11 Plus Exams Forum

Was going to recycle one of my other threads on this but there are so many I couldn't choose.
Anyway, slightly different....DD told me this morning that as well as not reading their individual books, they don't do guided reading as a group any more either.Apparently, they read a book to themselves and then write down what the story is about.I can see how that will improve their writing...but their reading ?

Do you think this sounds right ? I don't want to ask at school and look silly ?

Oh, and incase no one knows my life history by now...DD is in yr 2.

Me again - I think that's great. And I saw that going in a local independent school I went to look round year 2 in recently. Reading improves reading, and particularly reading silently in one's head. I'm not sure it's necessary to write down something about what you have read - does anyone really want to do that? I would have found that a pain - still would. But it's an effort free method for teachers who need reassurance that the child is not just flicking through the pages "pretending" to read. I'm sure if the child is reading a book of their own choice that won't happen.

There's a school near here that requires children to write a detailed book review of every book when they complete it. Children take two routes round this - they either never complete a book (great) or they read a lot of books secretly at home that they never put in the school reading record.

Now, at my daughter's school in year 2, so far as I can tell there is no reading in a group, no reading on their own, they read out loud to the teacher from time to time - maybe once a fortnight ........... but of course they do read a book sometimes in the fantastic phonics groups!! Yippee!!

Sounds like your school is on the up Scarlett.

Now this definitely is a new thread.

What are your memories of reading in year 1 and year 2 at primary school? I remember sitting reading on my own, silently, at the table at school, and enjoying it. I don't remember reading out loud to a teacher or my parents. I remember some lovely school reading books - I've looked them up and realised they were Beacon Readers - Careful Hans etc. They are now out of print or I would have added them to my collection.

It sounds okay but I don't think it replaces guided reading. Usually, through guided reading, questioning can be used - including more higher order questions. I can't see how writing about the book will address this.

Whoops..sorry it's me now again....

I remember reading to a mother who used to come in and before I started reading I had to wait while she moaned about certain things/people to the other mother who had also come in to read I think I used to read the Roger Red Hat books....just remember reading Enid Blyton really....We weren't on the reading schemes for long and I ( and many others ) could read by the age of 5.

Thanks, Ed's Mum.That's what I thought...still I suppose it improves their writing, just not comprehension etc.

Well I agree with Ed's Mum, but in my school I've never seen any benefit to the limited amount of guided reading that might have happened from time to time. They did sometimes write the title of the book in the reading record and the book was always so ridiculously easy the questions would have been the kind of thing that would have been more appropriate to a four year old. A huge picture on each page, with a sentence or two underneath.

A reading specialist once came into our school to talk to the parents and they said that in general, guided reading material would be of a higher level than the material the child was reading independently. Have you found this to be the case?

I've asked from time to time about guided reading at our school and how it works in practice and have just been told that it is at the teacher's discretion what the child reads each week. And I'm not sure it happens each week. I usually know because it is on these occasions that my daughter tells me she has been sent down a group.

What is the guided reading like in Year 2 at other people's schools?

not sure about KS1 but in our KS2 guided reading is every day. Each group reads with the teacher on one day, level of books, questioning and guiding depends on age and ability of group. Another group has comprehension type activity, other groups may be working with teaching assistant , doing a spelling/grammar activity or 'free reading. Tasks are differentiated according to the group.

Each group has a box file (green group, pink group etc) one person from group goes and gets the box and they work for about 15 - 30 minutes (depending on age of children) It works well.

Same at my school Yoyo.
We actually had an LEA advisor come in to our school to help us set up a guided reading system that would be effective for the children. We were told that no matter what other systems we had in place (for example Ruth Miskin phonics groups) that guided reading MUST still happen.

Hi yoyo 123, aren't some of the things you have listed not guided reading? Or do they all involve reading something first? Do good old fashioned comprehension exercises - read a passge, write down the answer in full sentences - count as guided reading?

yes it's difficult to find enough adults to guide all the groups and this way children work with someone in a small group at least once. Something the middle lot often miss out on , especially with a teacher.

The comprehension type questions do make sure that you read closely and of course the teacher picks up on any misconceptions when marking and can plan further work.

From teacher's point of view it is good to be able to focus on each group too. How else can you know how they are doing.

I'm bringing my children to your school, Yo yo...hope you can fit them in....dd is very small and ds1 won't be there for long......