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Original poster

To be feeling so upset about DD failing year 1 phonics screening

38 replies

whoneedssleepanyway · 21/06/2013 21:49

Got a note from Dd's teacher today that she failed the phonics screening test she wanted to let us know before we got her end of term report. She got 29/42.

Feel so upset, DD thought she did well (she obv doesn't know and I won't tell her). Her teacher said in her note that her reading is within level for year 1.

i work and am always worrying I don't have enough time to read witH Dd and do her homework and it just feels like this is reiterating this and I feel like I am letting her down.

Tell me this test doesn't mean anything :-(

OP posts:
mrsjay · 21/06/2013 21:51

It really doesnt I hate testing on little children I know it has to be done to see how they are getting on, if she is reading within her level she is getting on ok what was the pass mark, It is fine though you havn't done anything wrong Smile

LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 21/06/2013 21:51

The test doesn't mean anything and is ridiculous!

Even some of the brainiest kids in my sons class got a low score!

It is only a big deal if you make it, and you HAVE NOT failed your child I promise! You can't even practice for it anyway!

Mumsyblouse · 21/06/2013 21:52

This is the stupidest test ever, your child is probably too clever and tried to make sense of the non-words and failed! Mine only 'passed' by 1 mark and she has real problems with reading and spelling, so what it tells you, I really don't know, not all dyslexics have problems decoding sounds/phonemes etc.

If she can read well, that's wonderful, please don't take this to heart.

kaytola · 21/06/2013 21:53

Don't worry about it. The pass mark was 32 so she was really close and will whizz through it next year. Marks were out of 40 BTW.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 21/06/2013 21:53

My son failed it too, last year. I didn't think he would pass, to be honest, as he is an end-of-August birthday and this is not taken into account by the test.

I thought it was fairly pointless, as they didn't offer him any extra help.

I did a bit of reading with him over the holidays, we did a few pages every day, only about 5 minutes. I also signed him up to the Reading Eggs website, which he enjoys and can do on his own.

Anyway, whether it was anything I did or not, we are now a year later and his reading is a lot better.

CalamityGin · 21/06/2013 21:55

urgh to these silly tests! Your DD did do well she got 29! yay! she is a very small child! in Y1! she's doing brilliantly! please don't worry you're not letting her down. Lots of kids in Europe don't even go to school until they're 7. urgh again to the silly test!

toomuchicecream · 21/06/2013 21:55

The test doesn't mean anything. And it's scored out of 40...

I had 6 children not get it. 2 are very young for their year group and reading has only clicked with them recently - they would pass if the test was next October. 1 was born with such severe glue ear he didn't hear anything for the first 2 years of his life and he still has significant hearing difficulties. 2 have special needs and the final one is on the SEN register but she was only a couple of marks off.

It means absolutely nothing. It's not a level playing field. One of my pupils will be 7 on 2 September, 1 won't be 6 until 30 August so they are nearly a year apart in age - how is that fair?

The important thing is that the teacher will look at the words/sounds your daughter doesn't know and make sure she learns them. Of the 6 year 2 children I had re-do it, all passed easily apart from one with severe speech & language problems.

Is there any chance you could read with your DD in the mornings? I have several children where both parents work full time who've changed to doing homework before school, and it's made a big difference. Their argument is that the child is up early anyway so they might as well do reading etc before school when the child is fresh and not tired out after a long day. It also takes the stress and pressure out of the evening so they can relax together and not feel guilty.

Oh - and the phonics screening doesn't mean anything.

Original poster
whoneedssleepanyway · 21/06/2013 21:55

Thanks mrsjay and LMGB the pass mark is 32 out of 40 so she was close...

I won't tell her she saw a letter in her bag for me and asked what it was so just said it was about her end of term trip. I just hate that failing at something can start so young now...

OP posts:
kim147 · 21/06/2013 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsjay · 21/06/2013 21:58

IN scotland the testing is different well it used to be years since dds were that age they did them when they were ready daft testing 5 yr olds imo

Original poster
whoneedssleepanyway · 21/06/2013 21:58

Thanks all. Toomuchicecream that is good thought about before school. I will try and forget about it now for the next year.

