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 ignored it too - had twins - teacher held one back - he read his sister’s more advanced books, I got loads of books from the local library for him and allowed him to choose from them himself. Reading was always a source of pleasure for him - his sister hated it though - still does!

No I don't watch love Island

But how!!

I've been met, with a typical.... Response that I dreaded.

If she only wants to read 1x per day I would alternate. Read the school book one day & her own choice the other day. I wouldn't focus on the level.
Just tell the school what you are doing and why.
Dd2 is 5 (just started yr1) and reads simple chapter books at home out loud & to herself & 1 x 5 word sentence per page books for school. I'm just writing every few days in her diary that they are not challenging to her.

Our ta, has apparently told dd she HAS to read the schools book... I just know, it's about control and dp getting above themselves I feel it.

I may tippex out what they write and just keep going with ours. But it's the pressure they put on dd.

How old is she?

My eldest could read above the level school sent him home but I still read them with him. His school books aren’t his main reading. Whilst he could read the words his comprehension of the text wasn’t always there. Then they wanted him more expressive. He stayed on level 6 for most of a year and is now a fantastically expressive reader above the expected level. Don’t sweat it. Read the school books then just choose fun books to read at home which will enhance this.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

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.

Year 2 teacher here. I do read with every child once a week so I’d like to hope every child is on the correct level but I still rely on comments from home.

I don’t think it is cheeky at all for a parent to ask me to try the next level, dependant on how they put it of course! I would say something like ‘DD has been trying so hard at home, we are really proud of her and think she may be ready for the challenge of the next level. Would you mind listening to her and seeing what you think?’ Yes teachers are overworked but it is part of our job to make sure children are appropriately challenged.

I would just like to add that though that many teachers are very stressed at the moment with the COVID situation. Our time has been stretched more than usual and there are very few opportunities for a break in the day due to staggered playtimes and lunchtimes in many schools. I would usually change reading books in my lunch break but I’m only getting half an hour at the moment. Please be gentle on us!

Far from, love your name 😍😍😍😂😂😂.

I did put it politely. I said dd working so hard on ort scheme since lock down.
I even showed them the ort certificate.

Honestly, OP? Just let school do school level, and you do your level at home. It is 100% not worth the fight.

If your DD is progressing with reading, brilliant. Keep going, support her, read what you like.

Kids are really capable of understanding I read X at school and Y at home.

It’s not a fight worth having.

My DC1 was an avid, precocious reader and is still book-obsessed now. Free reader very early on.

My DC2 never read unless forced- maybe mildly dyslexic, loves stories and being read to but wouldn’t pick up a book to read unless necessary for the dreaded reading record.

It doesn’t matter. To really foster a love of books you need to take the pressure off it, and that means cultivating a very “So what” attitude to reading levels/bands and what have you.

If you really think it’s worth fighting, the only strategy that might work is saying you don’t want DD2’s newly found confidence and enthusiasm to suffer, so please could teacher assess her as you think she’s a level above where set. But between 7 and 8-9 it’s not a massive leap and very much open to interpretation.

• I'm also in education. Sat in same room for 7 hours today with half hour away.

If your Dd is getting disheartened with reading in general- and the school strictures especially, would making her a "river of reading" help?

You note down all the things she reads in a day or a few days, from her own stories to school books to homework to things like street signs, the cereal box, even things like "tea" or "coffee" on canisters, labels in the supermarket, asking her to help you read instructions, recipes, names on envelopes. If you can demonstrate to her all the important reading you see her do all the time, and how impressed with her you are and how her school reading scheme is only one part of this, it might give her a boost.

Otherwise, as Pp have said, alternate the school books with your own to give her some freedom whilst still ticking the boxes for school.

No, that stragety doesn't work with dd, she doesn't remember words. We've had to work and galvanise her short term memory.

7 to 8 isn't a leap. If they understand their own levels they would know this.

But to dd its important because its progress its moving forward!

She, is very sensitive to this and with sen, it should be person centred support... They should be listening to me. What our end goal?

