SEn dd did really well under lock down but the school might un do this work, what next> Can anyone help?

[deflationexasperation]

We don't know what SEN she has, probably dyslexia? We have been working on it and her since OCT when I could no longer wait for her to "click " as the teachers kept saying. In the end last year I started to look for outside help and was given amazing advice by various tutors. We managed to boost her weekly spelling score etc, and things started to click. We have had hearing tested and eyes, and we are - because I spoke to the SALT now on the waiting list for the Ed Pysch when they next come to the school, I was told DD was in the bottom co hort of the class.
Her reading was still very slow and plodding so I again did lots of research and took her right back to the basics then tried flash cards. This gave her a boost .
In March she was a stage 6, just starting. Her reading was better but still stop start, lots of sounding out . Then I signed up to reading chest which sends out books to read from her reading scheme and reading eggs an on line program. We plodded through endless stage 6, then things really started to click for her and we moved her to stage 7, by this point she was sometimes reading 2 books a day and becoming so much more confident and I was also able to teach her so much more.
By the time she went back to school she is a comfortable stage 8 cusping 9.

She is very sensitive and was very aware that other DC were on on higher book bands than her and this was not helping with her motivation as she felt she wasn't getting anywhere

Her tutor that I pay for, who we didn't see over lock down, said she has blossomed over lock down, her reading has come on so much. I wrote to the school trying to tell them where we are - all the hard work she has done.

Since being back they have heard her read 3 times, a few pages of stage 7 books. Why they started with stage 7, I don't know but now they won't move her up - even when I showed her the certificate that said she has read 80 books.

I feel very deflated - I have followed DD reading very closely through lock down - always asking her about the story - character development - inference - prediction etc etc etc. I have an older dd who is - was an incredible reader by year 2 she was a free reader - I am not a teacher but without wanting to sound arrogant on this subject I do have a good grasp on it. I have monitored and closely followed her progress since March, I have watched her blossom, read smoothly - put wonderful expression in.

The school books are 2 a week whereas I can get 6 a week so I suggested we continue with stage 8 and the school give us stage 9 so we don't cross over.

I got a note back to say she struggled on some words and what the story was about and that they would keep her at stage 7.

This is about so much more than the level its also about her hard work her self esteem etc.
Also the school have not replied when I asked why she was sat at the back, the other two dc with SEN are at the front they have also not responded to my request written and by phone to talk about her medical issue.

I feel so crushed - and despairing what can I do? Over lock down our school didn't even give us weekly sheets to work on - we were told some history topics and told to go to twinkl.

If DD was a normal average student then I wouldn't worry about it - indeed my older dd was on a very low band even though she was free reading! Her reading prowess was always noted by the school!

Hopeful bump

If the school aren't seeing the progress that you are the teacher will not move your daughter on.

It might be that your dd is more nervous reading with the teacher than with you. A proper discussion with her teacher sounds in order; explain your concerns about seating, Sen support, book level etc and hopefully come to an agreement about how to move forward.

I teach secondary maths and I'm sorry to say that I have had parents telling me that their DC needs to be moved up a set/given harder work when all the evidence in front of me is that they're struggling with the level that's being set. I've always been prepared to discuss it and to agree strategies/targets/cut off or advancement points. However it is the evidence that I see in class that is used to make decisions.

User, thanks for wading through that long op.
I totally understand what you mean and the dilemma of being caught between a dp who thinks their dc is more advanced than they are..
In our case, they have not even tried dd on a higher level and listened to her 3 times over 2 nearly 3 weeks.
I can ask again, to speak to the teacher but unfortunately, I think I am consigned to the...

Usual dp reading level angst bin.
Unfortunately, dd will only read her school books. She either reads their level 7.
Or my level 8 or 9 from reading chest which she can do comfortably.

I was also told by her previous teacher that we have a home, school learning partnership, that was I think after her spelling took off.

People are very delicate, the wrong move, words at the wrong time can be what a child takes with them.
I am at a critical juncture with my dd from bottom of the cohort to somewhere more lower average I'd say.
Motivation, momentum etc are crucial to her.
We cannot go back to level 7.

I just don't know what to do.

I'm a Year 4 teacher and I have some thoughts but I'm worried you won't like them! Obviously feel free to ignore!
I think you are focusing too much on the levels. It sounds like your daughter has made great progress recently which is wonderful! Try focusing on this and building on this rather than worrying about which band she is on.
There really isn't a huge difference between each band, it can be quite a subjective thing from teacher to teacher and children can not read or understand quite as well at school as at home due to: nerves, noise in classroom distracting them, just didn't quite get the specific book...
What's most important is that she is reading and enjoying reading.
So read the stage 7 books the school has sent home with her, and don't acknowledge the band they're on, it doesn't matter and making a big deal of it will only make your daughter nervous or insecure about it. If she's not been moved up by Christmas I'd talk to the school about it but until then I'd try to relax about it.
More importantly I'd say is to build on your daughter's enthusiasm for reading by exploring loads of fantastic books with her. You reading stories to her (that are at a higher level than she can read herself) is just as important as her reading herself now that she has a good level of decoding. I'd really reccomend letting her read along as you read to her and a really powerful one is to turn the subtitles on when she's watching the telly (lots of research this helps children learn to read, a google search will find it if you're interested).
If you can afford to continue with a tutor, this would be brilliant to carry on building her confidence now that she's back amongst her peers and may be comparing herself with them. A bit of one to one time with a praising teacher is amazing for confidence building in SEN children.

