Was with a group of mums the other day whilst waiting for our children to finish an afterschool activity. They were all bemoaning the fact that their children only get two reading books a week (they are year 1!). Our children get two reading books, maths homework and spelling every week. I think that is adequate. They were complaining and saying that the children should be listened to reading every day at school and why should they make the effort to hear their children read if the teacher can't do it. I do think that the school could possibly hear the children read more and could maybe do with more mum volunteers to help and said this.
What really upset me was this: My DD is getting some extra help with her reading as she is struggling a bit. So her and a few others go off with the Senco (i think its the senco or might just be TA) to get some more one on one time. My DDs teacher told me it was to help boost confidence. When i said this it was like a red flag to a bull - why should my child get extra help when theirs don't. Err because my child is struggling and yours are managing perfectly well 
maybe? This really upset me and the more i think about it the more angry i become.
The thing that gets me is this though - these children are five years old. Isn't it the way in Steiner schools etc that they aren't even introduced to reading until 6 yrs? Dont they do that on the Continent anyway? Does it matter if they aren't reading the works of shakespear (sp) before the end of year one??
Yes, i share the concern over lack of reading time at school, but to bang on about children who need extra help getting it over their precious little darlings who are managing fine is beyond me. Why do people feel the need to push push push anyway? ~I dont read with my child every day as my child doesn't want to do it every day, when she wants to read we read, so every other day we sit and read her school books. Sometimes, shock horror, we dont bother at the weekends.
Every week its the same, moaning about this that and the other about the school. Its a faith school and that is why i sent my DD there, and becuase it has the reputation as the best and most caring school in the area. I cannot praise my DDs teacher enough, he is wonderful wonderful and my DD adores him. She goes to school wiht a smile on her face and comes home with a grin - THAT is what matters to me, i am not, quite frankly, too worried about her reading at this time. I feel it will come, she is almost the youngest in her year. I just htink to myself, none of you fuckers go to church (i admit im very crap about that too) but you insisted on sending your child to this school, its a good school, stop comparing it to the other schools or i might start to wonder if you only sent your child here because its a predominantly middle class school 
It makes me sad that its all push push push, why cant we just let our children be children.