Teacher told dd4 that she won’t be able to go into year 1 if she can’t read..

[WaitroseAldi]

Dd is 5 in July, so she’s one of the youngest in her class. On top of this she has a speech therapy as she struggles with pronouncing some sounds.

She’s doing absolutely amazing though and loves school. She’s been so excited to move to year 1 as they have been on about it at school.

I thought she was quite good at reading. We read every night before bed. But she came home last night and said the teacher had told her if she can’t read she won’t be able to go into year 1, which has obviously really upset her.

We are going to keep practicing even more now but I feel awful for her :(

Well first you need to speak to the teacher to clarify exactly what was said, and then you can discuss with the teacher what you can do to help your DD.

Yeah I would address with teacher and ask for a plan in place to support her reading.
Your doing great reading with her every night so ask the teacher what her concerns are

That doesn’t seem like it’s going to nurture learning. I also say speak to the teacher and found out what was said.
Can she actually read though?

If that was what the teacher actually said, that is awful and completely unacceptable.

However, they do often misunderstand and misreport things at this age. My daughter will be 6 in July and still quite unreliable when it comes to reporting back things that have been said to her at school! So I would absolutely bring this up with the teacher, tell her what DD has said and ask her to clarify. In person if possible, so you are able to gage from her reaction whether this was what was actually said.

Are you sure that is what was said? Is she perhaps reluctant to read at school?

By the way, my DD could barely read going into year 1. She has come on in leaps and bounds and from what I can tell is now very much average in terms of the reading levels of the class. So don't worry.

My DD went into Yr1 still on 'pink' (level 1) books. Similar to your DD, young in year and Speech therapy.
It clicked in the first term of Yr1.

In Yr5 now, reads several novels a week for fun. Still below age expectations. But has managed fine in everything else. Suspected Dyslexia, but no firm diagnosis.

If your DD had been born a few weeks later she would still be in nursery!

Clarify with the teacher before you get upset.

Children can interpret things differently to what adults intended to express, and then in turn can express things differently to how we would.

So this may all be a misunderstanding.

WTF! I would think it very very unlikely that was actually said - she’s so young and could easily misunderstand something.

I would say to the teacher “DD seems to have got the idea she won’t be allowed into year one if she can’t read!” and see what they say.

It’s seems more likely that she has misunderstood rather than the teacher is threatening to hold her back. She is only 5, after all.

But you never know, so worth asking anyway.

FFS, complain. Honestly, what are some people thinking. Hopefully the teacher will apologise and realise it was a poor thing to say. In my experience (ex-teacher) this kind of comment comes for one of two reasons - either the teacher just isn’t very nice or they are under extreme pressure from higher ups or ofsted.

@SingToTheSky

WTF! I would think it very very unlikely that was actually said - she’s so young and could easily misunderstand something.

I would say to the teacher “DD seems to have got the idea she won’t be allowed into year one if she can’t read!” and see what they say.

This is how you should word it absolutely. But unfortunately these kind of coercive comments are far from unusual.

I'd make sure that that was what was said before you jump to a complaint. At that age they often misremember/misunderstand things. I had one parent in a rage once that I'd said there was no Santa - I'd said no such thing. The child's older sibling, on the other hand...

I agree, suspect this is a 'filtered by 5 year olds' comment but do get to the bottom of it to reassure your DD. My DD, also summer born and mild SEN, couldn't read until the end of Y1

Yes, if she actually did say it it’s beyond awful! I just hope it is a misunderstanding.

That’s bloody awful if true...of course she will move up to year 1 .I would speak to the teacher.

My DD was still on punk books going into year 1. She’s now in year 3 and is ahead for her age.

Children develop at different rates.

Oh purlease. You are not naive enough to believe that the teacher really said this are you?

Please check what was said before making any complaint. My ds once told me that the teacher said she'd tread on their fingers if they didnt sit still at carpet time. He saw it as a punishment whereas she obviously mean if they didnt keep still she might accidentally tread on them. 😄

she's four ffs. kids used to come into school the term after their fifth birthday not being able to read and did fine.

check if that is what she said.

Whilst I don't completely disbelieve that a teacher would say that … I really wouldn't take a four year old as the gospel truth.
She could have said something along the lines of you need to get to X stage of reading to be ready to go into year 1 / hit the ground running or some such equivalent and your DD is just taking it wrong.

I’m going to just mention it to the teacher when I pick her up x

My SS is in year 1 and can’t read anything really, I wouldn’t worry about your DD at all

Definitely ask the teacher to clarify though since it’s upset you’re daughter

Yes find out what was said, sometimes what a four year old hears is not what was said.

If she is struggling with phonics look at other strategies, maybe flash cards etc