum and the ORT books are only a small proportion of the books we are reading together.

mrcow

I think it's pretty pointless. There's way more to reading than the Oxford Reading Tree. If she gets a duplicate home after September, then get her to read something else. Using a variety of texts is the way that you will stimulate and improve her reading.

Give her something else to read that will stretch her vocab. Try the Mr. Men books, short, easy to read with some wonderfully descriptive words. Or Dr. Seuss - again easy but v funny and will help improve pace.

If you really want her reading to take off, help her to read in her head, then she'll be ready for much more than the ORT.

Gillyx

Well it depends, are the books sent home class wide or do the children get individual books?

I was under the impression that groups of children would be reading the same book, as the lessons will stem from them?

savingmummy

At my dd`s school children choose books to bring home and read.
I agree with encouraging the children to read and do school work when off school, but i dont think it is nessesary to write to a teacher.

make_me_wise

efrieze wrote: »

My question is whether it is appropriate for me give the teacher a list of all the ORT books we have covered in the holidays to show her the level we have moved to and to avoid duplicates coming home in the first week. If you had such a note from a parent on the first day or term, would it annoy you and make you label the mum (and possibly the child) as a pain in the a@se or a trouble maker.

As a teacher Id be pleased as punch to have a child in my class with a parent so dedicated to their development. All I would check is your childs' comprehension of what she is reading. When she has read the books with you are you going back over the story and finding out exactly what she has taken in? Lots of kids can be very fluent and expressive readers. But when tested they haven't really taken in what it is they have read.

meritaten

It depends on the teacher tbh - some are pleased that you and daughter are so far advanced - others seem to take it as a slur on THEIR teaching ability! I wouldnt actually write a list of what she has read so far - if she brings home a book you have read together over the holidays then quickly re-read it with her and make sure she understands what its about! once the teacher realises she is reading well then the teacher should start giving her more challenging books untill she reaches her true reading level!

bylromarha

As a teacher of year 1, I'd think poor kid having to read about dull Biff, Chip and Kipper over the summer holidays when there are so many exciting books out there which you can get into rather than the 5 minute flick ORT gives.

My daughter is starting yr 1 and she's really been getting into those mermaid books and picking up Faraway tree too over the holidays. Getting some quality reading time in and being lost in a book is what reading is all about.

There is so much more to reading than getting ahead on the school scheme! If the ORT books are a small proportion of what you are reading at home, why bother with the ORTs?

lilac-straw

make_me_wise wrote: »

As a teacher Id be pleased as punch to have a child in my class with a parent so dedicated to their development. All I would check is your childs' comprehension of what she is reading. When she has read the books with you are you going back over the story and finding out exactly what she has taken in? Lots of kids can be very fluent and expressive readers. But when tested they haven't really taken in what it is they have read.

I would agree with this. Although I am not a teacher I have done a few reading with children courses at my daughter's school and volunteer two days a week to read with the children there. We were told to be wary of very advanced readers at a young age for the reasons stated by make me wise above. Make sure she understands what she is reading.
I read with one little girl and she is fantastic and reads independently at 6 but I find I have to constantly ask her if she understands what words mean and a lot of the time she doesn't. She is excellent at the 'mechanics' of reading but needs help with understanding what the story is actually about.

HTH

Spendless

I think it'll depend on the school and teacher(s) tbh. I ran into a problem when my DS's yr 2 teacher only moved him on once all year-cos the rest of his table hadn't caught up:huh: (as my 8yo is fond of saying 'what's that got to do with the fish??') so he moved to juniors on an 'official' book colour that was poles apart from his actual capability and the yr 3 teacher refused to move from his view that DS read all age 7 books, before he was allowed to read age 8 and then he'd have to read all before he could read age 9 and so on. He wouldn't budge despite me going to parents evening with his school reading book of 'chip and biff find a magic key' and his home one of Matilda. After that I told ds I would supply whatever he wanted to read at home, as I had no desire to put him off a love of reading.

So I'd personally stay away from ORT and find something that your dd enjoys reading at home and supply her with them either bought or lent.

milliebear00001

Do you not have a reading diary where you and the school record her reading? If not, I (as a teacher) would appreciate a list so that I didn't duplicate the books I gave her to read (although presumably the teacher knows you've borrowed these books?)

I can't abide ORT though (and neither could my daughter). Due to her school's daft policy of insisting all children up to end of Y1 read EVERY book in the series, we rushed through them so she could become a 'free reader' and have more choice in school! Make sure she's reading as much other stuff as possible, both independently and with you.

efrieze

Thanks for all your replies so far. The reason i use the ORT books at home is I find it hard to find books which are the right level otherwise. There are many too easy and too hard, but at least these books are the right lenbth and the right level to enable her read quite freely and only question the odd word on each page. She does understand them fully as she reads with great expressioin and asks if she doesn't understand and often she will tell me the story back the next day. She likes the magic key stories too so not sure why many of you can't stand them. The boooks were borrowed from friends or bought, not borrowed from the school. I have also borrowed loads of books from friends so have my own mini library at home for the holidays and of course i am still reading some to her too.