WHY is my dd so far behind her peers in reading?

[Enid]

She is in year 1. She has just finished ort stage 4, but tbh, she doesnt seem to have any grasp of the words that she read in ORT. She is on a new set of books now (jelly and bean) and we have just plodded through it - she needs help with every second word. If I tell her that says 'swims' and then 'swims' appears on the next page, she won't get it. She doesnt sound out words either.

Of course I feel worse about it as she has a friend home who read her book beautifully and fluently. All five of the other girls in the class can read very well and fluently.

The school is notoriously bad at communicating with parents - I want to ask them WHY is she so far behind, but will they just say, because thats the way she is and stop being such a pushy mum??

[elastamum]

I dnot think you are being pushy at all. I would make an appointment to see the teacher and go and ask all the questions you have. All children are different but if you are worried it is better to do something than nothing. Could she be dyslexic? If so maybe a trip to an educational psychologist might be needed to assess her so she gets the support she needs. My brother was dyslexic and hated school, once he got the help he needed it changed his life

[puff]

What has the teacher said in the past Enid?

I think you should make an appointment to discuss your concerns. I don't think you are being pushy.

[spacedonkey]

Children all learn at different rates. My ds was v behind with literacy until about year 4 when the penny dropped with him and he rapidly caught up. Is she OK in other areas?

[foxinsocks]

how old is she in yr1? I would go and see the teacher if you are worried. I do know that some of dd's friends are still on stage 4 of ORT (we have 30 in a class, 90 in a year so a fairly wide group of children). I know the parents were saying that some of them were still not 'clicking' with reading yet but it's probably better to ask the teacher what she thinks.

[Blandmum]

Enid, my ds is 'only' on ORT 2 and others in the class are on level 6. If your dd is on level 4 I wouldn't worry too much.

My son find it hard, ironicaly dd raced through things.
To a degree they all find different things difficult.

make an appointment to share your concerns (a chat in the morning or at the end of the day is s8 hard to mannage since you are usualy dashing round organising the first lesson/ clearning up.

Tell her you are not pushy, but a little concerned and does she feel there is an underlying reason, and what is the school going to do to help your dd

[Enid]

I dont think she is dyslexic as she has lovely neat handwriting with no 'backwards' letters.

but she is hopeless at numeracy and only just keeping up with the reading.

we have had one teachers evening and one report. They said she was happy and liked school. Her teacher has said that her literacy is improving and her reading has come on a bit.

but I can't help feeling that she is struggling.

the school can be quite dismissive actually and always manage to make me feel like I am worrying over nothing

[Enid]

martianbishop, she is on lev 4 but its all a load of rubbish really as they get a book every night to read and race through it that way. tbh, she memorises most of the story and only actually 'reads' some words

[LIZS]

Are you sure she is genuinely "behind". According to ORT website she would be about right for her age/school year. It might be sensible to have a chat with her teacher as to how you feel she may not be "getting " it just yet and is she concerned or dies hse have any suggestions as ot hwo you might approach it at home to help, but you may find she reads better at school anyway, when in a group. It may well come all of a sudden in time.

[Blandmum]

OK, in which case you need to have a chat with the teacher. My ds has a good teacher who spotted that his 'reading' was meaningless and we have kept him on the first level for ages and he has only just gone up to level 2 (and very proud and pleased we are too!)he also gets some extra support for an hour a week.

make the point that you don;t feel your dd is making progress and that you would be happier for her to take things more slowlyso she 'gets' it.

[puff]

Reading books being sent home shouldn't be a "pulling teeth" experience. There should be a good proportion of vocabulary that a child feels confident of within it.

You are right to want to voice concerns now because it sounds as though the level is not right for her.

[SoupDragon]

Ooooh - I read a great quote about this on the wall at DSs school which I will have to paraphrase. Basically, research has shown that placing emphasis on formal literacy and numeracy before the age of around 7 had no bearing on ability with those who don't learn until they are 7-8 often overtaking the early starters.

[Enid]

the trouble is...they have three shelves of reading books. dd1 has just made it to the bottome shelf - cause for much celebration, she'll be gutted to go back again.

soupy those statistics are comforting, thanks.

