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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if DS’s teacher is a bit crap

54 replies

traingal · 18/08/2019 09:03

I don’t actually mean that, as think at worst it’s a symptom of teachers being overworked and under resourced but.... DS is an August boy, and by May of Y1 he was at reading (biff chip) level 5. I asked one morning what he needed to do to move up, as he had been on that level since Oct and said he was bored, and easily read the books straight through with me at home. The teacher said she would try to read with him and check, and after that moved him up to level six. Two weeks later I had the same conversation and he was moved to level seven. One week later the same and moved to level 8. One week later the same and moved to level 9....
Is that normal? Do I need to keep pushing (totally goes against the grain, also will be v hard as I usually work FT but was out of work for a couple of months) or do teachers normally notice?

OP posts:
IceRebel · 18/08/2019 09:10

Do you have a reading diary or communication book where you could write about how well he read, or if he struggled with certain words. As this would help the teacher get a more accurate picture of your son's reading habits and abilities.

Although I would caution against thinking that just because he can read the book, he needs to move onto a new level. He also needs to be able to understand the story, and comprehend what he is reading.

NovemberWitch · 18/08/2019 09:11

Could be, how did he do in the Y1 phonics screening? Can he read other books fluently, not just ORT that relies on repetitive core vocabulary and a lot of sight words?
Y1 is often where a lot of children take off like turbo-charged rockets in the summer term.

Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 09:14

No they don’t have a diary or anything, another mum asked the head and was told they create too much work for teachers...

And yes, I’ve absolutely no idea if/when he’s ready to move up a level: feel totally reliant on them hence hadn’t asked despite him being on one level almost all year. But every time she said she would try to read one on one with them, then a few days later just said he’s really improved and so ready to move up...

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Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 09:17

Phonics wise it just said in his report that he met expected levels, that’s all any of the reports said, they did or didn’t meet expectations.

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Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 09:17

And yes he reads lots of other stuff more keenly eg Star Wars books

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LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 18/08/2019 09:18

This is normal in my experience. The teachers don't have time to listen to 30 children read regularly, so they focus on the ones who are struggling and the proficient readers aren't given the same attention. I never went in to school to say anything though, we just read other books and ignored the ones that came home from school.

Beautiful3 · 18/08/2019 09:24

Yes i had the same issue too. I had to keep asking for mine to move up. The problem in our situation was that the teacher never heard them read, they had volunteers do it. So this meant many children were stuck on the same reading band.

Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 09:30

So ours isn’t crap. They just don’t have time. So depressing.

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Tonnerre · 18/08/2019 09:34

Not entirely convinced about the focus on the struggling readers, to be honest. I kept getting jolly little messages on the reading record about how DS had remembered the book really well, it didn't seem to occur to anyone to put him onto books that he couldn't memorise so easily. It was only after a slightly tart suggestion to that effect from me that they tried it out and discovered the actual extent of his difficulties - he turned out to be dyslexic.

Flurgle · 18/08/2019 09:34

I’ve taught year 1 and honestly, finding time to hear them read is the worst thing. Because when do you do it? Especially now when most people only have a TA for part of the day. So in the afternoon you’ll be (say) painting with 30 children. Alone. TA between two classes doing some kind of “same day” maths intervention or phonics.
Lots hear them read in ppa but that’s not great really.

Corneliawildthing · 18/08/2019 09:35

I teach Y1. We hear every child read twice a week and write notes about how they're doing and pages to be read at home in a reading diary. We expect parents to sign it to show they"vd head their child read. Most children read in small groups but those who are struggling read individually

BelindasGleeTeam · 18/08/2019 09:35

Yep. And they wish they did have time.

It's why I go into my kids school on my day off to hear readers as a helper. I'm a secondary teacher.

Most schools would love more adult helpers s they go between classes to hear the smaller ones read and feed back.

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 18/08/2019 09:37

Is this the teacher he had last year? Will be have her again this or next academic year? If not i think it’s a bit late to thinking about and time to let it go.

SusieSusieSoo · 18/08/2019 10:00

Same happened with my ds this year op. We just read loads at home, keep prodding the teacher &!hope we end up on the same page eventually with school. New teacher in y2. I have high hopes for her as I've heard good things 😀

Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 10:21

Hormones - no, he will have a different teacher in sept. I’m just wondering I guess if this is the norm as I have no idea how to handle it next year as I won’t be around to talk to the teacher if the same is happening, so wondering if we were just unlucky or if I need to find a way to communicate with the school...

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Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 10:24

As an aside, is level 9 about on track? I do worry about him as a summer boy particularly as he struggled a bit in reception. In his report he was meeting expectations for phonics, reading and maths, but working towards expectations in English. The teacher said that was because in the last few weeks he didn’t produce the same volume and quality of work as in the weeks and months before, although she put that down to his severe hay fever and time off with hay fever related asthma.

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shithappens123 · 18/08/2019 11:02

Why don’t you get your child a tutor?

Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 11:05

Yeah maybe. Believe it or not I try not to worry about this stuff, I know he’s very young still and mainly just want him to enjoy school and have fun and play lots at home....

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Vgbeat · 18/08/2019 11:09

Sadly it's more about resourcing then anything else. I was a parent volunteer for 3 years before leaping into being a mature trainee teacher. I did a lot of the reading assessments for moving children up as the teacher simply doesn't have time in a working day to hear many children read beyond guided reading and many schools now don't have TAs or they are split between classes so they only work with those who are not at age expected. If I didn't listen to children read and assess then they would stay on the same level until someone could. Its a very sad time for schools there budgets are being squeezed more and more that they are having to decide between supplies and tas. So no the teacher isn't crap but she can't do everything.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 18/08/2019 11:11

Shithappens123

Tutors cost a fortune and why should OP have to get tutoring for a 6 yr old?! He is at school and should be getting noticed a bit more by the teacher imho.

I wouldn't be happy about the lack of diary/reading record op. Can you chat to other school parents and see if a few of you share concerns? I'm sympathetic to overworked teachers but I'd be bothered about a kid left on a reading level 7 months never being heard to read.

Flapdoodles · 18/08/2019 11:56

It depends how the books are levelled, in my school level 9 is too high
for Year 1. Every school levels differently though. If your DS is able to read 90% of the text with ease, decode the rest and able to answer comprehension questions, then he is on the correct level.

AgentJohnson · 18/08/2019 12:25

I mean this kindly, chill. Your child reads well and enjoys doing so. DD is a bookworm and would read anything put in front of her so we would go to the local library load up and off she’d go. If you want your son challenged speak to the teacher on how best to do that and talk to your son.

In an ideal world teachers would have the time and resources, but they don’t. I was extremely grateful for the volunteers who read with DD, if there was a problem it would have been flagged but there wasn’t.

Scarce resources are being targeted where they are needed the most.

Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 12:28

I don’t know, just says level 9 on the outside of the biff and chip book!

I might talk to other mums about a reading diary, it’s hard though as I never see them and feel slightly awkward raising it in the whole class WhatsApp group, don’t really want to be that mum Confused

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Original poster
traingal · 18/08/2019 12:30

Agent - i don’t even know if he reads well, u don’t know where he “should” be, but he is very happy to be making progress through the levels. But if I hadn’t said anything I think he would still be level five. I guess in the future maybe just somehow try to speak to a teacher if he gets stuck on a level for a couple of terms again?

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Vgbeat · 18/08/2019 14:11

At the end of year one it should be about 50 to 60 words a minute but comprehension is as important, that they have understood what they have read. Reading at home is really important asking questions like what do you think the book is about, before reading it,, what do you think will happen next, why was x upset/angry/ happy etc