OP posts:
mrsjay · 21/06/2013 21:58

and she didnt fail she just got a lower mark

Fakebook · 21/06/2013 22:00

My parents never read with me. I mean never. I was the fourth and youngest forgotten child. I did okay. Got an A and B in English and English literature for GCSE and a B in English A-level.

Not achieving some phonic test at age six isn't going to ruin your dd's reading for life.

Original poster
whoneedssleepanyway · 21/06/2013 22:01

Kim they gave a short presentation for parents a few weeks back about the test and basically implied that if your child was likely to fail u would already know...so I guess it was a shock she failed as the prep we did seemed to go well, she can be a bit lazy and guess sometimes but she reads quite well IMO.

OP posts:
Original poster
whoneedssleepanyway · 21/06/2013 22:02

Must stop saying fail...!!

OP posts:
CloudsAndTrees · 21/06/2013 22:06

The teacher let you know straight away, which shows she cares and is on the ball. Your dd has a supportive teacher at school, and your dd will learn to read perfectly.

If you can make the time to read and do her homework with her, it is likely to help significantly.

OwlinaTree · 21/06/2013 22:07

The national pass rate last year was about 58%. So it's pretty high, you had to get 80% to pass.

Don't worry about it, it tests one skill that is part of learning to read, and it's there to beat the schools IMHO.

mrsjay · 21/06/2013 22:08

she was only a few marks away from the pass mark anyway so she is doing fine

Fantail · 21/06/2013 22:09

My DD probably won't be educated in the UK, but what I want to know is if this is a screening test then surely the grade shouldn't matter as much as either the explanation of that score and/or the strategies that will be put in place to support the child. Is a child tat scores 33/40 really a better "reader" than one that gets 31/40?

My Mum works with children in NZ that struggle with reading and writing. I know that in NZ there is a screening test at 6, so after 1 year of school (child start on 5th birthday), but it is just that a screening test for the teacher, I don't know any parent who "prepares their child for it" and there certainly isn't a pass/fail mark. Some of the children my mother works with are excellent decoders, but because they have a very limited vocab they have poor comprehension. Mum has had to show a child what a puddle is and has had to work on other general knowledge such as bees make honey.

Mumsyblouse · 21/06/2013 22:10

I have no problem with screening of this type in schools as a way of informing the teacher who needs extra help (though it is an extremely limited test) but why oh why did they have to call it a 'test' and involve parents and then give 'results' as if it is an exam. That's how to make a simple educational screening tool into a divisive and stressful experience.

Mumsyblouse · 21/06/2013 22:11

Fantail crossed posts, that's exactly what I was thinking would be appropriate, more 'testing' of very tiny children is what we do not need, more educational screening of teachers to identify early problems, and relaying this information personally and not on a 'test result' piece of paper is what we do need.

Nicknamegrief · 21/06/2013 22:13

Some able children didn't score as highly in the test as their reading level would suggest because they read the made up words as real words- last year a common error was reading sturm as storm.

Your child's teacher will know the reasons why she got that score and let you know whether extra work (and what extra work) was required.

My year 1 boy scored very low last year- it was no surprise as he hadn't even leant half the phonics required, a year later and he's doing very well and caught up with his peers.

The test in itself is meaningless. If her teacher isn't worried then trust her and your instincts about your daughters reading level.

Viviennemary · 21/06/2013 22:14

It doesn't mean anything. In a few years there will be another bandwagon to jump on and give parents worry. All this pass/fail nonsense for small children is totally ridiculous.

Cherriesarelovely · 21/06/2013 22:14

Please don't worry Op. I teach year 2. 4 of my class failed last year and had to do it again this year.....2 of them are amongst my best readers and they all flew through it this year. Teachers hate having to report on this to parents especially when the child was so close to passing.

Holliewantstobehot · 21/06/2013 22:15

my dd failed this test (i think) can't really remember now although she only did it last year!! She's a free reader now and her teacher said she basically adjusted all the non words into the nearest real word she knew and that she had noticed that my dd did not learn reading phonically but by word recognition. I would ask the teacher if you are worried it may be something similar for your dc!