There will be so many illiterate kids after Covid.

[Elephant4]

If we lockdown again - and even if we don't.

So many kids are getting little to no education. It's been almost a year now and looks like it could last another one.

I'm not talking about my kids. I look after them and educate them after school and during lockdowns etc as best I can.

But there's so many kids round here who have little to no parental support. We live in a deprived area with high Covid rates. Barely any of the kids had any education during lockdown. In the last term bubbles, year groups, classes have been sent home constantly. Schools have been shut due to teacher shortages. When the kids are at school they're not being taught due to supply teachers - behaviour being awful - much worse than before.

The kids at Secondary level here were already underachieving. This pandemic's school closures etc will leave thousands all over the country illiterate - or otherwise very close to it - I reckon.

[quote PandemicPavolova]@TheBellOntheTree

Mine also has suspected sen and couldn't read...

Thanks to mn and my own research I cobbled together my own stragety.

1st if she's struggling with phonics remember it's not one size fits all no matter how much the brain washed gurus push it..
I went back to basics with Peter and Jane books, building up 12 then 3 words a page, based on repetition.

Eg Jane, Peter, Peter and Jane.

Also buy the first 100 high frequency word flashcards. Do a few a day.

Print out the first hfw writing sheet and get her to write a few a day.

Build and work on the hfw.
Get cheap mini whiteboard and pens... Use that to help her learn to spell and recognise words.

Re no school reading books, we subscribed to the reading chest and throughout lock down we were able to follow and move up the reading schemes, in conjunction with Flash cards, Writing hfw.

I used a variety of tactics to encourage dd to work with me which was not easy, usually buying comp time.

I got her up 4 reading levels op, from a very stop start low level to one that's bottom range of current year expectations. But not the very bottom.

To begin with it was hard work getting the cogs turning ... But once they did turn she got it... Buying reading chest was the best money related thing we did and its real books sent through the post.. If you don't want to replicate your reading scheme you could choose the same level from the others and even choose the topic.

We did something every day, even one line... It's become absolutely rigid in our routine now.
She still won't pick up a book for pleasure but... She can read so much more and is able to support her own learning in class.

Good luck[/quote]
Thank you I will try that, I do wonder if the books where more tailored to her level she'd attempt it.

School funding will never improve whilst it is the preserve of local government- it’s too easy for Westminster to point the blame at the LAs and say “all we do is give them the money”, and the LAs have to shoulder the debt and burden of a spiralling SEN budget, let alone normal education costs.

@TheBellOntheTree, ADHD by any chance?

The only way I got round that is plain old fashioned “you will sit down and do this”. Coupled with keeping it short - I started my child off just reading one page. One page, I would tell him, 5 words. And then praise and reward. Lots. Big break, then again. It does build up.

@TheBellOntheTree - that's frustrating for you. It won't help to know for frustration, but she probably is picking up a bit each time, does she cope which much shorter bursts of a few sentences only at a time, then a game and continue later? Does it make a difference to her settling if she's had a long run before so she's tired, or not? Does she like some stories more than others? Could you do games like putting colours / objects on the floor and she has to dance onto red then blue / hat then mat etc? You could start with picture plus word, then just do the word.

Control of schools was taken away from local councils ages ago. The councils still get the blame and responsibility to provide education, but they can do nothing.

School funding will never improve whilst it is the preserve of local government

It's not. The majority of secondary schools are academies and get their funding from the government, not the LA.

The schools funding crisis is entirely the choice of the government, and it is a political choice.

They haven't even given schools any extra funds for covid costs. That's how dire it is. There's going to be a massive schools funding crisis in 2021 as the money runs out and schools go even further into debt. Will the government put its hand in its pocket then?

There is a historic problem with the literacy levels of many secondary pupils and this will only be exacerbated for many pupils by the gap in education due to the pandemic. The average reading age of GCSE exam papers is 15 years and 7 months.

www.tes.com/news/weak-readers-struggle-more-maths-english-lit

www.gl-assessment.co.uk/news-hub/press-releases/new-study-highlights-the-importance-of-reading-to-the-whole-school-curriculum/

[quote SoWhenWillItBeWorthIt]@TheBellOntheTree, ADHD by any chance?

