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Original poster

Marking the work of a child with dyslexia

32 replies

LionAndEmperor13 · 30/09/2024 16:34

So my son (11, y7) has just started secondary. He has sever dyslexia, diagnosed when he was 9. He had a (written) Spanish test and scored very low. Fair enough, he probably didn't do much revision, but it was a basic vocab test and I thought he'd get a few more.
When I asked him about the test paper and if I could see it, he said he gave it to another child in the class to mark (as instructed by the teacher).
Is this standard practice?
I would have thought an adult, who is aware of his dyslexia, should be marking his work.
Not sure if I'm over-reacting, but a random child from the class might easily see a word with a reversed letter, or single consonant rather than double, and mark the whole question as wrong.
(NB it was a vocabulary test, not a spelling test).

OP posts:
Original poster
LionAndEmperor13 · 01/10/2024 13:05

BusMumsHoliday · 01/10/2024 07:12

I think there's a bit of confusion about peer marking as a technique in class. It's not usually to assess progress or ability; it's a teaching method. It's so pupils can learn from each others successes and mistakes, as well as their own. It's also an extra chance for them to engage with the material - they have to listen to the vocab and spelling to mark the test.

If your son uses a laptop then he should have used a laptop. But I'd only raise this if your son felt upset by the peer marking process - and it doesn't sound like he did?

Not sure why you think it doesn't sound like he was upset - he was extremely upset, in floods of tears when I picked him up. He was embarrassed that the other child knew his mark (2 out of 30), and he was ashamed at the low mark.
He used a laptop at primary but as he's only just gone up to secondary, it's taken ages for them to sort out getting him a laptop to use, so he's checked one out so far for English, but hasn't actually used it in Spanish yet. However the teacher should know from his pupil passport that using a laptop is his normal way of working.

OP posts:
BusMumsHoliday · 01/10/2024 07:12

I think there's a bit of confusion about peer marking as a technique in class. It's not usually to assess progress or ability; it's a teaching method. It's so pupils can learn from each others successes and mistakes, as well as their own. It's also an extra chance for them to engage with the material - they have to listen to the vocab and spelling to mark the test.

If your son uses a laptop then he should have used a laptop. But I'd only raise this if your son felt upset by the peer marking process - and it doesn't sound like he did?

EndlessLight · 30/09/2024 22:46

If DS normally uses a laptop, he should have been using that for the test. Similarly, if extra time was needed (not all that need extra time in a longer exam would need it in a vocab test) then that should have been catered for, too.

Peer marking is completing separate to EAA.

Original poster
LionAndEmperor13 · 30/09/2024 22:41

thanks - but if this is following his normal way of working, he should have been given a laptop, and extra time. And if we're following the JCQ exam access arrangements then why is a random child marking the test instead of a qualified adult?

OP posts:
EndlessLight · 30/09/2024 22:32

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be seen as a reasonable adjustment. Usually exams and tests in secondary follow JCQ’s exam access arrangement guidance. That is because exam access arrangements have to be the child’s normal way of working and it is a good way of collecting evidence and seeing who needs what. MFL GCSEs take into account spelling (split into major and minor errors depending on things such as if the meaning/tense is changed or not) and JCQ’s guidance does not allow e.g. spell check enabled or a scribe without the pupil dictating each letter for MFL exams.

It is worth reading JCQ’s guidance so you know what type of adjustments can be made for different subjects.

Original poster
LionAndEmperor13 · 30/09/2024 22:23

EndlessLight · 30/09/2024 17:47

Peer marking is common, yes.

In MFL at DS2’s secondary, vocab had to be spelt correctly in order to be marked correct in vocab tests.

thank you. But surely if it's a vocab test, a reasonable adjustment for someone with dyslexia would be maybe to do the test orally, rather than written? As otherwise it basically becomes a spelling test, just in a different language?

OP posts:
EndlessLight · 30/09/2024 17:47

Peer marking is common, yes.

In MFL at DS2’s secondary, vocab had to be spelt correctly in order to be marked correct in vocab tests.