Reading In Nursery!

[Guest stuk]

Hello everybody, Iwould like some of your wonderful advice please.

 

I am an NQT in Nursery and had a new little girl start last month. Mum spent a long time telling me how clever her daughter is and how she can read already. She wanted to know how was i going to progress her daughters reading skills.

 

After listening to her daughter 'read' her book from home it was obvious she had memorised the story and was unable to point to individual words or recognise any words in other books. She is unable to hear initial sounds too.

 

I have managed to steer clear from this subject with Mum up to now, but i know she is going to ask eventually. How can i tell her that her daughter is not able to read as well as she thinks. (I have children myself so i know how wonderful we all think our children are).

 

The children have free choice of the books in Nursery to take home and share with family, then exchange the books as frequently as they want to. This particular Mum 'helps' her daughter choose a book each day.

 

What can i say to her?

[Guest]

Reading in Nursery - Omigod nonononononononon no.

My experience starts with delight at my own lovely, intelligent daughter's ability, at the age of 3 1/4, to be able to read a ladybird early reader - taught at a fee-paying kindergarten. By the time she started school at 4 1/2 she flatly refused to read anything, but continued to enjoy looking at books and being read to. I completely regret pushing her now, though at the time I was a conscientious parent following the kindergarten's expectations. (She's now 19, studying optometry and only has happy memories of pre-school ed.)

Now I'm an early years teacher, presently in Nursery, and have had several parents ask why I don't teach their children to read, when they can sight read words that older siblings bring home. I tell them that I think it's inappropriate at their age to be slogging through sight vocabulary, that we teach children the many skills they will need to become confident and fluent readers and - most important of all - a love of books and an enjoyment of stories. Also that, with these skills behind them, when they start formal 'reading' they will be raring to go and soar away.

I could go on for pages but basically I believe that it's so much more important for children to TALK about experiences at Nursery age. If a child isn't practised at structuring and verbalising their thoughts they will find it really hard to make sense of stories - and even harder to write them in Reception.

At the end of the day, yes... you can teach 3 year old to read, but their time is much better spent doing all the things 3 year olds really enjoy and benefit from. And you probably already know what those are.

Love J

[Guest]

Hi Stuk,

In my foundation stage I start a reading diary from the time they start at 3 with parents and children exchanging their books together at the start of the day if they wish to. In the front I give information on how to encourage interest in books that will not demotivate them later, and how to develop simple skills that will reap benefits later. I also encourage parents to write down anything of their own that they read together and any other interest in letters or words. I then monitor children's skills and give tips and pointers in their reading diaries that will move them on bit by bit and write down aabout anything they share at the unit.

Children reading from memory ARE already on a reading journey and it is whether this child enjoys it is at the heart of the issue I feel. Rightly or wrongly parents interest in reading is a very emotive issue as it is seen as key to getting off to a flying start. I think you have to acknowledge mum's interest and quietly help her with clear objectives and ways to help which do not require any 'formal' letters or 'words' if you do not wish to set an unhelpful precedent. You could set up a diary for communication purposes.

I have a little girl of 4 1/2 who is on the way and she has not had a single word sent home. I have given advice on how to look for letters and words as you go visiting places and how to share text on everyday items, also how to point out a few words or letters in her books ,BUT parent always taking their cue from the child. This girl tells her mum 'I can read this' Sharing books for pleasure is paramount in our unit and all that jmoore says is true but I don't think you can have a hard and fast rule with reading. Hope this helps

regards Lynda

[Guest]

We are always asked by our parents when their child will be taught to read. At our open evening for parents, when parents visit prior to their child starting at our nursery, I tell them they will start a READING SKILLS PROGRAMME straight away. I list all the reading skills we expect to cover. These include, singing and reciting rhymes, speaking and listening, visual and auditory perception, visual and auditory memory, visual and auditory discrimination, expanding vocabulary, identifying rhyming pairs, anticipating the endings of stories, joining in with well known stories, word recognition and recognizing environmental print.

At the open evening I put out cards which explain how each activity is meant to be used and how it is going to help them learn to read.

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When children start to read they initially identify words by their shape. Shape recognition is an important skill which needs to be practiced. A first stage is to match familiar pictures of every day objects.

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Unfortunately children who have been pushed into reading often lack these skills, fortunately our parents take on board that simply barking at print is NOT reading.

 

Good Luck with your parent.

[Guest]

Forgot to add we use Jolly phonics but in a very active and fun way for the younger children, and look for ways to help children play with, distinguish, and enjoy sounds.

Lynda

[Guest]

I ordered this leaflet from the basic skills agency, it gives really good advice for parents on how to make reading fun, it also gives a recommended book list and stages of reading development.

 

http://www.basic-skills.co.uk/site/page.ph...145&product=600

 

copy and paste this link into your web address space.

 

 

Peggy

[Guest]

ooops you don't need to copy paste just click on the link.

 

Peggy

[Guest stuk]

Thank you all so much, I knew i'd get some great advice here.

Will speak to Mum first before she catches me out.

Thanks again!!!