"Go on, Mum," said Kipper. "Biff the teacher!"

[SourOldBat]

DD2 is in Reception and has the most dogmatic teacher ever. She insists that the children read every book at each level before they move up. DD2 is on Level 1 ORT, which she has been on since September. She reads much more demanding stuff at home - Ladybird books, Ant & Bee etc, and says she "hates" the ORT books as they are "for babies - they are not proper books as they do not have enough words on the page." So she makes little effort at school. She took a Ladybird book in to read to her teacher the other day, and the teacher told her that she could read what she wanted at home, but had to read ORT at school. She has told me several times that she has to finish all of the books in level 1 before she can be moved up. I think DD is becoming bored, demotivated (at 5!) and a bit of a trouble maker.

I don't want anotehr "See Me" from teacher and a telling off (yes, really...), so as I've made no progress, do you think I should ask to see the head teacher?

Does this make sense?!

[roisin]

Level 1 since September
How many books are there in Level 1? How often do they change their books?

No wonder she's getting demotivated.

[NappiesGalore]

mine are all too little for school yet, so im no authority, but it sounds to me like you should trust your instinct and go see the head. have the courage of your convictions and stick up for your dd - if you dont, who will??

[roisin]

P.1 The school
p.2 The teacher
p.3 dd2
p.4 the book
p.5 Dd2 is sad
p.6 Here is mummy
p.7 Bash!
p.8 Ow!

You'll have to imagine the pictures

[LIZS]

Poor dd2 , sounds very dull for her. Having said that dd is working her way through the whole of Level 3 -now on Wrens- and is becoming frustrated . She thought she'd "done" all of that level as she'd read all those listd on the back of the main books ! Will speak to teacher at parent/teacher meeting next week.

[LIZS]

pmsl roisin

[singersgirl]

How boring for your daughter - and of course for you! Surely there are only 6 core stories in Stage 1 (too many years' experience of ORT, I'm afraid)? They must do all the extension stories too! I just can't see the point for any child, let alone one who can read.

Can you talk to the teacher about it again? I would hesitate about going to see the head, but then I am always scared of getting the teacher's back up. I have been very frank with the teacher about DS2's reading abilities and she now sends him to Y1/Y2 to choose books.

[SourOldBat]

Roisin, there seem to be hundreds of the bloody things as they don't just use ORT, they use some other dire scheme as well. Last book" "Go on, Mum," said Kipper. "I am going said Mum." And we went on like that for the whole bloody family (apart from the effing dog of course).

DD is not dim (her last teacher thought she was brighter than her sister, who has been assessed as G & T) and has a very forceful personality. She frequently writes "I hate you!" (about her teacher!) on the white board in the classroom - lovely joined up cursive script, so how can she complain?

As I've said, teacher has already effectively said to me "leave the teaching to me" on the "see me" via the book bag. So do you think it's OK to go straight to the headteacher now?

[alliebaba]

have you ever met a child called kipper?

[SourOldBat]

Yes, Singersgirl, they do all the extension books too!

[SourOldBat]

No, Alliebaba, but I've met a few Floppies in my time!

[alliebaba]

pmsl at that... wilf and wilma are a pleasure too

[roisin]

Going to the Head is a huge step, and not to be taken lightly, and will affect your reputation in the school for as long as you have children there. But if you already have dd1 there presumably you have a positive relationship with the school already?

Will dd have a new teacher in September?

I know it's difficult to find good materials for readers at this level, but if you can somehow get access to the books she needs, I would at least consider gently ignoring the school books and just concentrate on making reading fun at home. Then when she starts a new class in September her teacher will hear her read, re-assess her reading, and put her on the appropriate books.

I'm rambling - sorry. In brief - I would be very reluctant to go to the Head, but think it's probably justified in this case - if handled cautiously and sensitively.

[Wordsmith]

SOB, has your daughter really been assessed as a gin & Tonic?

[shimmy21]

I have an american second cousin called Kipper. H(think his Kipper is short for Christpher.)

[Blossomhill]

Tbh I would be very cross if either of my children wrote "I hate you" about their teacher. Especially on the class white board

Sorry to divert from original subject.

My own son is bright (8 yrs) but his teacher too insists that he reads every book on every level. Apparently it is to ensure they gain all of the words from each levels vocab. I have no problems with my son's reading as he has read all harry potters and many more books that he enjoys. I just read his school book every other day, 5 pages and just make sure he is understanding what he is reading.

[ja9]

rofl at thread title!!

i'm a p2 (year1) teacher, and spend a lot of time each morning with biff chip and kipper, bless them!

the stories do follow on from each other, so we would avoid 'skipping' books, however, the books can be read at a pace determined by child.

i.e. I had a child earlier this year, who was clearly not on the right level of ORT, so we whizzed him on two levels. He basically read a book a night until he had reached the appropriate stage.

some of my reading groups spend about 3weeks on one book, others a week... we do varying amounts of follow up work as appropriate.

it's about more than a child's reading ability - a child can read a book without fully understanding it.... so this is very much taken into consideration when placing a child on a level...


having said all that, it is definitely no good if a child is being put off reading because of how it is being dealt with in school, and that must be dealt with sooner rather than later.