What year group is she?

Ww, it matters to her. She's actually quite competitive and loves a challenge.
She is very aware of what her friends are on.
I saw myself from reading chest, that there is not much difference between 7 and 8. It's more about stamina at that stage rather than new sounds.

So, when it means so much to dd. It is critical holistically, why not, simply put her on stage 8?
Or stage 9.

They can't give out as many books because of covid. I'm a dp with a struggling child offering to keep her going with their book scheme at cost to me?

Why does it matter more to them to hold her down?

Im a bit confused. You can read whatever books you like at home? Is it you are worried that the dissapointment she didnt officially go up a band will demotivate her

I would stop focusing on levels, the key is to learn to read for pleasure and feeling it’s a competition will undo any chance of that. Look for other books or at least make sure mentions of the level of the books is covered before she reads them.

You do know that there is absolutely nothing a school would or could do differently to support a poor reader with dyslexia than they would do to support a poor reader without a dyslexia diagnosis?

Millie, dyslexia is sen, children with sen should be treated differently or rather supported differently.

They should look holistically at the whole child, a bright child locked out of learning all for a few tweaks.

Yes dyslexia is SEN, also a child who is struggling with reading also has SEN.

There is no support that you would put in place for a child with dyslexia that you wouldn’t also put in place for a child who is struggling with reading. It’s the same interventions, the same strategies, the same targets.

So, when it means so much to dd. It is critical holistically, why not, simply put her on stage 8?
Or stage 9.

My DD has additional support needs, as her mum I’ve supported her learning and reading and thought she was doing well, behind where she needed to be but generally doing ok. I then sat with her and her tutor and was honestly surprised at how much she struggled with things I thought she had understood and grasped well.

Her tutor was able to get behind her “reading smoothly” and look at how she makes sense of words and processes what she reads. She was also able to look at how far her reading and written work matched and where the gaps were. My DD is doing a lot of filling in the gaps just now - and I can see where that’s needed. She can read smoothly - but is actually memorising the shape of the words (which is an achievement in itself), but because she doesn’t grasp the rules so to speak, her written work is lagging behind. If you had asked me I’d have said she had made good progress, but she was masking a lot.

I was also struck by how little of the assessment relied on listening to her read a block of text and how much was about how she made sense of words, spelling and writing.

That’s a long way of saying the school may have a better idea of where she is in her reading, and may not want to move her up because there are gaps in her processing that you don’t see or necessarily know to look for.

While she might feel better with a different coloured band at the top of her book, that feeling won’t last long if she starts to struggle with her learning. I’d talk to the school and get a sense of their thinking, continue to do what you’re doing at home but fostering a love of reading rather than doing it for the reading level.

@MillieOhNair is completely right, a diagnosis of something doesn't change the way we support struggling children with learning
@Jellycatspyjamas is completely right, in general a qualified teacher will have a better idea than you of which band your child should be on
You could be right, she might be better suited to 8 or 9, it's more likely the school have her on the best level but either way:
You say it matters to her to be on a better/similar band to her friends?
It is YOUR job to teach her not to care. There will be people who are better/faster/prettier than her for her whole life. You need to teach her that the important and wonderful thing is that she has worked hard and achieved something - she's a more confident reader! Which will unlock doors for her, help her to enjoy more amazing books, be able to understand adult things. Big all this up with her and tell her not to worry about the band number. She'll get through the levels eventually. No one in her life is ever going to care that she was on Lime in Year 5 or whatever.
So if she's not moved up by Christmas, have a little chat with her teacher. In the meantime, chill.

*Millie, dyslexia is sen, children with sen should be treated differently or rather supported differently.

They should look holistically at the whole child, a bright child locked out of learning all for a few tweaks.*

She may well be supported differently day to day, but the learning and teaching isn’t different. It certainly wouldn’t involve working a child past their current capacity to make them feel better.

I do get it, my DD is starting to realise she’s different to other kids in her class, and the other kids are aware of that too. I’m working closely with the school to ensure she feels valued for who she is and that she isn’t getting a hard time from the other kids for her reading, writing etc. The school are supporting her well but her learning and teaching are what they are albeit with additional support, 1:1 help etc.

If your child was thriving over the last few months, learning at home and maki g progress, why not home educate, with the support of the tutors you already have in place.

It seems that it would cause you much less stress to do so and you wouldn’t be frustrated with the lack of progress you describe on this thread and your other one.

This is your third thread on this?! Maybe more if I went looking.

I think you need to work on your own anxiety about this as it will be bound to come across to her.

Who cares what level she's on?! You are making a massive mountain out of a molehill and are going to give her a massive complex about this.

Dont worry about the school book band.
At the level she is now, get on a discount book website, and order a box set of something that isnt reading scheme, but is enjoyable.
Do the school homework. Read decent stuff at home for fun. Foster a love of reading and books - and endless biff, chip and sodding kipper are not the only way to achieve that!
Different schools work book bands differently. I cant remember the exact levels, but when DS2 changed schools mid Y3, he went from stuff with a couple of sentences per page to full chapter books.