The only way I got round that is plain old fashioned “you will sit down and do this”. Coupled with keeping it short - I started my child off just reading one page. One page, I would tell him, 5 words. And then praise and reward. Lots. Big break, then again. It does build up.[/quote]
Suspected ADHD and dyspraxia, plus she has eye problems so that won't be helping.

The funding given to schools is based on a formula.

[quote MRex]@TheBellOntheTree - that's frustrating for you. It won't help to know for frustration, but she probably is picking up a bit each time, does she cope which much shorter bursts of a few sentences only at a time, then a game and continue later? Does it make a difference to her settling if she's had a long run before so she's tired, or not? Does she like some stories more than others? Could you do games like putting colours / objects on the floor and she has to dance onto red then blue / hat then mat etc? You could start with picture plus word, then just do the word.[/quote]
She doesn't like reading at all, she just won';t sit for it. I'm going to try some of the other suggestions but maybe making it a game might help.

A big burst of exercise is a great idea before we do it so I will see if that helps.

I love the idea of colours or objects with words on on the floor. She loves sorting things and being helpful so I could adapt that to helping me round the house with labels on objects.

Lots of DCs miss months or years of schooling due to illness. DC1 did. Mostly they catch up. Those that don't would have struggled anyway, in my experience.

Too much emphasis on exams and testing doesn't help. Too much pressure on DCs and staff.

Coloured letters, big letters would help. Montessori uses sandpaper letters, cut out of sandpaper: there will be letters templates on the internet. Those old-fashioned magnetic letters are good too. Labelling things is a good idea, everywhere around the house, especially if there’s a treat involved in decoding the label.

after Covid? Have you seen the amount of adults educated in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s that don’t know the difference between ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’ or how to spell the three letter word ‘etc’ and instead dump ect on us?

I have a friend that constantly writes “nursury” on her dull Facebook posts, as in “josh made me a card at nursury today, he’s so lucky to have such great teachers At nursury.”. So it’s not a typo, it’s clearly Emma’s illiteracy.

There are bigger worries.

Bell check out reading chest you can see the books, read before ordering. 3 levels of swaps

A good friend of mine currently works with a little boy who has no mother tongue.

He's apparently rather clever and taught himself some English (tv/cartoons) and has been picking up the language spoken in the kindergarten and his language classes as well.

But there's apparently simply nobody that spoke to him at home. And it's not the first time she had a case like that.

Imagining how children in these stations have (probably) been developing is worrying, I agree.

That’s really worrying. Isn’t there a critical window for some aspects of language acquisition?

@RedPickledCabbage

after Covid? Have you seen the amount of adults educated in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s that don’t know the difference between ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’ or how to spell the three letter word ‘etc’ and instead dump ect on us?

I have a friend that constantly writes “nursury” on her dull Facebook posts, as in “josh made me a card at nursury today, he’s so lucky to have such great teachers At nursury.”. So it’s not a typo, it’s clearly Emma’s illiteracy.

There are bigger worries.

Why do so many struggle with plurals in English? Having taken lessons in a foreign language, this is one of the most basic things you learn in the first few weeks.

eg "MOT's", "holiday's"
Or not knowing that a word ending in "y" uses "ies' at the end to turn it onto a plural. So" stories" becomes "storey's".

How on earth are a lot of people doing home schooling going to impart even basic literary skills? Poor SPAG really holds children back from getting better jibs/University education in all but exceptional cases.

@Sirzy

If there are, the blame lies firmly at the parents door.

But it’s not that simple is it, not all parents have time to teach their children that’s why they go to school not home Ed.

Not all parents have the ability to do so, often due to failings in their own education.

I hope this changes the education system long term to focus more on the important key skills and ensuring that young people all have their needs met.

That's excuses for the majority ARE capable. It's a minority who would not be capable. And with the Internet etc, we can all, if we so wish, learn ourselves how to do what our children need.

Even with FT working it's possible to hom educate in covid situations. Even if that requires earlier starts, weekend time spent etc. It's about how important this is or not. Trying to justify why they CBA is not helping the situation. Parents are accountable. Even if attending school, school alone is not responsible for our children's education. The sooner this is acknowledged by all and acted on, the better the outlook for our children, covid or not.

I read news reports that children went back into nappies during lockdown

That is one that definitely can’t be pinned on the teachers!

Poor SPAG really holds children back from getting better jibs/University education in all but exceptional cases.