It just seems so empty to read these books with her, help her with every third word, struggle through then the teacher to write 'good reading' and on she goes to the next one...

[Blandmum]

Enid, wouldn't she find it better to be able to really read a gook, to find it relativly 'easy' which would build her confidence in the subject?

I realise that she would be initialy upset, but imagine how much better she would feel if she could 'do it' without struggling.

I'm not a primary teacher but I'd have thought that thbookthis stage should be only just abouve their level.

[spacedonkey]

enid, does your dd actually find this upsetting? (the reading at home I mean)

I'm not a teacher, but my feeling with my two children has always been that that "false" reading stage is just that - a stage on the road to reading "properly".

[SoupDragon]

Enid, these things click at different times for different children. I've said it before but at this stage of Y1, DS1 could barely read a word and even then it was spelt out rather than fluent. 6 months later, it clicked and off he went, ending the year reading (albeit slowly!) the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

It is frustrating seeing other children do so well whilst yours appears to be struggling. I was very worried about DS1 because both DH and I could read when we started at primary school and DS was clearly a bright child in so many other ways. I couldn't understand why he couldn't read. When it clicked, it really was like a switch being turned on in his head and he is now quickly catching up with those early starters. There are also still children for whom reading has to click (Y2).

[LIZS]

Could you be more honest in your comments - ie. seems to struggle with these words .... or to distinguish between ... (for us it is "went" and "wanted", "pushed" and "pulled" atm) and see what feedback you get.

[Enid]

well for once I have written a full and frank comment in her comments book -

dd1 is finding this series of books very difficult and frankly it is putting her off reading altogether. Do we need to chat about this or could she (discreetly) be moved 'back' a stage?

[serenity]

Enid, DS2 is exactly the same - he's on level 2 of the Ginn 360 books, and struggles. I get frustrated as in Yr 1 they get spellings and I'm not sure how he's actually meant to learn to spell something he can't read! I've spoken to his (very nice) class teacher a few times (it's difficult because DS1 was way above this level in reception, so my judgement on 'normal' is skewed) and she is totally unconcerned, but in a good way. Like Soupy says children pick things up at different times, and have different talents. DS2 wipes the floor with DS1 when it comes to things like handwriting, art or things involving physical dexterity.

[Blandmum]

Enid, that comment sounds perfect. I hope you get some useful follow up

Serenity, your sone, and mine, snap!

They have taken him out of the class spellings and have given him lots of phonetic ones, Cat , sat , mat, pin etc. He can do these and they have helped his confidence at reading.

At last I feel that we are making some progress, and I am very proud of him (and greatful to his teacher who is just what he needs atm)

[LIZS]

Great comment, Enid, hope you get a good response.

[Wallace]

Year 1 - how old are the children in this year? We are in Scotland and ds is 6 and in P2 (the second year of Primary) At the moment the children are aged between 5 and a half and 6 and a half. The majority of them are on stage 3, some just starting stage 4. Lots of them have been doing extra books "Sparrows" to to consolidate their reading. Maybe this is something to think about for your dd.

[puff]

Good comment Enid and hopefully you can get this sorted.

[Kittypickle]

I think you're sensible to have made a comment. My DD really couldn't read at all this time last year when she was in Year 1. I used to wonder how on earth she could know something one day and not the next. Then all of a sudden in the Christmas holidays it clicked and off she went and spends a lot of her time with her nose in a Rainbow Fairy book or something. DH and I were both able to read before we went to school and I guess I assumed without meaning to that she would be able and it was a bit of a suprise when she couldn't by the end of reception and a term of year 1 till she could.

[Enid]

it is mindblowing that your kids went from this stage to being able to read the rainbow fairy books or lion witch and wardrobe

poor dd1. hopefully we can get it sorted for her. Thanks so much everyone for your great advice.

[serenity]

Wallace, Yr 1 is equivalent to P2 I think. DS2 isn't 6 until June, but some of his friends are 6 already. Off topic the english school year (for age purposes) is 1/9 to 31/8, what is it in Scotland, doesn't your year begin earlier than ours?