To ignore the schools reading stuff and carry on with my own. How does one formally challenge?

[deflationexasperation]

I'm in between a rock and a hard place.

I can accept the 3 times a TA has heard 7 year old dd read in two weeks and read the level 7 books. Or, ignore that, and keep on the reading program we started in lock down, paying via company to get delivered the schools reading scheme books and keep going with those which are one /two levels higher.
Dd at the moment has undiagnosed sen, waiting for school Ed psych. Dd is on sen register but, unlike the other two on sen register is not sat at the front and has been sat at the back? I asked at the start, why and got no response.

I'm at a critical juncture with dd, she's very sensitive, possibly dyslexic but very bright. I'm deeply unhappy with the school, moving her has been looked into it and I'm not sure what to do. It's only with outside help, and then buying in tutors and myself, working with her in lock down that she's actually learning.
I know from older dd that reading levels are a cause of angst but dd will only read one thing a day.

I always advise reading school books as the children are sure to meet the phonic sounds they need to know in a graduated way. I also advise that children read a variety of other books both fiction and non fiction by different authors in order to widen their experience of different texts. I would never recommend buying books from higher up the school reading scheme. There are far more interesting things children could be reading. I sometimes hold my children on one stage whilst we work on other things such as reading with expression, comprehension, prediction and so on. How is your child’s understanding of what they read? Is there work to be done there. If not I would speak to the teacher and ask why she isn’t reading a higher level book. It doesn’t have to a confrontation.

Sorry, since lock down you see, we carried on with their own scheme.

Dd isn't a natural reader. She may have dyslexia. We've moved on with the scheme and I've tried to let them know this but I don't think they listened to me.

She's understood the story fine, we've asked all the questions, inference, how does the character feel, prediction. There is no question, she's understood the story.

She won't read other books. At the moment, and I hope it changes, she's not a reader.
So we read their 7 or 8/9 where I got her too.

I feel this is more, parent white noise belligerent, than actually listening to me and taking her as an individual.

Your child would not necessarily be put at the front of the class just for being on the sen register. In fact many kids with SEN are often strategically placed at the side/back of the room to meet their needs, or where they sit may not matter at all. It will depend on reports, class dynamics etc.

Personally I would do the school readers - you could read them aloud to her - and also separately work on the reading programme you are buying in. If that doesn't work, just say you are trying to do lots of support work at home and are struggling to fit in the school reader. Can't see the necessity of 'formally challenging' it.

Schools/ta's need to go through the motions and read through the levels in order.
When dd was younger I'd spend one day reading the school book and working mostly on comprehension, asking loads of questions (find a noun, find a verb, etc) and then day after read what she wants to keep her engaged and know that not all books are as boring as the school ones.
I'd alternate them day by day.

How often does the actual teacher read with her? TAs reading to up the frequency is all well and good but it's actually the teacher who should be assessing where she is. If you're unhappy with their parental engagement, you could always raise a complaint

Have you asked for the teacher to assess her? I would say what you've been doing at home, ask them to assess her and, if she's not yet ready, ask what it is you need to work on. I have had to do this a few times and she's always been moved up as I don't ask until the books have become very easy.

Four, this is what I wanted to know.

Dd is confused who has read with her, in reading record there are 3 entries, from ta.

What would happen if I raise a complaint?
Let's say they decide she's level 7.
How far do we go to prove she's 8/9.

They actually havant got back to me about dd medical issue, I wrote in reading record to call me and phoned school office that's about 9 days now.

Also re sen, I asked them why is she at back, thinking it maybe because of ta issue but they didn't reso2, however dd says two other dc, who I know are on sen as well, are at front??

• thinking it maybe because ta at back also and they didn't respond.

Can’t you just ask for the teacher to assess her? It doesn’t seem that hard to resolve.

• What would happen if I raise a complaint? Let's say they decide she's level 7. How far do we go to prove she's 8/9.*

Complain? It’s a reading level
Not a GCSE grade! Complaining seems excessive. If you are happy to read level 7 with your child then you do that, if you’d rather read 8/9 then do that instead. The school will treat her as level 7 for now, but as you say it is only a few weeks into term so that may change soon.

You don't need to challenge or prove anything. She is reading at x level in class, so brings those books home. At home, she can read Shakespeare, Jacqueline Wilson, Enid Blyton or the back of the cornflakes packet- the important bit is reading.
Encourage her to read what she loves, what she is interested in and what enthuses her. A reading scheme in school is fine and encouraging that at home is also fine. But do not encourage the reading scheme book at the expense of good literature and a love of reading.
If she reads the wrong level book once, write in the book how it went. "Read well with fluency and comprehension ". Then put it away for the week and read the good stuff. Read it to her, so she accesses books beyond her reading level, even of she is not interested in trying herself at the moment. One of the biggest indicators of success in literacy is being immersed in a language rich environment surrounded by reading opportunities and other readers. Few kids develop a love of reading through a reading scheme. (Though I really did love Tim and Tobias myself..)