[robinpud]

I can understand your frustration SourOldBat. I have had years of Biff and Chip and they had quite lost their appeal until ds who is also in reception started reading them. He loves them and spots loads of detail in them so that the whole business of reading them together is really valuable as he is not simply decoding the text.
A couple of blunt questions - is your dd really reading? Does she recognise by sight at least 50 or so words and can she use phonics to break down words like map, pin clap etc? I am assuming that the answer is Yes, in which case you are right to feel frustrated. I ask because children are often coached by parents to the point where they can chant the book without recognising individual words.
I agree with Roisin about going to the Head. Do that only as your last option. Teachers adopt practices for a variety of reasons, amongst them habit and because they have the experience to know that they are generally right! If your daughter can read these easily, she can surely read 1 a night and change it the next day. Is the teacher not letting children change the books they take home when a parent has heard them read at home?
Teachers now do not generally hear children read the books they take home, preferring to teach reading skills to small groups of children with a similar ability. There are less than 20 stage 1 books if I remember rightly; so perhaps you can ask the teacher if she is happy for you and ds to read the book at night and change it the next morning. In no time she should be off that stage and onto the next stage.
Hope that helps- sorry it's wordy!

[Ellbell]

SOB... my dd's school makes them read all the sodding things too (and can change book only on Mon/Weds/Fri). I don't mind Biff, Chip and Kipper so much, though I disagree with ja9 about the stories following on from one another, at least in the early stages. Dd1 is now on Level 4 and there are the beginnings of a continuous story, but up till now it has just been random one-off stories. Anyway, the ones I hate are the Fireflies and the ones where Midge's mum buys an anorak (FFS... I complained about the lack of decent female role models in those ones ).

I do understand the need to ensure that the kids are 'really' reading, and so on. But it can get frustrating, I think. Sounds like you're doing all the right things, though SOB. Just let her read what she wants outside of class and 'humour' the teacher in school by putting up with Biff and co.

Must admit, I agree with BH about writing 'I hate you'. I'd be quite .

[Blandmum]

I understand the frustration you and your dd must be feeling but I would also be very unhappy at the 'I hate you' comment on the board. But then having been called a 'bitch' day before yesterday ,by one of my less charming 11 years I may be lacking a sense of humour on this one.

[ScummyMummy]

God- would be absolutely mortified if one of mine wrote I hate you about their teacher on a white board, I'm afraid. How did you handle that? It would be showdown time at our house!

Reading I'd be less worried about, bizarrely, though it does sound very dull for her. Sounds like she's having a lovely time with reading at home though and new teacher=new dawn in reading matters.

[sibdoms]

haven't read the whole thread but yeh, we had this with dd1 - the teacher was completely insistent she had all the wordless ort books for 2 terms even though she could read. I was furious but then decided just to read with her LOADS at home. When we moved schools, the teacher told me I was lying when I said dd1 had read her free reader in one night. So again, we just gave her loads of books at home. If your dd wants to read, and you give her the opportunities, she will.

[getbakainyourjimjams]

This happened to me years and years ago in reception. I started school later than my friends (don't ask- bureaucracy) and so could read by the time I started school. The book you were reading (or level whatever) dicatated which table you sat on- they were named after colours. I had to start at the beginning and was being moved very slowly up the tables, until....... my teacher had gall stones and went into hopsital. The stand in heard me read, then kept me up at her desk reading every book in the series one after the other until I had reached the level of the pink table (the top one) skipping out blue and yellow or whatever came intbetween, and incidentally I rejoined my friend's who had started school before me (and was then moved up with them at the end of reception etc- the people who started the same time as me were kept down and extra term).

It's only now I realise how she did me a favour :o - so there's the answer - gallstones! :o

[catrin]

SourOldBat
I am a reception teacher and wanted to make 2 points

1. this attitude would probably be school's reading policy rather than teacher policy - ask to see the policy as they are there for parents to read if they choose (if they can find it)- so at least you know if there would be any point speaking to the Head
   
2. in my opinion, Oxford Reading Tree is a total pile of shite
   

Good luck!

[annh]

What speed are the books being changed at? DS2 started on level 1 ORT in beginning of October and is now well into level 3 - and yes, they do read all the extension books. Your teacher must be moving through the books at a snail's pace

[NappiesGalore]

again, i am no expert, but it strikes me that going to speak to the head neednt be a big confrontational 'this teacher is crap' deal, as some people seem to assume. why cant you go and have a discussion with the head, and/or the teacher an d ask what you want to know? get them to explain to you how it works and why they are doing things as htey are and discuss witgh them whether you agree or not.
and as for reading material at home, by all means support school work by reading homework books, if thats what you agree to at your discusion that is, but surely theres nothing wrong with introducing your dd to other books at home? take her to the library and see what she picks.