Mrs toothy I do all that. You see she was floundering at school! She's come in lock down.
Our tutor who last saw her in March, then again in late August said, lock down has hugely benefitted her. Why should l be working agaisnt the very place supposed to bloody educate her?

It's bizzare????. I'd be thrilled if a dp had brought along a child so much and worked so hard! I wouldn't be arse with with them.

@deflationexasperation

Our ta, has apparently told dd she HAS to read the schools book... I just know, it's about control and dp getting above themselves I feel it.

I may tippex out what they write and just keep going with ours. But it's the pressure they put on dd.

That is rally not a normal response to have!! You seem extremely paranoid and convinced that the school are sabotaging her on purpose?!?!?

They want you to cover the set books so they’re guaranteed she’s going to improve and learn what she needs to learn. With 30 kids they of course won’t have the detailed tracking you do.

There is nothing stopping you from ensuring you still have this level covered off, while also doing higher level books. However most important is to get her wading outside of set school work—this is what makes all the difference.

Either engage with the school or move her and get a fresh start as it sounds like you don't trust the school at all.

Cultivate a love of reading and worry less about what stage she's on. It's great that she's progressed during lockdown. My girls were natural readers who could have raced ahead in the reading schemes but they preferred to read their own books at home.One of them developed complex reading lists for herself and her friends, it became a bit embarrassing but she loved to read.

Op Biff and Chip books are dire. Read the school ones, once and forget about them. And go find other stuff.

Even if it is bedtime books you read a bit I'll read a bit. At one point his bit would be 5% mine 95% we are now 50/50. It took persuasion to get him to read at times. The first book he read himself was Dogman. Initially he wouldn't even pick it up of the worktop.

It's doubly hard for schools just now partly because of Covid and books having to be quarantined for days between kids bring them back and being reissued.

@deflationexasperation

Our ta, has apparently told dd she HAS to read the schools book... I just know, it's about control and dp getting above themselves I feel it.

I may tippex out what they write and just keep going with ours. But it's the pressure they put on dd.

You don't have much respect for the people educating your child do you?

Farfromthemaddeningtoddler
You are exceptionally unusual as a teacher to be hearing every child read every single week. Many hear the children read themselves once a term at best.

My sisters kids are at an Ofsted outstanding school, but my sister has had to ask over and over again because her two (bright/top of the class) kids never get heard read, and are often left on the same level for months and months. She even had one teacher insist they would not put a child of a certain age above a particular level on principle.

The problem with levels/reading schemes is they are great for 75% of the class who progress at a roughly similar/predictable pace, but it becomes awkward when a child is much higher or lower than peers.

Schools don’t always get it right. I remember my DS being on a relatively low level at school whilst reading Harry Potter from he was sick. I took him to the library and let him choose his own books and totally ignored the books the school insisted on sending him home. The schools approach would have killed off his love for reading in no time. I never complained to the school. The teachers rarely listen to parents in my experience. Just did my own thing at home and we lied and said he had read the books in his reading diary

Reading HP from six not sick!

I just used to write in the reading record "I think these books are a bit easy for DD1 now - could she move on to the next level?" They had to read a few on each level but not all of them.

I just used to put notes in saying X thought oh no floppy looked too boring and she has already read it so we read war and peace instead. The school has no jurisdiction over what you read at home. If they are that bothered then they can listen to her read at school more. I found that after a few attempts they generally give up or contact you at which point you highlight that she read the book a few months ago and has moved on. It doesn't sound as if you are too impressed with the school in general.

With DD2 they didn't spend so much time on the reading schemes and let them just choose what they wanted from the library. The approach really changed in a few years.

Your focusing on the wrong thing and between you both your turning everything into a competition, your even putting her Against other pupils with seating plans! How do you even know where others are sat?

Work with her to improve her self confidence, work to build a love of books. Stop focusing on levels and where others in the class are.

I can't imagine tipexing out what a TA wrote in a reading book! Why would you! You're making it into a battle in your head. You need to take a step back and reassess so you can go forward sensibly.