To think I cannot physically force dd to read! Sorry long!

[bangheadhere]

Ok I will start this by saying that I am a total book worm, we have a house full of books, I have always read with dd when she was small and I always have a book on the go myself.

DD however HATES reading despite the fact she has always had a good reading age. She struggles phonetically and has devised her own methods entirely. (She has some learning needs)

Anyway dds secondary school has a reading scheme. The school rule is that children must always have a library book in their bags all the time. At the start of year 8 dd went up a set to a new teacher. Following the year 7 teachers rules she went and asked the library staff what her level was and chose a book as she had always been told to do (they had done a test the week before)

As I posted at the time DD was 50 odd pages into the book and enjoying it which was within her level range and simple when they had their next literacy lesson. Dds new teacher saw the book and bollocked her.
Basically in front of the class shouted that she didn't know why she had chosen that book and when she was scoring 100% on tests then she could chose which books she wanted. DD was scared of this teacher anyway as she had heard she had called other classes stupid etc.

DD was having self esteem sessions at the time at school and real issues with feeling stupid, was asking to leave the school already and really not coping and is not the kind of child to get in trouble at school and so was heart broken to be shouted at in front of all the class.

She was left picking a lower level book which there were few choices and she had read them all at primary where her reading age was assessed as above average by the people who came out to assess learning difficulties. Ironically she did score 100% on the next test!

I spoke to school and said that if she required a lower level book I had no issue with this but was upset with how she had been left feeling given school knew of the issues she was having. The teacher made it all about the book saying that she wanted them to start from scratch so she could judge them which I had no issue with, it was made all about the book and levels which was not my issue.

Following all this dd will not read at all, She is meant to read two books per half term. She has read one since September, it has made her more determined not to read, the teacher is obviously not happy with this and has wrote a note in her planner. Her reading age has for the first time ever dropped and she is lower now than she was at primary school.

I buy her books all the time, I am always encouraging her to chose stories to buy. We have mounds of books. She never gets more than a few pages in and then leaves it. She cannot stand reading. I cannot physically force her to read and I am a bit at loss of what to actually do or what they want me to do when they cannot get her to read either.

[ConesOfDunshire]

YY to Amy Poehler's Smart Girls - they have loads of book recommendations too, so she could discover books around topics which interest her for herself.

Yes, AR is a product from Renaissance Learning. I forgot to mention one more point upthread which may be useful when you approach the school - AR advise that as long as pupils are getting 85%+ in their quizzes then the books are appropriate. The teacher needs to get past her obsession with 100%.

[steppemum]

YY to 85%. That is what ds has to have for his quizzes.

The literacy co-ordinator at ds school says to them that he is happy for them to read anywhere in there target zone.
If they read all easy books, they won't make much progress, if they read hard ones, they will, so they need to make that choice.

very sensible.

OP - you sound as if it is an uphill fight. Do go in, see the SENCO, get her needs back on the register, get her in the SN room at lunchtime. I know it is really hard to keep fighting, but don't give up!

And I would put you problem with teacher in writing, just as your OP. The issue was destroying her confidence, not the book, and how are school going to help resolve.

Does she like the school librarian? It sounds as if they were nice and helpful at the beginning? Could they help in any way?

[bangheadhere]

The school librarian is lovely as far as I can gather so that may be an option.
I did actually complain about the issue to the stand in year head but felt fobbed off. The reply was made all about the book level. I contacted them again afterwards and clarified that my issue was never with the level but how dd who had been having self-esteem sessions was made to feel stupid in front of her class but she did not even bother replying to that.

She is in the sen main room now.

[ProfGrammaticus]

It sounds as though you need to put a lot in writing to the school, without specifically criticising the teacher even though she deserves it. Focus on what the effects have been on your DD. And if you feel it is not in her best interests to read two of these books per half term, tell school she won't be doing it and why.

[thetemptationofchocolate]

Just going back to the 'reading together' option, when a child goes to take a quiz they have three options: a) I read this by myself b) I read it with someone c) Someone read this to me (I think). Still OK to take the quiz if reading with another person, or being read to. Hope that helps.

[2rebecca]

I would discuss things with the school but would also make it clear to your daughter that sometimes you have to do things you don't like in life. If she refused to do her maths homework would you just let her. My son had dyslexia and struggled a lot with reading and writing but doing his reading and writing was non negotiable. If he didn't do them he didn't do other stuff.
Moaning about it all being the school's fault for past misdemeanours will onlyget you so far. You have to tackle your daughter's reading reluctance now and that means reading with her, reading a book whilst listening to the audio of it, choosing books she likes. She has to understand that learning to read competently isn't just to keep the teachers happy but is for her. She doesn't do it for the teachers she does it for herself.
All secondary school pupils have books they have to read whether they like them or not.

[bangheadhere]

I am trying to get her to do it and not just moaning though 2rebecca.

When I found out she had been lying she was in home work club and she was in detention for reading/lexis homework I contacted school to tell them I knew and back them up and that I was dealing with it. I also did everything to encourage her. Bought books etc
DD was massively struggling with homework levels to the point she fell apart completely. I worked with the senco, form teacher, year head to help sort this. I got her support but still pushed her at the same time that it had to be done. Bought her a diary that she had to take to senco each night to check she understood the homework.

As a result of how much she struggled and others the following year sevens only do core subject homework.

If she didn't do maths homework I would encourage her, try to help her, sit down with her, make the consequences clear if she doesn't do it then let her get loss of credit/homework detention/homework report.

[kawliga]

Wow, your daughter is really struggling at school

It is as if the school thinks you are quibbling about the reading level, so they are not seeing the bigger issues about how your daughter is being treated. Whenever you go in they think 'here's the mother who has issues about the reading level and book choices.'

I have had this with schools before. I think sometimes it's hard for schools to really see the complex issues, and they fixate on the issue that's easy to fix. I'm not bashing schools or teachers, I think it is just hard when they have so many kids and an institution to run. Also because your dd is quiet, I do think quiet kids suffer more with such situations. I feel sorry for her sitting out in the rain with her lunch, and nobody thought to offer her a better solution