Reading Books

[Guest]

I have just started as a Reception teacher and would love some advice about reading books. The previous teacher did give the children books to take home when they were ready. They started with picture only books and promps for parents about discussion. then they move onto books with words.

My only concern is that the schemes they use in school (they have combined a few schemes into the book bands) are old and give the children a strange context of a way of life we no longer have. But my main concern is that even the first couple of books with words only have 1 or 2 few decodeable words in them. They start with labels such as princess and giant.

Is this normal or should I be right to want a more decodable book that the children can read and have success with?

Thanks for any opinions

[Guest]

I always think this about the reading books for my year one class so I know how you feel. We learn phonics but then the books we send home are the Oxford Reading Tree ones with Floppy and Kipper which are an old 'look and say' scheme. I hate this because the children can read words in phonics and then they get their confidence knocked when they look at their reading books because they can't sound anything out and they don't know the words.

 

Luckily we have got a few of the Floppy's Phonics books that are fairly new so I try to get my TA to send those home as the children's reading books as often as possible. I definitely think it's important that children can apply their phonics skills to their reading books which they take home.

[Marion]

I know some teachers who have stuck their own decodable text over the old reading schemes

[Guest]

Try the Ruth Miskin books- 'Read, Write Inc.' is I think what she calls herself these days

 

They are decodable phonics books so a bit lacking in sensible storyline but you could intersperse them with some Oxford Reading Tree which are good for practising the High frequency words.

Actually, I might be wrong but I think ORT have brought out a phonics strand of books now. Have a look at the website.

[Marion]

There are lots of good decodable reading schemes on the market if you have the funds to buy them.

I like Songbird, Rigby Star Phonics, Ragtag Rhymes and Big Cat Phonics.

[Guest tinkerbell]

My class love Jelly and Bean a really lovely phonic reading scheme and very cheap

 

Tinkerbell x

[catma]

To be honest I can't see why a child would be given a reading book to take home (not of their own choosing for pleasure that is) that wasn't pitched and suitable for their phonic phase/book band?? If the book doesn't allow them to rehearse the skills they are developing is there any value in them taking it home, if all it does is dishearten them??

 

You have to decide the point of taking a particular book home and if it is to primarily to practice decoding skills then the text inside should let them do that!!

 

Rigby star are a good core set. The book bands book from CLPE gives a very good overview of all the available main schemes.

 

Cx

[Guest]

Thanks so much for all the ideas and confirming that I am not going mad! I have a meeting with my Head next week about progress and will bring this up!

Thanks again

x