Guest Posted February 11, 2014 Posted February 11, 2014 Wondered if anyone has some interesting ideas to help me inspire my YR class, or their parents! As a group they are not very good at home reading, even going through keywords feels like I'm walking through treacle! I'm going to make some certificates for keywords awards which will be given out during celebration assembly, have written letters home about the importance of daily practice but seem to be getting nowhere fast....of course I have those who read the letters and support their children with keywords and they are reading well but what can I do about the others, and then there are the ones who read a book once and think that's enough! My feeling is I need to invite the parents in at the end of the day for a short chat about how to help children read.....any other suggestions? Thank you for reading!
AnonyMouse_47865 Posted February 11, 2014 Posted February 11, 2014 Having a meeting is a good idea. We always hold one in September and really stress the importance of home reading. We explain about phonics, pure sounds and then show the reading scheme books. We also have certificates for every 10 home reads. Children get a prize from the Head if they read every school day in a term and get a book mark for 100 home reads. One of my display boards has clouds and planets with 10, 20, 30 etc on and the children all have a hot air balloon with their name on that is moved every time they have read 10 times at home. We still have the odd family that we have to keep on pestering but most of the children do read regularly at home. Good luck :-)
Guest Posted February 12, 2014 Posted February 12, 2014 we had a meeting when i had reception in my last school, because parents have no idea how to support them at home. am nursery now, but i see parents of last year's class and they say children are struggling, so i offer advice. no meeting done by reception teacher. they want to help but just don't know how. and board suggested is a great idea. we have a 'i can do up my own jacket' board and parents want their child to get their name on it and their child to get a 'wow', so incentives work!!
Guest Posted February 12, 2014 Posted February 12, 2014 Thank you for your replies, meeting tomorrow afternoon so shall hopefully get a good turn out and see things moving forward!
Guest Posted February 12, 2014 Posted February 12, 2014 Thank you for your replies, meeting tomorrow afternoon so shall hopefully get a good turn out and see things moving forward! good luck - most parents want the best for their kids x
AnonyMouse_47865 Posted February 12, 2014 Posted February 12, 2014 good luck - most parents want the best for their kids x Ditto :-)
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted February 12, 2014 Posted February 12, 2014 My ten year old son is a very reluctant reader and trying to get him to read is an absolute nightmare so I like the idea about a reward chart which he seemed very keen on today. however please remember that sometimes there may be genuine reasons why children are not reading at home. I have been pretty ill since the start of the year and have also desperately been trying to recruit new staff with the last interview on Tuesday last week, one full time staff member left at Christmas with no notice so I have had to be at work for 7am every morning and staying until 7pm. On Wednesday last week I had an abdominal hysterectomy which my son's school was aware of so last week was rather chaotic at home with my husband running his businesses, my nursery and visiting etc. (the op took 4 times longer than expected due to complications so he had a rather worrying time). So this Monday I am at home recovering when my son's teacher phones me "sorry I know you have been in hospital but J has not handed in homework this week, has not been reading regularly at home and has not been concentrating in class today and produced little work in class"!!!!!!" Words fail me. Could she not have waited a week? So so cross. As was my husband who went in on Tuesday to complain. On a postive note however I am now well enough for him to read to me every day and seven new staff recruited in the last two weeks means I can spend a lot more time at home.
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted February 13, 2014 Posted February 13, 2014 I too have a very reluctant 10yr old reader and it has always been the same - no matter how much I tried, every night was and still is an absolute battle. I feel like a bad parent when faced with the teacher and the "he really needs to read more" line but there is nothing I can do. I think for Reception aged parents maybe showing/proving to them how not reading affects their spelling and writing too as they get further up the school. My son has no imagination to actually write a decent story and his spelling is appalling which I put down to not reading.
AnonyMouse_48738 Posted March 8, 2014 Posted March 8, 2014 I had a parent tell my colleague that we were expecting too much from her reception son as he is only little so he shouldn't be expected to read and write!!! So I feel your pain with this matter! When I was in Reception I used to have literacy party mornings ( name chosen by the children) the children promoted these mornings with posters and invitations and dragged their patents in every Thursday morning. We would have out on tables literacy related games and activities and me and my trusty LSA would model to the parents strategies that they could use to support their children with their reading. Some weeks I would invite the parents to observe a whole class phonics/ reading/ writing activity on the carpet. We also had 'parent champions' who would volunteer each week to come in and read with the children. They would have to sit with the LSA first and observe before they were let loose reading with the children. We also have a reading/ phonic meeting for parents at the beginning of the year and promote reading with plenty of rewards!! If you can win over the children they will nag their parents to read with them and they have eventually give in! :-) Lumpty x
Guest Posted March 9, 2014 Posted March 9, 2014 Thank you for your comments, Snowdrop i'm really sorry I thought I replied a while ago but I must have cancelled by mistake, I hope you are recovering well. Can't believe what your son's teacher said to you! The workshop went down well, demonstrated lots of different ideas for learning keywords and importance of reading etc. The class now have keyword certificates handed out in celebration assembly every week (for knowing 20/30 etc) and a house point if they read at home. It's much better now, thankfully. Lumpty, I like the idea of the 'party mornings' and will think about adding those too my timetable. TY
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted March 28, 2014 Posted March 28, 2014 Thanks Annie D, I have had a lovely time off and managed to read with my son every day, do his spellings and homework. I must admit I can see a real improvement. Plenty of staff now so when I go back I will leave 3 days a week at 4pm so can continue supporting him. Very pleased to hear your initiatives are working.
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