Weary

That's just it, what turned her off was endless plodding reading and not getting anywhere and feeling '' stupid ''.

At the beginning of lock down, she was very plodding, slow etc. What's motivated her, is getting it, moving on... Seeing progress...this is my difficulty!

Eg we had been reading some title like '' floppy goes ballistic '' level 8.
Just before the summer the children were asked to go in and meet their new teacher and get given some books.

Dd was given level 7.

But she saw another student holding.. Floppy goes ballistic and she was thrilled,
Mummy, xx has same book as me...

There is a holistic approach to this as well.

The child needs to understand what they are reading, not just be able to decode the words to move up level. Do you chat with your DD about what is happening in the story, how a character might be feeling etc?
I understand your frustration but I don’t think It’s worth falling out with the teacher over a reading level at this stage of the year!

I still don’t get the angst. Just read what you want to read at home.

Ask the teacher to assess her at school.

Teachers have 30 kids in a class. They quite simply cannot assess every single child often enough to always be upping their reading levels immediately each time. Alas, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, go and insist the teacher assesses properly.

I completely ignored the school reading scheme with DD. I have no idea where she is on it because we have no books sent home due to covid. She loves reading though. We spent a long time on the Mr Men books and larger picture books that she knew and liked. At the moment we are reading a collection of My Little Pony books, which isn't as bad as it sounds. The Book People sell collections of books which are pretty cheap.

The other two Sen children will probably have it on their EHCP that they need to be seated at/near the front, this does not apply to all Sen children. It depends on each child’s individual needs, which is why children are assessed and evidence is collected before a plan can be written.
As for reading, it is typical for a child, any child, to display different capabilities in school and at home. We are always being told that children can do things at home but if they don’t show this at school then the teacher can not say they can do it. Also children are on reading levels for a while to ensure that comprehension, consistency in reading etc is fully there before moving on.
So do the school reading book and encourage your DD to read other books at home as well.

@Itwasaquarterpast11

Your preaching to the converted. With dd 1...she really got it in summer year 1 to 2.

By mid year 2 she was a free reader and her teacher said she even understood, inference in Shakespeare 😂😂😂😂😂.

Dd1, was so compliant and open to my personal reading exposure. She loved us to read stories, listened to all sorts on bedtime cds... She's been noted as an exceptional reader by her teachers all through school.

Dd2 used to carry a book as her 'comforter because she always saw sister with one 😂.
Dd1 couldn't understand when she was well into chapter books why she had to waste time reading biff and chip. With dd1 in the end I used to sign off books read when she hadn't.

It's a flame to be lit not a vessel to be filled. Dd2 is incredibly creative and just as bright as dd 1 but this style of education isn't for filling her needs and I don't know what to do.
. She's flourished under lock down and now we are going to go backward again.

I just don't know what to do.

Also re sen, I asked them why is she at back, thinking it maybe because of ta issue but they didn't reso2, however dd says two other dc, who I know are on sen as well, are at front??

Why are you worrying about where others are sitting in the class? There are probably kids not on sen register who are always at the front for behaviour management and some kids with SEN who are always at back/sides for their own learning. If there's no need for her to sit at the front, they won't always sit her at the front.

It's absolutely fine for her to read school books and different books at home.

If you think the school books aren't challenging enough, pop a note in her reading record to ask the teacher if she will assess her.

Put books in her bedroom, buy her magazines for characters/topics she likes and leave her to explore them plus ask the teacher to assess her and then chill out.

Pink I know at least one of those dc, doesn't have an ehcp and has not helped or assisted the dp to get one.
That dc has lots of needs and very much needs help and I know from the mum the child isn't getting that help.

I strongly suspect that, actually, a hand over hasn't been done. Dd like before has got lost. Inspite of being reassured otherwise.
She's been on 6 and 7 throughout most of April, May, June, July and August.

She's read over 80 books of their scheme.

She's stage 8/9.

If she’s not a ‘natural reader’ it makes even more sense to not push her to higher reading levels because it won’t make sense

Theres always an assumption on mnet that mum or dad is wrong and the teacher has the reading level right, even when the teacher hasnt re-assessed the child level in 3 or 4 months. Childrens' reading can progress rapidly and its not being whingy or judgy to say teachers can't always keep up, we know teachers are often overworked & 30 kids in a class is a lot. If a teacher heard every child in their class read properly, individually, each week for 10 mins, it would take 5 hours out of their teaching time so it's never going to happen. They rely on feedback from mum or dad if a real discrepancy builds up between the level they are being given at school and their progress. It DOES matter, because every child deserves to be stretched and kept interested & challenged.

I strongly suspect that, actually, a hand over hasn't been done. Dd like before has got lost.

Its perfectly possible this is true, especially when all the kids have been out of the classroom too long
It is up to you to nag the teacher to re-assess her properly.