...to think that teachers should not use lesson time for marking?

[BonyM]

DD1 (year 5) has had half an hour of silent reading every day since the start of the new term. The teacher uses this time for marking.

Ok, I know it's only half an hour, but this just strikes me as "lazy" teaching.

I suppose it could be good for those children that don't read much at home, but dd is an avid reader anyway. One of the problems of mixed ability classes I guess.

Just wondered what others think, and whether their dcs have similar.

Teachers do get time for planning and marking nowadays, and most expect to have to take some work home. Silent reading time is hardly appropriate for children that age. I think it is lazy teaching too, as some will be just staring at pages with no understanding for half an hour, which will not be teaching them anything, and could be quite stressful for a child.

I have never heard of this before....
Can 5 year old produce that much written work that needs to be marked???
Shouldn't be happening imho.
Too long. Unproductive. Most can't read independently for any huge length of time at that age. Some can.

Rach - think you misread - she is year 5 (9 going on 10) not 5 years old!

Guess I just think that teachers should teach during school hours (as they did when we were kids).

And you spudmasher .

OOps. Am a teacher. Quite tired. Literacy planning. I teach year 5 and 6. I'd never do this.

I am not a teacher but from what I can gather they have masses of paperwork to keep up with. If there is a 30 min session of silent reading I can't see why the teacher cannot use that time to mark. Most schools seem to have TAs as well so it's not as if the class is unattended.

crap t primary school imo altho

"AIBU to think that kids shouldnt use lesson tiem fro talking"

Hmm, am wondering if I should query it with Headteacher (am not one to make a fuss generally though).

Seems a bit lazy to me but then again I'd have loved silent reading at that age in school - much nicer than 30 mins of maths or science .

Wouldn't mind if it were once or twice a week, but every day...

Children learn a huge amount from directed, focussed talking. Their writing is only ever as good as their talking, so if they can't verbally string a sentence together then they won't be able to do it on paper.
I would ask the head Bony.

cant really comment from a year 5 perspective ( i am a secondary school teacher) however i assure you, that having pupils read for half an hour a day, is in no way 'lazy teaching'.

We are told from our senior management team that form time should be used for silent reading as much as possible (i have a year 7 form) and so 4 out of 5 form times, pupils sit in silence and read. We are also told that we should read too (to set an example).I would find this time extremely useful to get 1 or 2 sets of books marked through out the week. I teach 15 different classes!We are given 2 hours protected time to plan and mark per week. I generally bring home at least 1-2 hours work every day.

i'm sure it wasn't meant as an insult, but i found the 'lazy teaching' comment quite insulting!

I can honestly say that when I was at school teachers most definitely did not spend the whole school time teaching! There was a lot more play and independent work sessions, and less directed teacher sessions than there is now.

Sorry REID - not intended to insult. This is why I'm asking - wanted others' opinions. Welcome your comments.

Must watch Miss Marple now though...

I run a guided reading session with a group of 6 while the rest read independently or do reading journal tasks. Would not get away with getting out the latest Richard and Judy recommendation and snuggling down for half an hour!!I am primary though.. but looking at the standards of some children's reading where I am, they will need guided sessions well into their secondary years.

I remember having silent reading lessons at school back in the 80s, my teacher would write USSR on the blackboard, meaning "Uninterrupted Sustained silent Reading" - we were in the first year of junior school, so age 7-8!!!

Nothing wrong with it IMO, helps children to concentrate.

I don't have a problem with teachers marking in such lessons either.

Lol Geeky!! You have just reminded me....we had ERIC everybody reading in class.

I did a teaching practice in a school where every day the children did ERIC (Everyone Reads In Class). This is not lazy teaching and as a teacher I also find this comment quite insulting.
How many children nowadays experience silence in the world around them with so many distractions avaliable to them. To be able to read to oneself is a skill for life. As adults it is essential for pretty much everything we do.
I'm sure you are not reading the posts aloud on the computer now. You are probably doing so silently
Teachers do have a lot of paperwork to do and using this time might allow the teacher to get a better work life balance, ie not having so much work to take home.

just reread my post, sorry didnt mean it to sound quite so harsh, iykwim!!

If my ds was in a school however that made him sit and read by himself everyday, knowing that he wasn't a confident/able reader. I am sure i would share your opinion! Just be careful how you approach it (as i'm sure you would) if you do take it to the head. As i said, it is our head that has insisted on the silent reading during form time regardless of ability or year group.

This doesn't mean however that it actually happens in all forms as i'm sure you can imagine!

or

ERICA

everyone reading in class altogether

ERIC... thats what it is called. Thankyou, was driving me mad trying to think what it was called!

DS1's secondary school still do ERIC.

LOL at ERIC. I have been known to have FOAFO lessons (not said to the kids I hasten to add). Fuck off and Find Out