What to I do/say about this? Primary school literacy

[CathyTre]

My son has just started year three, so first year at a new junior school. He really struggles with literacy and is way behind.

I am a qualified primary school teacher and, just to be open, worked at his new school until last year, so I do know that what’s come home is school policy.

DS scored expected at maths, exceeding at science but very below for reading and worse for writing on ks2 end of key stage tests. He’s articulate and has good ideas, but there’s a definite literacy problem. He’s July born aged seven, but is not my first child and eldest son is August born, so whilst that may have bearing, it’s not the whole picture.

Why on earth send this home? It’s achievable to him like advanced calculus is to me, i.e. not at all.

I just feel that this is an exercise in demoralising a child and will obviously not be attempting it, but how would you raise it with school? New teacher is an NQT and I don’t know her, so I don’t want to be or seem too negative.

Ks1 end of key stage tests, sorry, typo.

It's definitely demoralising to send such a huge word list home at once. You think they would send it in chunks with some of the shorter/easier words first. Or differentiate by getting him to first learn some of the year 2 words which he doesnt know yet.
I would go and speak to the teacher about it but I realise that could be awkward of you know them/the school.

When you worked there and this was school policy, what did you do if there was a child in your class who would be unable to learn the words? Did you just hand them out anyway?

I find it confusing that you're a teacher but haven't mentioned helping him when he's clearly very behind. Presumably you have tried, so you must know what it is that makes him struggle so much? Have you had him assessed for dyslexia? Eyes tested? If those aren't the issue, what do you think is the issue?

Are you sure they don’t mean ‘over the course of the next year or two?’. We get a sheet like that sent home, but only at the meeting that gives an overview for the whole year. It’s information about where they should be aiming for eventually, not a specific homework task.

Why send it home? Because the government has decided that all children should be able to know these particular words by the end of Year 4.

The NQT hasn't made the list herself. Maybe she thought it was useful to send them all at once at the beginning of the year instead of a few per week.

There was no need to write the word not in capital letters.

I would be having a chat with the teacher about the enormity of the task, and how overwhelming and off-putting it is for the children. It's a sure fire way to reinforce how much they are struggling. Much better to take a small list of words and work through those until they're secure in their spelling and meanings.

I have had him assessed for dyslexia and although he was only six nearly seven at the time, they said he had strong traits. OF COURSE his father (a primary deputy head) and I (no longer teaching) have tried lots and lots of strategies. But he’s still really struggling,

The new school assessed with Nessie programme during transition last year but he’s not “bad enough”. He did well in that assessment but it’s VERY basic phonics.

He scored 15 correct words on the year one/two list.

I’m really unsure of how to approach the school and bring this up and worried they’ve sent home something so clearly inappropriate.

I worked there as PPA cover, so no whole class responsibility for this sort of thing, but I do know it’s policy to send the words home. Just thought maybe not for a child so far behind that it’s totally unachievable and he needs to work on the building blocks still.

Do you have a parents evening coming up? Ours is usually near to the half term so a couple of weeks from now. I find that a good opportunity for these types of discussions - you’re already talking about how your child is doing, and it feels ‘natural’ and not like a quick reaction to something (eg receiving the list).

However, are they expecting your DC to be proficient in any of these words before then? As that would be what makes the difference, if they seem to expect quick progress then it would be worth chatting sooner.

I have DCs with SEND in a mainstream school, it’s a very good school and I’m happy with how my children are supported and they are progressing really well. But I still have moments when I look at homework like and we do our own thing based on it, tailored to my DCs’ abilities. I’m not really worried about whatever the list of spellings are for the week for instance, or number bonds etc - like you, I know my DCs aren’t at that level yet, so I focus on related tasks to support their development instead. The school are happy with their progress too so it’s never been an issue (as in, they’re not expressing concern about, for instance, not being able to spell the weekly list of words even though that is the case currently).

Where did I write NOT in capital letters?

We got the whole sheet thing plus expectations for end of year in maths and literacy last year. However weekly, DD only has 2 or 3 words from that list to learn alongside her spellings.

He has a whole year to at least attempt at practicing,learning and memorise some of them.

It looks daunting seeing it as a whole but you need to put it into perspective.

Nothing to do with the teacher being an NQT, a lot of schools do this so parents are aware for the expectations at the end of y3.

Sometimes teachers send things home as information, not as a demand.

I was referring to the teacher / staff member who has written it on the sheet. Sorry for the confusion.

These are the words your child will need to learn over the next couple of years as marked at the top. It’s informative for parents to know this. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to send this home. I do think that talking to the teacher about strategies she/ he has to help your child achieve some
of these x

If it is school policy then you know that she probably had to send it home.
Best bet might be to go in and talk generally about your concerns. Ask what is happening in school and say what you are doing at home. You can then mention that the list is a bit disheartening for him to give her pause for thought at the beginning of her career. I'm sure you remember being an nqt and you make mistakes and follow policy closely.

It says “please learn the words not highlighted” which is all f them, as you’d expect, given he can spell 15 of the year one/two words.

I don't get why you think it's inappropriate. If he can't do it,fine . Throw it in the bin and don't give it a second thought. If you think he should attempt at least some of them then pick some easier ones,see how it goes and go from there.

You didn't, the teacher did on the sheet.

Also, to add, I think that not giving them to your child could upset him too as then he will feel left out. So, working on the spellings from KS1 is what I would do but maybe expose him to a couple of these too. The KS1 words do have spelling patterns- he, be, she, me (as an example). If your child is finding spelling difficult, try looking at teaching him by using the patterns as a hook x

Are there any highlighted words? I’m confused why she would bother writing learn the words NOT highlighted when she doesn’t appear to have highlighted any

I would book an appointment with his teacher to discuss supporting him to achieve realistic goals.
If he looks at that list and thinks he can't do any of them then he may just throw the towel in and check out.

It doesn't say when to learn them by. Could you ask him to choose a three and work on them? Or ignore it completely and work on his reading yourself?

As a teacher, you should be aware that this is the national curriculum word list for years three and four. The teacher hasn’t made them up and is probably just making you aware of the government age related expectation which surely is helpful to know what to work towards?

Well she couldn’t highlight any as his reading/writing is about where I would expect a fairly bright child in year one to be at this stage.

That’s what I mean.

His dad and I are split up, but as I say, his dad is a deputy head and his step mum a ks1 phase leader, and as I say, I am qualified although no longer teaching. My husband works in IT and his kids are teens so less sure about all this.

We all have concerns. His dad wants to call the school but isn’t always diplomatic and as I don’t want to be difficult or indeed, make an NQT’s life harder, I do think this needs approaching. Just asking for a bit of help in how to approach so he gets appropriate differentiation.

I’m well aware that’s the expected list! I’ve been teaching since my 19 year old was in reception!

It's just a standard list. No child could learn all those at once - it says y 3 and 4. Pick a couple of easy ones if you think he can do it. Otherwise maybe explain to teacher that you will carry on with last year's list first. I'd want to speak to the teacher about his literacy generally but would not worry too much about this list. At least you are well placed to help him