It doesn’t though, or at least did not pre-COVID. If even schools and education care more about new recruits’ politicking capabilities than they do their literacy skills, no one else bothers. In fact it’s a drawback ime, in many parts of this country - education standards are ‘posh’. The only sector I’ve noticed where it still matters are the libraries.

Games and so on are a good idea to get started @TheBellOntheTree, but a little bit of that old fashioned ‘sit and do it’ will build up their tolerance for that in schools too. Little bit as in short. If you want the current terminology, you need to be crystal clear on setting expectations, maintain those expectations, giving realistic chances of success. Then highlight and reward those successes. Success is the biggest motivator. I have worked a bit in Sen schools and they use the same basic approach.

@Redlocks28

I read news reports that children went back into nappies during lockdown

That is one that definitely can’t be pinned on the teachers!

But let's be fair, this is an edge case scenario. The hype around it is probably unfounded.

@SleepingStandingUp
It's got nothing to do with not caring for their children. It's about having a WFH job where you can't be watching over a child or not being WFH at all so having to leave the child with someone who isn't their parent. It's about not all children having the focus at 5 to sit for 6 hours whilst the parent works and teach themselves. Or being a SAHP to a 5 year old but also having 3 month old twins to contend with alone. Or not having enough devices or child because in normal life you don't need one screen per child. Or SEN. Or poor MH. Or school not providing leaning resources. Or a million other reasons that not everyone can do it all
All parents has things to contend with. But if your child's education is important you find a way around it.
No tech, then use pen and paper! Books.
There is an absolute minority of parents who couldn't have found a way around these issues. I am aware that those families who genuinely couldn't afford resources were delivered pencil cases, paper, text books etc. Not ideal, but a work around.

I was working earlier to do my day job. Using the down time to teach new concepts. We also worked part of the weekend days, paying back some of the down time during my working hours. It was hard work. My lo is on the asd spectrum, has additional needs as well as being summer born.
I made it work. That doesn't make me a hero. It makes me a parent actually trying their best.

A friend told me how difficult it was for her being at home, furloughed, nowhere to go. Her child did nothing from. March to.Sept. She's employed in the tech world. Financially way better off than most of us. Just plain CBA to parent syndrome.

Another family member, a teacher, didn't go in to work at all and also states didn't do anything for their pay packet beyond report writing in June, also didn't teach their child. Why? Because apparently it was hard having a 3 and 4 to at home. Yet surely they are the experts and even then CBA.

Excuses. There are very few illiterate parents. Illiterate as in the definition of unable to read or write. Those that are deemed functionally illiterate ~15% still have the reading age of an at least 7 to 9 year old. Whereas the illiterate is "only" approx 5% and equivalent to literacy levels at age 5-7. They may not be able to write short messages to family or read a road sign. Try not believing all that the tabloids state but actually look at the statistics and what they show.

Look at research papers such as The 2011 Skills for Life Survey: A Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and ICT Levels in England. Though remember that this was over 8 years ago and things have improved.

@Redlocks28

I read news reports that children went back into nappies during lockdown

That is one that definitely can’t be pinned on the teachers!

No but it could be a child with additional needs who has regressed due to the anxiety of the whole situation

Both of my parents grew up through WW2, one was evacuated.
Their schooling must have been disrupted, but they were both great readers, plus it wasn't until the 1970s that the school leaving age was increased to 16.

I worked in FE for several years, and was astounded at the number of people that had gone through the UK school system enrolled on basic literacy classes.

I agree that the current situation will increase disparity, but it's hyperbolic to suggest that covid-related school closures alone will create illiteracy on such a grand scale - as many PPs have said, some children are reading more.

I went to primary school in a country at war. We had to be evacuated at one point, which meant missing 4 months - no part time/online... it was the 80s :). Every year we missed a lot of days/weeks due to raids, sheltering.
I have contact with a few classmates (fb, so not close). All of us have at least 1 diploma, love to read and went into our native country's secondary education with some glitches, but generally doing okay.

I think it's being blown out of proportion.

I'm worried that my year 10 DS will fail GCSE English. He spends most of his waking hours reading, he has always been a voracious reader yet has always struggled (relative to other subjects) with English. So many people think reading more will solve everything, well that's all he bloody well does. He needs to be in class!